|

Tarmac Delays in August Show Steep Drop

Tuesday, October 12, 2010 – The nation’s largest airlines reported only one flight in August with a tarmac
delay of more than three hours, compared to 66 flights in August 2009, with no
change in the rate of canceled flights, according to the Air Travel Consumer
Report released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

Data filed with
the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) showed the only tarmac delay
longer than three hours reported in August by the 18 airlines that file on-time
performance with DOT involved a United Airlines flight departing the San Juan
airport on Aug. 5 that was diverted.  August was the fourth full month of
data since the new aviation consumer rule went into effect on April 29. 
There were only eight total tarmac delays of more than three hours from May
through August this year, compared to 529 during the same four-month period of
2009.  BTS is a part of DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology
Administration (RITA).

The largest
carriers canceled 1.0 percent of their scheduled domestic flights in August,
matching the 1.0 percent cancellation rate of August 2009.  They posted a
1.4 percent cancellation rate in July 2010.

See the DOT press release press release
for Secretary Ray LaHood’s statement.

The new tarmac
delay rule prohibits U.S. airlines operating domestic flights from permitting
an aircraft to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours without deplaning
passengers, with exceptions allowed only for safety or security or if air traffic
control advises the pilot in command that returning to the terminal would
disrupt airport operations.  The Department will investigate tarmac delays
that exceed this limit.

The monthly
report also includes data on on-time performance, chronically delayed flights,
flight cancellations and the causes of flight delays filed with the Department by
the reporting carriers.  In addition, it has information on airline
bumping, reports of mishandled baggage filed by consumers with the carriers,
and consumer service, disability and discrimination complaints received by
DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division.  This report also includes
reports of incidents involving pets traveling by air, as required to be filed
by U.S. carriers.

On-time
Performance

The reporting carriers recorded an overall on-time arrival
rate of 81.7 percent in August, up from both the 79.7 percent on-time rate of August
2009 and July 2010’s 76.7 percent. 

Tarmac Delays

In August, the carriers filing
on-time performance data reported that .0400 percent of their scheduled flights
had tarmac delays of two hours or more, down from .1030 percent in July. 
There was one flight with a tarmac delay of more than three hours in August. 

Chronically Delayed Flights

At the end of August, there were four flights that were
chronically delayed – more than 30 minutes late more than 50 percent of the
time – for three consecutive months.  There were an additional 41 flights
that were chronically delayed for two consecutive months.  There were no
chronically delayed flights for four consecutive months or more.  A list
of flights that were chronically delayed for a single month is available from BTS (www.bts.gov).

Causes of Flight Delays

In August, the carriers filing
on-time performance data reported that 5.07 percent of their flights were
delayed by aviation system delays, compared to 6.21 percent in July; 6.42
percent by late-arriving aircraft, compared to 8.13 percent in July; 5.16 percent
by factors within the airline’s control, such as maintenance or crew problems, compared
to 6.37 percent in July; 0.46 percent by extreme weather, compared to 0.79
percent in July; and 0.04 percent for security reasons, compared to 0.05
percent in July. Weather is a factor in
both the extreme-weather category and the aviation-system category. This
includes delays due to the re-routing of flights by DOT’s Federal Aviation
Administration in consultation with the carriers involved. Weather is also a factor in delays attributed
to late-arriving aircraft, although airlines do not report specific causes in
that category.

Data
collected by BTS also shows the percentage of late flights delayed by weather,
including those reported in either the category of extreme weather or included
in National Aviation System delays. In August, 35.07 percent of late flights
were delayed by weather, down 10.70 percent from August 2009, when 39.27
percent of late flights were delayed by weather, and down 6.75 percent from
July when 37.61 percent of late flights were delayed by weather.

Detailed information on flight
delays and their causes is available on the BTS site on the World Wide Web at http://www.bts.gov.

Mishandled Baggage

The U.S.
carriers reporting flight delays and mishandled baggage data posted a
mishandled baggage rate of 3.50 reports per 1,000 passengers in August, an
improvement over both August 2009’s rate of 4.11 and July 2010’s 3.79 rate.

Incidents Involving
Pets

In August, carriers reported one incident
involving the loss, death or injury of pets while traveling by air, down from
both the three reports filed in August 2009 and eight in July 2010. August’s incident involved the injury of a
pet.

Complaints
About Airline Service

In August, the Department received 1,200
complaints about airline service from consumers, up 34.7 percent from the 891
complaints filed in August 2009 and up 9.7 percent from the 1,094 received in July
2010.

Complaints About Treatment of Disabled
Passengers

The report also
contains a tabulation of complaints filed with DOT in August against airlines
regarding the treatment of passengers with disabilities. The Department received a total of 71
disability-related complaints in August, up from the total of 50 filed in
August 2009 and the 56 complaints received in July 2010.

Complaints
About Discrimination

In
August, the Department received 17 complaints alleging discrimination by
airlines due to factors other than disability – such as race, religion,
national origin or sex – up from the total of 16 recorded in August 2009 and 12
recorded in July 2010.

Consumers may
file their complaints in writing with the Aviation Consumer Protection
Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, C-75, W96-432,


1200 New Jersey Ave. SE,

Washington,

DC

20590;
by voice mail at (202) 366-2220 or by TTY at (202) 366-0511; or on the web at http://airconsumer.dot.gov.

Consumers who
want on-time performance data for specific flights should call their airline’s reservation
number or their travel agent. This
information is available on the computerized reservation systems used by these
agents.

The Air Travel
Consumer Report can be found on DOT’s World Wide Web site at http://airconsumer.dot.gov. It is available in "pdf" and Microsoft Word
format.

Air Travel Consumer Report August 2010
Key On-Time Performance and Flight Cancellation Statistics

Based on Data Filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics by the 18 Reporting Carriers

81.7 percent on-time arrivals

Highest On-Time
Arrival Rates

1. Hawaiian
Airlines – 95.6 percent

2. Alaska
Airlines – 88.7 percent

3. Continental
Airlines – 87.1 percent

Lowest On-Time
Arrival Rates

1. Comair
– 76.4 percent

2. JetBlue
Airways – 77.1 percent

3. Delta
Air Lines – 77.4 percent

Flights with Longest Tarmac
Delays

1. United
Airlines flight 700 from San Juan to Washington Dulles, 8/5/10 – delayed
on tarmac 200 minutes

(There was only one flight with a tarmac delay of more than
three hours in August)

Highest Rates of
Canceled Flights

1. Pinnacle
Airlines – 2.5 percent

2. Comair
– 2.1 percent

3. Delta
Air Lines – 1.6 percent

Lowest Rates of Canceled Flights

1. Hawaiian
Airlines – 0.1 percent

2. Frontier
Airlines – 0.1 percent

3. Continental
Airlines – 0.1 percent

SRC: http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2010/dot186_10/html/dot186_10.html

To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.

Similar Posts

  • |

    Aeromar and Continental Airlines to Start Codeshare Flights

    CHICAGO and MEXICO CITY, Jan. 25, 2011
    Aeromar and Continental Airlines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) and a Star Alliance member, today announced that they will begin codeshare cooperation on routes within Mexico.

    Effective Feb. 1, 2011 Continental will initially place its code on Aeromar-operated flights between Mexico City and 13 destinations in Mexico. The codeshare builds on frequent-flyer cooperation launched in August 2010 that permits Continental OnePass members to accrue and redeem miles on all Aeromar-operated flights. In addition, Continental international first- and business-class passengers, Presidents Club members and Star Alliance Gold customers may access Aeromar’s Salon Diamante lounge in Mexico City.

    “The expansion of our partnership with Continental Airlines via codesharing will continue to broaden our leading joint market presence to better serve our customers, especially at a time when Aeromar is phasing in its first regional jets and further developing its route network within Mexico,” said Ami Lindenberg, Aeromar president.

    “We are pleased to expand our cooperation with Aeromar, which complements our extensive service to Mexico and offers new options to our customers,” said Jim Compton, executive VP and chief revenue officer of United Continental Holdings, Inc.

    About Aeromar

    Founded in 1987, Aeromar is Mexico’s most experienced airline. From its main operations base at Mexico City’s International Airport Terminal 2, Aeromar currently covers a network of 21 destinations in Mexico, as well as San Antonio, Texas, in the U.S.A. It performs over 100 average daily flights with a fleet of ATR-42 turboprop and CRJ-200 jet complying with the IOSA certification for the airline industry’s highest operational and safety audited standards established by IATA.

    Aeromar is a highly customer-focused airline, featuring the most convenient schedules and amenities for the business and leisure traveler, such as the “Salon Diamante” executive lounges, which are available at the Aguascalientes, Colima, Jalapa, Mexico City and Tepic airports. All-inclusive vacation packages, VIP charter flights and “FastPaq” courier and freight are among some of Aeromar’s additional products and services. For further information please visit us on the web at www.aeromar.us.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.

  • Press Release

    TUCSON, AZ, October 05, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ — Aerospace manufacturers currently in production in Mexico, as well as those considering options for low-cost country investment and sourcing will gather in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico from October 20 -22, 2009 at The Offshore Group’s Aerospace Manufacturing in Mexico Conference.

    Ricardo Dominguez Quijano will be one of the event’s featured speakers. Mr. Dominguez, of the Mexican Professional Aeronautical Engineers Association, will discuss the provisions and ramifications of a 2007 agreement that enables aerospace companies in Mexico to certify aerospace designs and components in accordance with US Standards, and in compliance with FAA Regulatory issues. The Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement, or BASA, aims to streamline production and to avoid costly recertifications or secondary reviews.

    Mexico is home to approximately 120 aerospace companies, and employs a work force that is rapidly approaching 20,000 workers. The Offshore Group’s Guaymas and Empalme, Sonora, Mexico industrial parks are home to one of the nation’s fastest developing aerospace clusters.

    Complete information about this unique industry event can be accessed by visiting:
    www.offshoregroup.com/guaymasaerospace.asp

    About The Offshore Group

    The Tucson, Arizona – based Offshore Group is Mexico’s leading provider of a turnkey outsourced manufacturing support or, “shelter,” solution that has enabled manufacturers to initiate and maintain low-cost, low-risk operations in Mexico since 1986. The Offshore Group’s 50+ manufacturing company clients are located in three gated and modern industrial parks with strategic locations in Mexico’s North Central and Western regions.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • | | | |

    FAA Issues Battery Statement. And Me Too…Attention, Boeing…

    My experts are telling me that it looks like Boeing is all alone on these 787 battery fires. The FAA issued 31 ‘Special Conditions’ (you can read that to mean that the FAA gave Boeing a whole lot of slack) but this battery problem is not getting a free ride, or any favors.

    SAFETY is the top priority. Make no mistake. The sooner the Dreamliner and its battery is grounded, the sooner the fix will be found and it will be safe to fly again. Well. While you’re at it fixing the battery problem, get that team of pilots who fly this thing to go over all areas of failure thus far, including the engines. Look at ALL of these…

    • Nov 6 2010: Boeing flight Texas: electrical problems in the aft electronics bay which disabled the primary flight displays in the cockpit.
    • Nov 6 2011: ANA Flight Okayama forced to deploy the landing gear using the alternate extension backup system, after an active warning light, which said that the wheels were not properly down.
    • July 28 2012: Boeing Flight Charleston: contained engine failure during a taxi test at Charleston International Airport PRE Delivery Taxi test. Debris fell from engine
    • Dec 4, 2012: United over Mississippi: “multiple messages” regarding flight-system errors, and diverted to New Orleans (KMSY). The problems occurred when one of the plane’s generators failed. Power was supplied to the aircraft with the five functioning generators.
    • Jan 7, 2013: JAL Boston: fire was discovered in a battery and electrical compartment of the aircraft.
    • Jan 8, 2013: JAL Boston: 40 gallons of fuel had spilled from one of its wing tanks at the gate. The plane was contacted before takeoff and it returned to the terminal without incident. Probably a case of overfilling the tank.
    • Jan 9, 2013: ANA Yamaguchi: Brake problems
    • Jan 16, 2013: ANA Takamatsu: instrument indications of smoke in the forward electrical compartment. No fire was found.

    Boeing? Are you listening? I fly everywhere, all over the world but at the moment, I’m not comfortable getting on this great plane that I really want to love for future travel. I’m am confident you can do it, even if all of these wrinkles are going to mean you need to bring in the really big iron. We need all the finders and fixers on this! The world has places to go and things to do, and you’re holding their safety in the palm of your hand.

    The Emergency Airworthiness Directive has been issued. Issued Jan 16, 2013
    and here is their announcement:

    As a result of an in-flight, Boeing 787 battery incident earlier today in Japan, the FAA will issue an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) to address a potential battery fire risk in the 787 and require operators to temporarily cease operations. Before further flight, operators of U.S.-registered, Boeing 787 aircraft must demonstrate to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that the batteries are safe.
    The FAA will work with the manufacturer and carriers to develop a corrective action plan to allow the U.S. 787 fleet to resume operations as quickly and safely as possible.
    The in-flight Japanese battery incident followed an earlier 787 battery incident that occurred on the ground in Boston on January 7, 2013. The AD is prompted by this second incident involving a lithium ion battery. The battery failures resulted in release of flammable electrolytes, heat damage, and smoke on two Model 787 airplanes. The root cause of these failures is currently under investigation. These conditions, if not corrected, could result in damage to critical systems and structures, and the potential for fire in the electrical compartment.

    Last Friday, the FAA announced a comprehensive review of the 787’s critical systems with the possibility of further action pending new data and information. In addition to the continuing review of the aircraft’s design, manufacture and assembly, the agency also will validate that 787 batteries and the battery system on the aircraft are in compliance with the special condition the agency issued as part of the aircraft’s certification.

    United Airlines is currently the only U.S. airline operating the 787, with six airplanes in service. When the FAA issues an airworthiness directive, it also alerts the international aviation community to the action so other civil aviation authorities can take parallel action to cover the fleets operating in their own countries.

    See Directive:

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • |

    FAA Orders Inspections for Boeing 767 Pylons

    July 21 – The FAA is ordering U.S. operators of 138 Boeing 767 airplanes to reduce the initial pylon inspection time mandated in a September 22, 2005 Airworthiness Directive from 10,000 to 8,000 total flights. This inspection must be done within 400 flights after the most recent inspection required by the 2005 directive, or within 90 days, whichever occurs later.

    The FAA is also reducing the interval for repetitive inspections for cracking of the pylon midspar structural fittings and an adjacent structure from 1,500 to every 400 flights thereafter. There is also an option for replacing the fittings instead of conducting the inspections.

    Since the 2005 Airworthiness Directive (AD), the FAA has received two reports of cracking of the midspar structural fitting on Boeing 767 pylons. The pylon attaches the engine to the wing. Undetected cracking could lead to fracture of the structural components, damage to the pylon, and separation of the engine from the wing.

    The Immediately Adopted AD affects 138 U.S.-registered airplanes out of 314 worldwide. The total cost to U.S. operators is approximately $46,920. The AD affects only those 767 models that have the original pylon design. Boeing has improved the design of the 767 pylon and those aircraft with the improved pylon designs are not included in this AD.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • |

    Boeing Completes Acquisition of Summit Aeronautic Group in Montana

    SEATTLE, Dec. 21, 2010 / — Boeing announced today the completion of the acquisition of the business and operations conducted by Summit Aeronautics Group in Helena, Montana. Terms of the transaction, announced on Nov. 22, were not disclosed.

    The newly acquired business will be named Boeing Helena. It will become part of Boeing Fabrication, a division of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Boeing Helena will manufacture titanium and other hard-metal structures for Boeing commercial aircraft including the 747-8, 767 and 787.

    Forward-Looking Information Is Subject to Risk and Uncertainty
    Certain statements in this release may be “forward-looking” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “targets,” “anticipates,” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements regarding the proposed acquisition of Summit include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expected timetable for completing the transaction, future business prospects, our guidance relating to 2010 and 2011 financial and operating performance, product development and benefits and synergies of the transaction, as well as any other statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions about future events that may not prove to be accurate. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. As a result, these statements speak to events only as of the date they are made and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by federal securities laws. Specific factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the effect of economic conditions in the United States and globally, the ability of the parties to satisfy the transaction conditions and complete the acquisition, the risk that competing offers will be made, our ability to successfully integrate Summit’s business and realize anticipated synergies, and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • | |

    FAA and JetBlue Reach NextGen Agreement

    For Immediate Release

    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced today that the FAA and JetBlue have signed a NextGen agreement that will allow the airline to fly more precise, satellite-based flights from Boston and New York to Florida and the Caribbean beginning in 2012.

    NextGen is the transformation of the U.S. national airspace system from a ground-based system of air traffic control to one based on satellites, which will enhance safety and reduce aviation congestion. Today’s NextGen announcement follows President Obama’s State of the Union Address last week, in which he stressed the importance of targeted investments to foster American innovation that will make our nation more competitive globally and strengthen our economy here at home.

    “In his State of the Union address, President Obama called for targeted investments that harness American innovation to strengthen our nation,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “NextGen is a critical investment in the future of our transportation system, one that uses the latest technology to transform our airspace to make aviation safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly.”

    Under the agreement, as many as 35 of JetBlue’s A320 aircraft will be equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) avionics over the next two years, enabling them to fly in two major routes off the East Coast even if traditional radar coverage is not available. The improved accuracy, integrity and reliability of aircraft surveillance under ADS-B will allow JetBlue to take advantage of these routes at all times since the satellite-based system tracks the precise position of aircraft.

    The agreement will also allow JetBlue to fly a new route to the Caribbean, and could lead to the development of two new, shorter ADS-B-only routes to the Caribbean from Boston, New York and Washington. The FAA will collect valuable NextGen data by observing and conducting real-time operational evaluations of ADS-B on revenue flights.

    “NextGen will help improve the travel experience for passengers and give airlines more flexibility to find the most efficient way to reach their destinations,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “This agreement will allow us to collect important data to further demonstrate the benefits of NextGen.”

    “As the youngest major airline in the United States, with a majority of our operations in the Northeast – arguably the most congested airspace in the world – JetBlue enthusiastically joins the FAA in this effort to begin rebuilding the skyways,” said JetBlue Airways CEO Dave Barger. “Our investment today will yield dividends far into the future, not just for JetBlue but for all airlines. Our customers and crewmembers deserve our best efforts.”

    The FAA has agreed to pay $4.2 million for the ADS-B avionics. JetBlue will provide flight operations, pilots, and aircraft maintenance and will pay for the cost of aircraft downtime while the ADS-B avionics are installed. JetBlue will also fund the necessary training for dispatchers and flight crews, including simulator time. The airline will demonstrate the cost savings of ADS-B technology and potentially equip the rest of its A320 fleet at its own expense with ADS-B avionics.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.