Ready for takeoff
For on-time performance, DFW flies high among world’s biggest airports
For air travelers, few things are more irritating than flight delays. But for passengers at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, those irritations are relatively minimal.
In a report released January 3 by aviation data provider OAG, DFW ranks 10th worldwide for timely takeoffs and landings at so-called “mega” airports. Last year, 76.78 percent of flights at DFW were on time, the report says.
OAG defines on-time performance as flights that arrive or depart within 15 minutes of their scheduled times. It places airports into five categories (mega, major, large, midsize, and small) based on their passenger capacity.
The on-time performance of Fort Worth-based American Airlines boosted the airport’s overall on-time performance. Last year, DFW’s biggest carrier posted on-time performance of 76.28 percent, OAG says.
DFW is one of the world’s busiest airports, welcoming more than 73 million passengers a year. Last May, the airport and American Airlines announced a $3 billion to $3.5 billion plan to construct a new terminal (Terminal F) and upgrade Terminal C.
In March 2019, Airports Council International named DFW the best large airport (serving at least 40 million passengers a year) in North America. Two months earlier, the Air Transport World trade publication recognized DFW as 2019 Airport of the Year.
In a January 2019 release, Karen Walker, editor-in-chief of Air Transport World, said DFW stands out “for its innovation, operational excellence, and focus on serving its customers — passengers and airlines. DFW has invested in infrastructure and technology to improve its facilities, efficiencies, and sustainability, all the time continuing its operations as a global mega-hub.”
In the OAG report, Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport lands in the No. 1 spot among mega airports, with an on-time record of 86.87 percent in 2019. For mega airports in the U.S., Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport claims the top ranking (83.74 percent), followed by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, Denver International Airport, and DFW.
Dallas Love Field was not included in the OAG study.
Elsewhere in Texas:
- Houston’s George W. Bush Intercontinental Airport soars to No. 9 among major global airports, scoring an on-time record of 79.25 percent last year. Houston’s Hobby Airport wasn’t included in the report.
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport checks in at No. 19 among large airports around the world, earning an on-time performance record of 80.12 percent in 2019.
- San Antonio International Airport flies into the No. 12 spot among midsize global airports, with an on-time record last year of 81.2 percent.
Pitmasters at Feels Like Home have plenty of space to spread out.Photo by Levi Thompson