A record-breaking 30 percent of flights arrived late at O’Hare International Airport in 2004, a last-place finish among the nation’s 31 busiest airports, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported Thursday.
The dismal performance occurred during a record year for flights, with 992,471 takeoffs and landings, a 6.6 percent increase over 2003.
A surge in airline overscheduling in late 2003 and early 2004 made O’Hare’s capacity crunch significantly worse than in the previously record-bad 2003, prompting the federal government to reimpose flight limits in phases at O’Hare.
Delays at O’Hare caused thousands of flights to arrive or depart late at several hundred airports across the U.S., prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to negotiate three rounds of flight reductions last year with airlines serving O’Hare. The agreements resulted in a return to hourly flight caps at O’Hare last November and restored some stability to airline schedules.
The impact of flight caps, controversial in an airline industry deregulated in 1978, is not expected to become clear until later this year. Regardless, the airlines and aviation experts view the caps as a temporary fix to keep delays in check, not to streamline operations at O’Hare. The caps are expected to remain in place until Chicago’s planned runway-expansion project is completed.
In 2003, 25 percent of O’Hare flights arrived behind schedule, placing the airport just ahead of the congested Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, according to the department’s year-end Air Travel Consumer Report. But in 2004, Newark beat O’Hare by a hair in the arrival category, dumping Chicago into the cellar, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
O’Hare ended up in last place for on-time departures, 73 percent in 2004. In 2003, 79 percent of flights left on time, also the worst among all airports, the report indicated.
“There has been a slight improvement in some months, which we attribute to the flight caps and to good weather,” said Annette Martinez, spokeswoman for the Chicago Department of Aviation. “But we still are not happy with our ranking compared to other airports. The numbers demonstrate why we need to expand O’Hare.”
O’Hare handled 75 million passengers in 2004, up from 69 million in 2003, the Aviation Department announced Thursday.
Meanwhile, Midway Airport ranked 17th for on-time arrivals in 2004. Seventy-nine percent of inbound planes parked at the gate on time.
The statistics reflected the growing congestion at Midway. Eighty-three percent of flights arrived on time at the Southwest Side airport in 2003.
Midway’s on-time departure rate was 78 percent last year, or 28th among all the airports. The departure rate was down from 81 percent in 2003.
Denver International Airport led the nation in arrivals in 2004 with 83 percent of flights on time. Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport took top honors last year for on-time departures, with 87 percent.
Nationwide, U.S. airlines reported a higher rate of flight delays, more reports of mishandled baggage and more complaints about airline service last year than in 2003, the Air Travel Consumer Report said. But the figures for 2004 were better than those for most previous years, the report noted.
The 19 airlines reporting on-time performance to the government recorded an on-time arrival rate of 78 percent in 2004, which was the fourth highest on-time annual record since 1995, although it was down from 82 percent in 2003.
“More passengers are flying, but they are traveling on smaller planes. These planes need the same amount of airspace and the same time occupying runways, which are some of the reasons for the increased delays,” said David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, a consumer group.
The airlines also recorded a rate of 4.9 reports of mishandled baggage per 1,000 passengers, up from 2003’s rate of 4.2, but the fourth-best annual record since 1990.
In addition, the government received 7,477 complaints from consumers about airline service last year, the second-fewest since 1996, but up 25 percent from 2003’s 5,983 complaints, which was the lowest total since complaints were first recorded in 1970.
Two regularly scheduled flights to Chicago were among the most frequently delayed flights in 2004. Topping the list was SkyWest Airlines Flight 6973 from Indianapolis to O’Hare–late 100 percent of the time. American Airlines Flight 1085 from Ft. Lauderdale to O’Hare was late 87 percent of the time, the report said.
The return to the hourly flight caps at O’Hare last November has signaled improvement.
For December, 66 percent of O’Hare flights arrived on time, up from 60 percent for the same month in 2003. On-time departures averaged 67 percent at O’Hare last December, the same statistic as in December 2003.
“Although we generally don’t agree with flight caps at airports except when it involves safety, the caps were obviously successful in reducing delays at O’Hare,” Stempler said.
At Midway, 75 percent of arrivals were on time in December, down from 81 percent for the same month a year earlier. Some 71 percent of departures left on time, compared with 79 percent in December 2003.
Midway handled 339,670 flights last year, a 3 percent increase over 2003, the FAA said. Midway also accommodated almost 20 million passengers last year, compared with 18.6 million passengers in 2003, the city aviation department said.
