The nation’s airlines slightly improved their on-time rate in January, raising it to 78.7 percent compared with 77 percent in January 2009, according to a report released Tuesday.
Slightly more than 84 percent of January’s arrivals at Denver International Airport arrived within 14 minutes of schedule, stated the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report. In January 2009, the overall on-time rate at DIA was 78.7 percent.
United, DIA’s No. 1 airline, reported 83.7 percent of its arrivals were on time. No. 2 Frontier had 83.2 percent on time and No. 3 Southwest 80.1.
Late-arriving aircraft, delays in the national aviation system and air-carrier delays were the biggest causes of delays in January.
Frontier ranked third-best for baggage handling. Southwest was eighth and United 12th out of 18 airlines.
Southwest was second out of 18 for the fewest number of complaints, with Frontier 10th and United having the most. Ann Schrader, The Denver Post
