BTS Releases Analysis Of Last Year's July 4 Flight Delays

Contact BTS 14-01 David Smallen 202-366-5568

Wednesday, June 27, 2001 -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta today reminded air travelers that it's always a good idea to take into account the possibility of flight delays, especially during holiday travel periods.

Secretary Mineta released an analysis of air travel during the July 4, 2000, holiday week, produced by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), showing a high level of flight delays on the Friday and Saturday before the Tuesday holiday.

"When planning their trips this July 4 holiday season, air travelers should take into account that this year's flight delays could be similar to last year's," Secretary Mineta said. "Nonetheless, the Bush administration is committed to addressing the problem of flight delays and to improving the information available to consumers about delays and cancellations. Because of the unprecedented level of collaboration between the FAA, the airlines, pilots and controllers in managing the system, we are cautiously optimistic that the system will operate more efficiently this year."

Travelers should be aware that previous flight delay patterns may not be repeated during this July 4 holiday season and that the number and duration of delayed flights is highly dependent on weather conditions.

The BTS analysis of air travel at all airports served by the largest airlines during last year's July 4th holiday week found:

Detailed information on overall delays, cancellations and diversions, the performance of the largest U.S. airlines, and delays at the nation's 29 most heavily traveled airports during the July 4, 2000, holiday week can be found on the BTS website at www.bts.gov.