According to the Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) from the U.S. Department of Transportation, 1.4% of flights were canceled in May, higher than the 0.6% rate in May 2023 and lower than the 2% rate in both May 2022 and in pre-pandemic May 2019.
In other results for May:
Best canceled flight rates: Allegiant Air – 0.4%; Delta Air Lines network – 0.4%; Alaska Airlines network – 0.4% (networks include codeshare partners)
Worst canceled flight rates: American Airlines network – 2.7%; Frontier Airlines – 2.6%; Hawaiian Airlines – 2.5%
The 640,137 flights operated in May 2024 were 104.46% of the 612,797 flights operated in May 2023.
Reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 72.6%, down from both 80.4% in April 2024 and 81.2% in May 2023. The year-to-date on-time arrival rate for 2024 is 77.5%. (Marketing carriers sell and book flights under their own codes.)
Best marketing carrier on-time arrival rates were: Delta Air Lines network –79.8%; Allegiant Air – 78.8%; Alaska Airlines network – 78%.
Worst marketing carrier on-time arrival rates:Frontier Airlines – 63.6%; American Airlines network – 66.3%; Southwest Airlines – 71.4%In May, airlines reported 38 tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights, compared with 11 tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights reported in April 2024. In May, airlines reported four tarmac delays of more than four hours on international flights, compared with one tarmac delay of more than four hours on international flights reported in April 2024.
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