WASHINGTON -- The United States Department of Transportation (DoT) released its May 2018 Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on air carrier data compiled for the month of March 2018 and the first quarter of 2018. The full consumer report and other aviation consumer matters of interest to the public can be found at http://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer.

In March 2018, the reporting carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 80.9 percent, up from both the 79.9 percent on-time rate in March 2017 and the 79.3 percent mark in February 2018. Reporting carriers canceled 2.8 percent of their scheduled domestic flights, up from both the 1.7 percent cancellation rate posted in March 2017 and the 1.7 percent rate in February 2018.

Airlines reported one tarmac delay of more than three hours on domestic flights, down from 27 such tarmac delays reported in February 2018. In March 2018, airlines reported no tarmac delays of more than four hours on international flights, compared to four such tarmac delays reported in February 2018. All reported extended tarmac delays are investigated by the Department.

In March 2018, the carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 2.59 reports per 1,000 passengers, an increase over March 2017’s rate of 2.24, but an improvement over February 2018’s rate of 2.72. For the first quarter of this year, the carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 2.92 reports per 1,000 passengers, an increase over the 2.59 rate for the first quarter of 2017.

Bumping/oversales data, unlike other air carrier data, are reported quarterly rather than monthly. For the first quarter of 2018, the 18 U.S. carriers who report on-time performance and mishandled baggage data posted an involuntary denied boarding, or bumping, rate of 0.12 per 10,000 passengers, the lowest quarterly rate based on historical data dating back to 1995 and down from both the rate of 0.62 for the first quarter of 2017 and the previous lowest quarterly rate of 0.15 posted in the third quarter of 2017. See the May Air Travel Consumer Report for denied boarding numbers by airline.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation
Associated URL: https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/dot3718
Author: U.S. Department of Transportation