DOT Says Flight Delays Down 33 Percent Since 2000 - East Idaho News
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DOT Says Flight Delays Down 33 Percent Since 2000

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Getty 122013 AirportCongestion?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1387571528060Purestock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — A new report from the Department of Transportation Inspector General shows flight delays fell by 33 percent from 2000 to 2012.  Additionally, the number of airline cancellations is down 56 percent at major airports.   

How did this happen? The Inspector General attributes it to an overall reduction in the number of flights, improvements in air traffic control and operations, favorable weather and airline scheduling.   

The bad news is the average flight delay is up by a few minutes over what it was in 2000. The Inspector General also found that 98 percent of flights that it examined had longer scheduled time than actual flight time. In English this means that it only takes 35 minutes to fly from Washington, D.C. to New York, but your flight is scheduled for a hour.  

Congestion and too many flights remains a problem, especially in the New York area, according to the Inspector General’s report.   

The Inspector General wants DOT to continue to improve the data it collects on flight operations to provide a clearer picture of delays.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

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