Washington – U.S. airline delays are at their highest level in at least 12 years, and analysts say fliers can expect more of the same for the rest of the summer.
The Department of Transportation said Monday that the industry’s on-time performance in the first six months of the year was its worst since 1995. In June, nearly a third of domestic flights on major U.S. airlines were late.
Part of the explanation for the worsening delays is that demand for air travel is rising, on major airlines and on smaller regional carriers. In addition, the government said weather-related delays in June were up 7 percent from a year ago.
Reports of mishandled baggage and complaints filed with the government also rose.
At Denver International Airport, about 73.2 percent of flights were on time in June, down from 78 percent in June 2006. That pushed Denver down to No. 9 in a ranking of airports’ on-time arrival performance, from No. 7 a year earlier. Salt lake City’s airport ranked first for on-time arrivals in the month.
Consultant Robert Mann said U.S. carriers improved their finances by using more small 40- 80 seat jets, but that means more crowded skies and runways.
Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi contributed to this report.
