Airlines for America (A4A) Members Deliver Further Operational Improvements with On-Time Performance, Baggage Handling Records

WASHINGTON, April 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, today reported the best industry on-time performance for any February and the best baggage handling performance for any month ever recorded.

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According to the Department of Transportation (DOT) Air Travel Consumer Report released today, 86.2 percent of flights arrived within 15 minutes of scheduled arrival time in February 2012. The performance marked the all-time record for any February since DOT began keeping on-time statistics in 1988. The previous February record of 84.7 percent was set in 2002. The February on-time results follow record performance in both December 2011 and January 2012.

"Our members have set on-time arrival records for three consecutive months, reflecting their commitment to a better customer experience and to what matters most to customers: arriving at their destination safely and on time," said A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio. "A combination of systematic airline operational improvements and mild winter weather delivered strong results in all DOT consumer metrics."

Also in February 2012, there were 2.64 reports of mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers, an all-time best for any February and a record for any month recorded by DOT. This record represents a 28 percent improvement from February 2011. The statistic shows that nearly 99.7 percent of all U.S. airline passengers had their bags delivered on time.

There was a 13 percent drop in the number of customer complaints filed with DOT compared with February 2011, with less than one complaint per 100,000 passengers in four of the past five months.

ABOUT A4A

Annually, commercial aviation helps drive more than $1 trillion in U.S. economic activity and more than 10 million U.S. jobs. A4A airline members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. For more information about the airline industry, visit www.airlines.org and follow us on Twitter @airlinesdotorg.

SOURCE Airlines for America