
This would result in a calculated revenue increase of $ 31.1 The overall delays which are now decreasing by one (1) minute. The next overview will assume that the reduction of the air carrier delays affects Improvement also affects the remaining delay costs. Let´s take it a bit further and suggest that this The mathįocusing only on the delay costs that are airline controllable and now assume that those could be reduced by two (2) minutes per delay:Īccumulated to one (1) year this would save the carrier approximately Includes a positive consideration paradoxically, as that this is the area anĪirline can improve by themselves. That is still an impressive number, which If we take into consideration the statistics relating to theĭelays reasons as mentioned above, we end up with $8,204.295 USD monthly costs attributed To put these numbers in perspective, in one (1) year, this equals the cost of Imputed cost per month on average which the three (3) largest US airlines face. That means there is an incredible amount of $32,173,706 USD USD and $23.35 USD representing more than 75% of the total portion.
ONTIME FLIGHT STATISTICS DRIVER
The crew costs are, by far, the major cost driver with $ 27,01 The costĭrivers are fuel, crew, maintenance, aircraft ownership and others. The average delay costs $920,08 USD per flight. That means that only 25.50 % of the occurring delays are related to the airline’s operations. Some are – more or less – in the hands of the airline, which are summarized under “air carrier delay” in the following graphics which contains events such as maintenance or crew-related problems, while others resulting from extreme weather or national aviation system delays are obviously not. There are several reasons why a flight’s departure is delayed. Average number of delayed flights per month: 34.9.Significant numbers? Here is the overview: These costs have been increasing increasing over 9% since 2017. That´s impressive on its own and will become even more imposing taking into account that each minute of delay costs the airline $ 74.20 USD. Summed up, we are roughly looking at almost half a million (433,604) minutes every month based on our estimates above. Complicated? Yes! To make it easier, let’s disregard the 15-minute tolerance and take the 12.4 minutes as the total average delay duration. That means the average delayed flight departs 12.4 minutes after the 15-minute “grace period”, following a flight’s scheduled departure time. Keeping in mind the previously noted definition of a delay, the question quickly arises as to, how long is the average delay? The average delay on departing flights is 12.4 minutes. This means, we are examining approximately 34,968 delayed flights every month. Given the size and number of operations for the “Big 3,” the data basis established here will consist of: carriers to evaluate the costs per delay and how painful this is for these airlines. We are focusing on the three (3) largest U.S. To analyze the effect on airlines business, our calculations are based on average numbers relating to number of flights and on-time performance (OTP). The following calculations focus on flights with a delay of more than 15 minutes. Facts and figuresįirst of all, what is it that we call a delay? Flights that depart within a 15-minute range of their scheduled time are considered on-time.

We all know the saying, “Time is money.” The following calculations demonstrate just how true this is, especially in Commercial Passenger Aviation. But, what about the impact of delays on the airlines? Specifically, let’s consider and examine the numbers and the monetary effects delays have on airlines. Their response is only made even more understandable when you consider the various reasons for their journeys which range from from visiting loved ones, celebrating a holiday or an important business meeting. The passengers’ negative reactions very real and the frustration completely understandable. As airline passengers, we all know the pain of waiting at the airport for a delayed flight. Any disruption in a single process can trigger a ripple effect which may cause delays in multiple other processes. Unpredictable external changes and operational irregularities often need to be resolved within seconds.

Further complicating the matter are disruptions which are part of the daily business. Successful ground operations require the coordination of a virtually endless number of processes. Commercial Passenger Aviation is a complex matter.
