Airlines' on-time average drops; Spirit leads area carriers
On-time arrivals of U.S. flights were down overall in January, but several airlines with area operations ranked near the top for sticking close to their schedules, according to the latest Air Travel Consumer Report from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Some airlines that serve Pittsburgh didn’t fare as well, falling below the national on-time average.
U.S. carriers on average arrived on time for 78.4% of flights in January, down from 80% in December and 79.4% in January 2018.
Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines, which is the sole commercial airline serving Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity and also offers flights at Pittsburgh International Airport, had the second-most on-time flights in January — 82.9%, behind industry leader Hawaiian Airlines, at 87.2%.
Spirit recently soared to the top of the pack, besting Hawaiian, with an 89% on-time rate in October.
January’s on-time rankings placed Delta Airlines in third place, at 82.7%, and Southwest Airlines in fourth place, at 81.9%.
Carriers that fell below January’s national average include: American Airlines, with 77.6% of flights on time; Frontier Airlines, with 73.9%; Allegiant Air, with 73.4%; United Airlines, with 72.1%; and JetBlue, with 69.4%.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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