Airline On-Time Performance, Cancellation Rates in January Improve from Last Year

Cancellations were also down in January from a year ago, as carriers canceled 1.5 percent of their scheduled domestic flights, down from January 2011’s 3.9 percent cancellation rate, but up from December 2011’s 0.8 percent. 
Airlines reported no tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights or tarmac delays of more than four hours on international flights in January. 
The larger U.S. airlines have been required to file complete reports on their long tarmac delays for domestic flights since October 2008. Under a new rule that took effect Aug. 23, 2011, all U.S. and foreign airlines operating at least one aircraft with 30 or more passenger seats must report lengthy tarmac delays at U.S. airports. 
Also beginning Aug. 23, carriers operating international flights may not allow tarmac delays at U.S. airports to last longer than four hours. There is a separate three-hour limit on tarmac delays involving domestic flights, which went into effect in April 2010. 
Exceptions to the time limits for both domestic and international flights are allowed only for safety, security or air traffic control-related reasons.