Ryan N
8th May 2008, 12:10 PM
http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/flight-delayed-youre-not-alone/2008/05/07/1210131119485.html
Flight delayed? You're not alone
Tony Moore
May 8, 2008 - 10:30AM
Feel like your flights are always delayed? You may be right.
New figures from the Federal Government show a major drop in on-time arrivals and departures by Australian airlines between February 2007 and February 2008.
In February 2008, just 75.8 per cent of all Australian domestic flights arrived on time, compared with 87 per cent for the previous February.
On-time departures have also fallen remarkably, down to 79 per cent for February 2008 compared with 88.7 per cent 12 months earlier.
In Australia, there are no benchmarks for on-time arrival or departure performance to enable authorities to measure airline performance.
The official statistics also give no reasons for the delays and take no account of skill shortages or airport problems, unlike a similar scheme in the United States.
Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said he was worried by the latest statistics.
"Since the mid-1980s, there has been an almost three-fold increase in air travel, and predictions are it will double again within the next 20 years," he said.
Jetstar, one of the poorest performers in the survey, blamed bad weather in Queensland in January and February as the main reason for the results.
"We all had a tough month," Jetstar spokesperson Simone Pregellio said.
Just 70 and 73 per cent of Jetstar flights arrived and departed, respectively, on time in February 2008.
For the same period 12 months earlier, the airline had 87.8 per cent of flights arriving on time and 89.1 per cent of flights leaving on time.
Jetstar diverted 20 flights in February 2008, which had a ripple effect on 100 flights in different markets, she said.
According to the authors of the survey, a flight is classified "on time" if it departs or arrives within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.
The statistics represent data from all major Australian airports.
Mr Albanese said the drop in on-time performance was one reason the Federal Government last month commissioned a white paper into Australia's aviation industry.
"Whereas the previous government effectively had no aviation policy and ignored the industry's emerging skill and infrastructure shortages, the Rudd Labor Government will develop Australia's first-ever comprehensive national aviation policy statement or white paper to guide the industry's growth over the next decade."
The Federal Government publishes performance figures for Australia's major airlines on the Department of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development and Local Government's website.
The figures have been compiled for the past four years.
Flight delayed? You're not alone
Tony Moore
May 8, 2008 - 10:30AM
Feel like your flights are always delayed? You may be right.
New figures from the Federal Government show a major drop in on-time arrivals and departures by Australian airlines between February 2007 and February 2008.
In February 2008, just 75.8 per cent of all Australian domestic flights arrived on time, compared with 87 per cent for the previous February.
On-time departures have also fallen remarkably, down to 79 per cent for February 2008 compared with 88.7 per cent 12 months earlier.
In Australia, there are no benchmarks for on-time arrival or departure performance to enable authorities to measure airline performance.
The official statistics also give no reasons for the delays and take no account of skill shortages or airport problems, unlike a similar scheme in the United States.
Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said he was worried by the latest statistics.
"Since the mid-1980s, there has been an almost three-fold increase in air travel, and predictions are it will double again within the next 20 years," he said.
Jetstar, one of the poorest performers in the survey, blamed bad weather in Queensland in January and February as the main reason for the results.
"We all had a tough month," Jetstar spokesperson Simone Pregellio said.
Just 70 and 73 per cent of Jetstar flights arrived and departed, respectively, on time in February 2008.
For the same period 12 months earlier, the airline had 87.8 per cent of flights arriving on time and 89.1 per cent of flights leaving on time.
Jetstar diverted 20 flights in February 2008, which had a ripple effect on 100 flights in different markets, she said.
According to the authors of the survey, a flight is classified "on time" if it departs or arrives within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.
The statistics represent data from all major Australian airports.
Mr Albanese said the drop in on-time performance was one reason the Federal Government last month commissioned a white paper into Australia's aviation industry.
"Whereas the previous government effectively had no aviation policy and ignored the industry's emerging skill and infrastructure shortages, the Rudd Labor Government will develop Australia's first-ever comprehensive national aviation policy statement or white paper to guide the industry's growth over the next decade."
The Federal Government publishes performance figures for Australia's major airlines on the Department of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development and Local Government's website.
The figures have been compiled for the past four years.