The flight cancellation rate for US airlines was 4,754 flights in September, which represents a 62% jump from the same month a year ago. A new rule imposed by the Transportation Department has been blamed for the spike. The government now requires carriers to let passengers off stuck flights within three hours. Airlines, seeking to avoid hefty compensation costs have been adhering strictly to the rule, hence the rise in cancelled flights.
A report released by the Transportation Dept showed 85.1% of flights arrived on time in September, down from 86.2% in the same month a year earlier. Hawaiian Airlines was the best on-time performed for September with 95.8%, while Delta was the worst at 81.5%.