Ready for takeoff

For on-time performance, DFW flies high among world’s biggest airports

Last year, 76.78 percent of flights at DFW were on time.

Photo courtesy of Ibarra Engineers

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.

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Holiday News

American Airlines expects record-setting travel on Thanksgiving 2024

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

American Airlines ready for takeoff.

The holidays are looming and American Airlines is ramping up. Over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, the Fort Worth-based airline expects to process nearly 8.3 million customers across more than 77,000 flights.

According to a statement from American's COO David Seymour, the airline is having a good fall season and canceled fewer flights than its peers during October.

“Thanks to the hard work of our 130,000 team members, we canceled fewer flights than any of our major competitors this October and beat our own records for on-time departures and arrivals,” Seymour says.

That's surely good news. One hates to rain on their parade, but in June 2024, the only flight I booked this year, my flight was canceled less than 24 hours before take-off. I had made hotel reservations, scheduled a pet sitter, planned events, and arranged for a friend to pick me up at the destination airport. One employee speculated that it may have been "insufficient crew." Their only solution offered was: Feel free to reschedule your flight.

Thanksgiving facts and figures
The travel window runs from November 21 to December 3, and the airline expects to carry more than 500,000 more customers than it did last year.

The most-traveled day will be Sunday, December 1. The second most-traveled day will be Monday, December 2.

The peak of peak: 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute at 10:45 am on Sunday, December 1 — the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.

The airline expects to serve more than 6.8 million Biscoff cookies on board from November 21 to December 3.

Travel tips
Download the American Airlines app and check in for your flight, noting added any bags to your trip. This will save you time at the airport.

If traveling internationally, download the Mobile Passport Control app, which can speed up your entry into the U.S. Global Entry members can download the Global Entry app, which allows you to submit your entry and go straight to the officer.

Upon arrival at the airport lobby, scan your mobile boarding pass to print bag tags quickly at a kiosk. If you’re not checking bags, go straight to TSA security with your mobile boarding pass.

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