According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report, Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) posted the worst record among major airlines for on-time arrivals in June at 66.8%. Hawaiian Airlines posted the best number at 95.3%.
While two regional airlines posted worse numbers than Southwest, its numbers were particularly poor. The industry average for June was 71.8%. Two small, regional carriers had remarkably low figures–Envoy (Formerly American Eagle Airlines) at 62.2%
ExpressJet Airlines at 65.1%. Joining Hawaiian Airlines at the top of the list were Alaska Airlines (NYSE: ALK) at 86% Virgin America at 81.6%.
Weather was a major culprit of delays in June, the agency reported:
In June, the carriers filing on-time performance data reported that 7.39 percent of their flights were delayed by aviation system delays, compared to 6.04 percent in May; 10.43 percent by late-arriving aircraft, compared to 8.18 percent in May; 7.06 percent by factors within the airline’s control, such as maintenance or crew problems, compared to 6.04 percent in May; 0.90 percent by extreme weather, compared to 0.57 percent in May; and 0.03 percent for security reasons, compared to 0.03 percent in May.
Weather is a factor in both the extreme-weather category and the aviation-system category. This includes delays due to the re-routing of flights by DOT’s Federal Aviation Administration in consultation with the carriers involved. Weather is also a factor in delays attributed to late-arriving aircraft, although airlines do not report specific causes in that category.
Data collected by BTS (Bureau of Transportation Statistics) also shows the percentage of late flights delayed by weather, including those reported in either the category of extreme weather or included in National Aviation System delays. In June, 37.05 percent of late flights were delayed by weather, up from 33.49 in May and down from 41.80 percent in June 2013.
In terms of level of cancellations to total flights, Delta (NYSE: DAL) did particularly well:
Highest Rates of Canceled Flights
Envoy (Formerly American Eagle Airlines) – 6.5 percent
ExpressJet Airlines – 4.9 percent
SkyWest Airlines – 3.8 percent
Lowest Rates of Canceled FlightsDelta Airlines – 0.0 percent*
Hawaiian Airlines – 0.1 percent
Frontier Airlines – 0.1 percent
*Delta Air Lines canceled 15 flights in June
Take Charge of Your Retirement In Just A Few Minutes (Sponsor)
Retirement planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. The key is finding expert guidance—and SmartAsset’s simple quiz makes it easier than ever for you to connect with a vetted financial advisor.
Here’s how it works:
- Answer a Few Simple Questions. Tell us a bit about your goals and preferences—it only takes a few minutes!
- Get Matched with Vetted Advisors Our smart tool matches you with up to three pre-screened, vetted advisors who serve your area and are held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. Click here to begin
- Choose Your Fit Review their profiles, schedule an introductory call (or meet in person), and select the advisor who feel is right for you.
Why wait? Start building the retirement you’ve always dreamed of. Click here to get started today!
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
Our expert who first called NVIDIA in 2009 is predicting 2025 will see a historic AI breakthrough.
You can follow him investing $500,000 of his own money on our top AI stocks for free.