Airline on-time performance

What can be made of airline claims about on-time performance?

Hawaiian is Nation’s Most On-Time Airline for 5th Straight Year,” a press release announced yesterday. “Airline Leaps from Worst to First among the ‘Big Six’ Hub-and-Spoke Carriers,” said the release from US Airways.

In that spirit, we can confidently announce that Northwest Airlines was the nation’s top on-time airline among airlines with a hub in Minneapolis and owned by an airline in Atlanta.

These are based on the Department of Transportation performance statistics for December.

For Minneapolis-St. Paul, we learn that:

  • Northwest’s flights were on time only about 65% of the time. That’s good for 10th place among the rated airlines.
  • Northwest’s on-time performance at MSP was better than most other airlines, though none of it was much to write home about.
  • The hour during which the most flights arrive on time at MSP is between 6 and 7 a.m. (68.6%). The hour during which the most flights arrive late at MSP is between 10and 11 p.m. (45.1%)
  • The highest percentage of departing flight delays is 9-10 p.m. The best hour is 7-8 a.m. to depart.
  • Northwest flight 599 — Minneapolis to Portland, Oregon runs late 93 percent of the time. The average delay is about an hour and a half. It was the second-worst on-time performance in the country. Only AmericaWest’s flight from Atlanta to San Antonio is worse.
  • Of all airlines at Minneapolis-St. Paul, flights arrived late 62.3 percent of the time, and departed late 67.9 percent of the time.
  • Northwest canceled the fewest number of flights of any major airline.
  • December’s biggest headache was, no doubt, shared by passengers of Express Jet flight 2418 at George Bush Airport in Houston, who had a 7-hour tarmac delay. It snowed in Houston that day.
  • Southwest Airlines, which starts flying at MSP next month, had the fewest rate of passenger complaints. United was the worst.