SF Gate: Major airlines' performance continues to improve

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Monday, March 3, 2003 (AP)
Major airlines' performance continues to improve
LESLIE MILLER, Associated Press Writer


   (03-03) 14:02 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --
   The 10 biggest airlines arrived on time more and canceled fewer flights =
in
January than in December, continuing improvements that result from changes
in air traffic control and a drop-off in passengers.
   Flights on major airlines arrived within 15 minutes of schedule 84.9
percent of the time in January, up from 78.3 percent in December, the
Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported Monday. The airlines'
performance improved 4.6 percent from January to January.
   Since early 2001, new air traffic procedures and changes in airline
schedules to avoid delays resulted in continual improvement, said David
Smallen, spokesman for the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
   Storms in February may change that, said David Stempler, president of the
Air Travelers Association.
   "Weather is usually the factor that causes delays," he said.
   Bankrupt carrier United Airlines had the best on-time performance and
canceled the fewest flights of all the major airlines for the second month
in a row.
   Stempler said it's too soon to tell whether new security procedures are
reducing the number of mishandled bags.
   In January, the airlines reported a 7.7 percent decrease since December =
in
the number of reports of lost, damaged, delayed or pilfered luggage.
   To meet a requirement that 100 percent of bags be screened for explosive=
s,
federal screeners began on Jan. 1 hand-searching some bags and matching to
a passenger all luggage loaded onto a plane.
   On the one hand, hand searches could have resulted in more reports of
damage and theft. On the other, positive bag match could have meant fewer
delayed or lost bags.
   "You have to get behind the data to understand it," Stempler said.
   The Bureau of Transportation Statistics said it hadn't done that analysi=
s.

On the Net: To see the report: airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/report.htm

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Copyright 2003 AP

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