The DFW International Airport was ranked one of the worst in the country when it comes to on-time departure records, according to a study released by non-profit consumer advocacy group U.S. PIRG Education Fund.
The report, written by Jacob Van Cleef, determined that of the sixteen busiest airports in the United States, DFW International is among the worst for on-time departures since May 2020. Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport and Denver International Airport also rank near the bottom.
According to the study, San Francisco International Airport and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport have the best on-time departure rates.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) defines on-time flights as those arriving within fifteen minutes of their scheduled time but adds that airlines don’t guarantee their flight schedules.
“And you should realize this when planning your trip,” the DOT advises. “There are many things that can and often do make it impossible for flights to arrive on time. Some of these problems, like bad weather, air traffic delays, and mechanical issues, are hard to predict and often beyond the airlines’ control.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation keeps track of airline complaints and who made and received them. Consumers were submitting one to two thousand complaints per month before the pandemic.
In his report, Van Cleef recommended that the FAA and DOT make the airline consumer complaint database searchable online.
“This change would enable consumers, academic researchers, and even competitors to study airline passenger complaint trends more easily and effectively,” the report states.
“The airline industry is failing its customers and the country as a whole,” said Van Cleef in a press release. “They took our money to stabilize their wallets. Now, their profits are flying high at the expense of travelers not getting off the ground.”