Flight delays at Canadian airlines far outstrip peers in U.S., despite improvements
July 25, 2023 | By The Canadian Press
MONTREAL – Figures from an aviation data firm show Canada’s two biggest airlines see a far higher proportion of their flights delayed compared with many of their peers abroad.
Statistics from Cirium reveal that about 50 per cent Air Canada’s flights were on time in the final two weeks of June and the first two weeks of July overall.
Meanwhile about 36 per cent of WestJet’s flights touched down within the 15 minute window of their scheduled arrival that is considered on time.
The numbers compare with on-time percentages ranging between the high 60s and low 80s for the five biggest airlines in the United States.
The figures also show that between 93 per cent and 98 per cent of the two Canadian carriers’ planes hit the gate less than two hours late, indicating that Air Canada and WestJet have a better record than in the travel chaos of last summer.
John Gradek, a lecturer at McGill University’s aviation management program, says airlines are running their planes too hard and leaving too little time for maintenance, resulting in hitches that hold up passengers across the country.
