Which flights are always late? Delta partners, NYC airports top the list
Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY, 01/04/2007
Delta affiliate Comair had more chronically delayed flights than any U.S. airline for the month of November according to the latest statistics released by the Department of Transportation. Six of the nation's most frequently late flights –- and 34 of the worst 50 -– were flown by Comair in November, the latest month for which data is available. Of the nation's 50 most-chronically late flights, 34 were flown on Comair. Throw in two others that fly under the Delta logo -– one mainline Delta flight and one on Delta Connection partner SkyWest –- and 36 of the nation's 50 flights with the worst on-time records belonged to Delta and its partners. The worst of the bunch? Flights 5518 and 5073 on Delta partner Comair. Both were late 96.67% of the time in November, with Flight 5518 (New York JFK to Boston) late an average of 71 minutes and Flight 5073 (JFK to Atlanta) late an average of 64 minutes. That marked the fourth month in a row that Delta and its Connection partners accounted for the vast majority of the nation's latest flights.
Perhaps contributing to Delta's woes was New York's JFK International Airport, where the airline created its newest hub just last year. JFK flights accounted for more than half (26) of the nation's 50 flights that were delayed the most often. In fact, 78% of the nation's most-chronically delayed flights were either to or from the three New York airports -– Newark, LaGuardia and JFK. As for Comair, it posted one of the nation's worst on-time rates, with just under 67% of its flights arriving on time for the month, according to WTOP News of Washington, D.C. The Cincinnati Business Courier (free registration) adds that Comair "also topped the ranking for flights that are late more than 70% of the time, with a 9.4% rate."
But the Delta affiliate may not be alone with its performance struggles. The Wall Street Journal (via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette website) writes that "operations at several big regional airlines -- the carriers that feed millions of passengers to mainline airlines -- deteriorated sharply last year, with late flights, lost baggage and cancellations soaring." What's behind the decline? The Journal writes that "the slipping service at some regionals is the result of explosive growth and cost-cutting. Some airlines have found themselves with schedules too tight to load and unload planes without delays, and with no cushion to catch up. Since mainline airlines typically control the scheduling of their regional partners, the small-jet airlines have been whacked with flight cancellations at hub airports to make room for the mainline airlines' bigger planes when bad weather or construction slow traffic."
The Journal also takes a specific look at Comair, noting that it "historically has ranked well in DOT standings." But, the Journal writes that Comair "says its problems began last summer with Delta's major expansion at New York's Kennedy Airport. Dropping lots of new Comair flights into JFK, an airport already jammed with JetBlue Airways, a major American operation and the afternoon and evening rush of European flights, meant the time airplanes spent taxiing in a conga line to takeoff increased 50%, said Don Stephens, Comair's vice president of system planning. For now, Comair has convinced Delta to space out regional flights more at JFK and add minutes to schedules to more accurately reflect trip times. Comair has also bulked up its crew base at JFK to have more pilots and flight attendants available," the paper adds.
Flights most-frequently arriving late in November 2006
Rank-Flight (percentage late, average delay in minutes)
Length of average delay used as "tie-breaker" for flights late the same percentage of time1. Delta partner Comair Flight 5518 from New York JFK to Boston (arrived late 96.67% of the time in November by an average of 71 minutes)
2. Delta partner Comair Flight 5073 from JFK to Atlanta (96.67%, 64 min.)
3. Delta partner Comair Flight 5195 from JFK to Wash. Dulles (96.15%, 53 min.)
4. Delta partner Comair Flight 5093 from JFK to Wash. National (96%, 63 min.)
5. Delta partner Comair Flight 4954 from Wash. National to JFK (96%, 57 min.)
6. Delta partner Comair Flight 5458 from JFK to Buffalo (93.33%, 57 min.)
7. United partner SkyWest Flight 5778 from Yuma to LAX (93.33%, 37 min.)
8. Delta partner Comair Flight 4979 from JFK to Richmond (93.1%, 67 min.)
9. Delta partner Comair Flight 5638 from Ft. Myers to Columbus, Ohio (93.1%, 37 min.)
10. Delta partner Atlantic Southeast (ASA) Flight 4802 from Atlantic City to Atlanta (93.1%, 36 min.)
11. Delta partner Comair Flight 4954 from JFK to Rochester, N.Y. (92.59%, 68 min.)
12. Delta partner Comair Flight 5123 from Columbus, Ohio, to Wash. National (92.31%, 44 min.)
13. Delta partner Comair Flight 5517 from JFK to Cleveland (92%, 66 min.)
14. Delta partner Comair Flight 5522 from JFK to Boston (90.91%, 78 min.)
15. US Airways Flight 1865 from Newark to Charlotte (90.48%, 60 min.)
16. Delta partner Comair Flight 5244 from Richmond to JFK (90%, 68 min.)
17. American Flight 1639 from JFK to San Juan, Puerto Rico (90%, 54 min.)
18. Delta partner Comair Flight 4969 from JFK to Indianapolis (89.66%, 60 min.)
19. Delta partner Comair Flight 5339 from Buffalo to Cincinnati (88.89%, 49 min.)
20. Delta partner Comair Flight 5266 from Richmond to N.Y. LaGuardia (88.46%, 65 min.)
21. Delta partner Comair Flight 5350 from LaGuardia to Portland, Maine (88.46%, 58 min.)
22. Delta partner Comair Flight 5495 from JFK to Dulles (88.46%, 57 min.)
23. Delta partner Comair Flight 5192 from Wash. National to Columbus, Ohio (88.46%, 41 min.)
24. Delta partner Comair Flight 5243 from Newark to Cincinnati (88%, 68 min.)
25. American Flight 1659 from Newark to Chicago O'Hare (88%, 63 min.)
26. Delta partner Comair Flight 5283 from JFK to Wash. National (86.67%, 63 min.)
27. Delta partner Comair Flight 5261 from Richmond to LaGuardia (86.67%, 57 min.)
28. Delta partner Comair Flight 5011 from Savannah to LaGuardia (86.67%, 53 min.)
29. United partner SkyWest Flight 5740 from Yuma to El Centro/Imperial, Calif. (86.67, 45 min.)
30. Northwest Flight 467 from Detroit to Atlanta. (86.67, 44 min.)
31. Delta partner SkyWest Flight 4079 from Salt Lake City to Dallas/Fort Worth (86.67, 28 min.)
32. Southwest Flight 803 from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia (86.21, 48 min.)
33. Delta partner Comair Flight 5350 from Raleigh/Durham to LaGuardia (86.21%, 48 min.)
34. United partner SkyWest Flight 5761 from Modesto to Los Angeles (85.21%, 68 min.)
35. Delta partner Comair Flight 5166 from LaGuardia to Cincinnati (84.62%, 68 min.)
36. Delta partner Comair Flight 5478 from Dulles to JFK (84.62%, 65 min.)
37. Delta partner Comair Flight 5519 from JFK to Nashville (84.62%, 59 min.)
38. American Flight 1497 from Newark to Chicago O'Hare (84%, 68 min.)
39. Delta partner Comair Flight 5534 from JFK to Burlington, Vt. (84%, 64 min.)
40. American Flight 1914 from Chicago O'Hare to Newark (84%, 59 min.)
41. Continental partner ExpressJet Flight 3043 from Greenville/Spartanburg to Newark (84%, 56 min.)
42. Delta partner Comair Flight 5274 from JFK to Pittsburgh (84%, 45 min.)
43. Continental partner ExpressJet Flight 3043 from Dulles to Newark (83.33%, 58 min.)
44. US Airways partner Mesa Flight 2809 from JFK to Charlotte (83.33%, 56 min.)
45. United partner Mesa Flight 7318 from JFK to Dulles (83.33%, 55 min.)
46. Delta partner Comair Flight 5463 from JFK to Buffalo (83.33%, 50 min.)
47. Delta partner Comair Flight 5524 from Columbus, Ohio, to JFK (83.33%, 46 min.)
48. Delta partner Comair Flight 4941 from JFK to Wash. National (83.33%, 41 min.)
49. Delta partner Comair Flight 5297 from Wash. National to JFK (82.76%, 58 min.)
50. Delta partner Comair Flight 5573 from JFK to Raleigh-Durham (82.76%, 58 min.)Source: Department of Transportation's Air Travel Consumer Report for November (pages 15-16), which was issued on Wednesday, Jan. 3.
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