BTS: No extended tarmac delays in March

US Dept. of Transportation said the nation’s largest carriers reported no flights in March with tarmac delays of more than 3 hr., down from 25 flights in March 2010. Data filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics showed there have only been 16 tarmac delays of more than 3 hr. reported since the tough tarmac delay rule went into effect in April 2010 (ATW Daily News, April 29, 2010).

According to BTS, the 16 carriers reporting on-time performance recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 79.2% in March, down slightly from 80% in the year-ago month but up from 74.5% in February.

In March, the carriers reported that 6.2% of their flights were delayed by aviation system delays, compared to 6.7% in February; 7.4% by late-arriving aircraft, the same as February; 5.4% by factors within the airline’s control, such as maintenance or crew problems, the same as February; 0.32% by extreme weather, compared to 0.69% in February; and 0.04% for security reasons, compared to 0.05% in February.

Hawaiian Airlines again led all carriers in March OTP with an on-time arrival rate of 88.4%, down from February’s rate of 91.8%. Among mainland carriers, United Airlines had an on-time arrival rate of 84%, followed by Phoenix-based Mesa Airlines at 83.5%. The worst performers were JetBlue Airways at 71.3%, followed by Atlantic Southeast Airlines at 72.2% and ExpressJet Airlines at 76.6%.

Critics of the controversial tarmac delay rule believe it has resulted in increased cancellations, a claim DOT denies. The US Government Accountability Office is scheduled to report to Congress in June on the effects of the rule as DOT prepares to apply it to international services and Congress considers legislation to make it a statute (ATW, May 1).

During March, BTS reported the carriers canceled 1.3% of their scheduled domestic flights, compared to 1.5% in March 2010. “The number of canceled flights with tarmac delays of more than 2 hr. increased only slightly, from 324 between May 2009 and March 2010 to 347 between May 2010 and March 2011,” said BTS, which noted there were 16 canceled flights with tarmac delays of more than 2 hr. in March, down from 35 in the year-ago month.