Which Month Grabs the Most Flight Delays?

Last year was the second worst year on record — ever — for airline delays. More than 26% of flights were late, which wasn’t a far cry from the worst year on record (2000, when 27% of flights were late). What’s the worst month of the year to fly the skies? Obviously, December. A flock of holiday travelers and inclement weather certainly spells a 1 in 3 chance of doom for a fateful December flight.

But analysts say the blame doesn’t lie completely with winter blizzards and cheerful yuletiders. Airlines are scrambling to cut costs. United just announced a $50 surcharge for checking in a second bag. And other airlines are planning flight schedules with smaller planes in order to fill every seat. Smaller planes mean more air traffic, and the lions’ share of air traffic controllers are up for retirement. Compound the aging air traffic controllers with a labor dispute between the FAA and the same controllers since 2006, and many say the brew is boiling for bigger delays in the coming years.

Flight Delays image by alex-s [cc, 2.0]