Study: U.S. airlines worst since 2014

CoPIRG Foundation and U.S. PIRG Education Fund said on May 19 that U.S. airline on-time arrivals in 2025 fell to their worst level since 2014, according to a new report based on federal transportation data. The groups said nearly one-fourth of flights last year were delayed, canceled or diverted. The findings were published as Memorial Day travel was set to begin and as airlines and federal officials were already contending with weather disruptions, staffing strains and airport congestion. The Denver Post first highlighted the report on May 19. ### How bad was airline performance in 2025? The report said about 1.66 million flights in 2025 did not arrive on time, including delays, cancellations and diversions. More than 100,000 flights were canceled by the largest U.S. operating carriers, and one in 12 flights on the 10 largest airlines arrived an hour or more late, according to “The Plane Truth 2026.” CoPIRG Foundation said the national on-time arrival rate for the largest U.S. operating airlines was 76.3% in 2025. (pirg.org) That means nearly one in four flights failed to arrive on time under the federal standard, which counts a flight as on time if it reaches the gate less than 15 minutes after its scheduled arrival. ### What data did the study use? U.S. PIRG Education Fund said it used data from the Department of Transportation’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. (pirg.org) The federal Air Travel Consumer Report compiles monthly airline performance data, while BTS publishes historical on-time rankings for airlines and airports. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics says its on-time tables summarize monthly reports filed by large airlines, and flights are counted as on time when they depart or arrive less than 15 minutes late. (pirg.org) BTS also says its airport rankings currently run through February 2026, while the Transportation Department’s consumer reports for 2025 are posted month by month. ### Which airports did the Colorado report single out? Denver International Airport and Colorado Springs Airport both posted on-time arrival rates below the 76.3% national average in 2025, the CoPIRG release said. (pirg.org) Denver’s on-time arrival rate was 75.4%, and Colorado Springs’ was 73.1%, according to the group. Denver’s on-time departure rate was 73.9%, while Colorado Springs’ was 78.3%, the release said. (bts.gov) The Denver Post’s May 19 report used those findings to warn travelers to expect continued disruption as summer flying ramps up. ### What reasons did the authors give for the deterioration? Danny Katz, executive director of CoPIRG Foundation, said “a lot of issues are converging,” including a shortage of air traffic controllers, the economy, bad weather, cancellations and delays, government shutdowns affecting security lines, and higher airfares and baggage fees. (pirg.org) He also said Spirit Airlines’ collapse would affect flyers on other airlines. The report also said domestic tarmac delays of three hours or more rose 63% from 2024, while passenger volume declined in 2025. The authors said complaint data after 2022 remains incomplete because the Department of Transportation has not processed the backlog quickly enough to publish detailed annual tallies for later years. ### Where can travelers track what comes next? (pirg.org) The Department of Transportation says its Air Travel Consumer Report is usually issued during the second week of each month. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics separately updates airline and airport on-time tables, with monthly airport rankings now posted through February 2026. CoPIRG Foundation linked the findings to consumer guides on airline travel rights and baggage fees, while federal transportation sites remain the primary source for the next monthly updates. (pirg.org) For travelers flying into the summer peak, those reports will be the next public benchmark for whether delays, cancellations and diversions ease or worsen. (transportation.gov)