Flyers from city can check airlines’ punctuality online

Frequent flyers from the city can now study an airline's punctuality record online before making their travel plans. Acting on a directive from the civil aviation ministry, the Mumbai airport operator has started publishing a monthly punctuality report card of domestic carriers on its website www.csia.in.

Frequent flyers from the city can now study an airline's punctuality record online before making their travel plans. Acting on a directive from the civil aviation ministry, the Mumbai airport operator has started publishing a monthly punctuality report card of domestic carriers on its website www.csia.in.

"The information will empower passengers in making choices," said a civil aviation ministry official, who did not wish to be named.

The first such comprehensive list for flights operated in October compares airline performance in different time slots and the reasons behind the delays. The data shows that 23.48% flights arriving and taking-off from the city were delayed in October.

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According to the data, "reactionary reasons" led to the delay of nearly half (48%) of the flights featuring on the list. Reactionary reasons include system errors while checking-in passengers, waiting for crew arriving from another flight and diversion of flights to another airport.

Flight crew reporting late to duty or reporting sick at last moment caused nearly one fourth (25%) of the flight delays during the same period.

Air India topped the delay list in October as more than 30% of their flights failed to stick by the schedule. Kingfisher Airlines was the second highest on with 28.17% of its flights delayed.

Since April, the ministry has been pushing the idea of publishing such data in the public domain. However, it took about four months to implement it because it could not reach a consensus on who should be the nodal agency. Considering the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aviation regulator, is short staffed and burdened with other responsibilities, the ministry asked the Mumbai International Airport Limited to publish the list.