O’Hare Airport improves on-time performance in August
O’Hare’s on-time arrival rank among the 29 busiest U.S. airports jumped from a rock-bottom No. 29 last August to No. 19 this August. That’s because its on-time arrival rates improved from nearly 64 percent to 79 percent during that time.
August was a better month for travelers in and out of O’Hare International Airport.
O’Hare’s on-time arrival rank among the 29 busiest U.S. airports jumped from a rock bottom No. 29 last August to No. 19 this August. That’s because its on-time arrival rates improved from nearly 64 percent to 79 percent during that time.
There were fewer delays in O’Hare departures in August compared with the previous August. O’Hare’s on-time rank increased from No. 29 to No. 23, with on-time rates improving from 65.5 percent to nearly 76 percent.
The story was different year-to-date through August, data released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics showed. O’Hare’s departure on-time rate ranked dead last at 71.2 percent, and its on-time arrival rate was second-to-last at 73.8 percent.
Chicago Department of Aviation spokesman Owen Kilmer credited the improvement to this August being a “good weather month.” Weather problems affected only 18 percent of hours in the month, compared to 56 percent in August 2014.
Critics have pointed to O’Hare’s lagging on-time rates to question why its ongoing $8.7 billion airfield overhaul has not reduced delays in all kinds of weather, as promised.
Chicago’s Midway Airport also showed on-time improvements for August 2015 compared with August 2014, rising to No. 7 in arrivals and No. 24 in departures.
Midway’s year-to-date numbers lagged at No. 27 for on-time departures but it won a greatly improved No. 12 ranking for on-time arrivals over the last eight months.