Guess what? When threatened with fines, the airlines manage to be on time.
That’s the conclusion from federal statistics showing how airlines continue to avoid long delays after government regulations took effect that force them to pay up to US$27,500 per passenger for every flight delayed for more than three hours — unless the passengers are given the option to get off the plane.
Only four domestic flights in the entire US were delayed on airport tarmacs for more than three hours this last September — down from six delayed flights the same month last year.
All four delays were the results of bad weather in New York and Philadelphia on Sept. 22, according to the US Transportation Department.
Between May and September, there have only been 12 airline delays that lasted more than three hours.
How does that compare to last year? Try 535 such delays in the same time period.
By David Wilkening
