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Flights get delayed due to several reasons. One of these is inclement weather conditions. Technical glitches, medical emergencies, bird strikes, and staffing issues are some of the other reasons behind flight delays. With technological advancements such as weather prediction, and human resources getting better at solving mechanical issues related to aircraft, flight delays aren't as big a problem as they used to be a few decades ago. Some airlines in the United States only have as little as approximately 10% flight delays. But which are these airlines with the fewest flight delays? Let's find out.5. SkyWest Airlines [On Time Arrival: 81.46%]
Between the years 2016 and 2020, aircraft operated by SkyWest Airlines arrived on time 81.46% of the time. This made SkyWest the airline with the fifth fewest flight delays.
SkyWest's fleet of nearly 500 aircraft consists of the Bombardier CRJ models and the Embraer E175. SkyWest Airlines operates through partnerships with four other major airlines in the country: American Airlines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Delta Air Lines. Headquarters: St. George, Utah
Stations Operated: 45
Total aircraft in operating fleet: 485
Fleet: 237 E175 aircraft, 89 CRJ200 aircraft, 118 CRJ700 aircraft, 41 CRJ900 aircraft
Cities currently served: 237
Passengers carried annually: 38.6 million in 2023
In 2022, SkyWest wanted to drop its services from 29 cities that it was operating in. The major reason behind that was pilot shortages. However, the routes were federally protected by the Federal Essential Air Service (EAS) program.
4. Endeavor Air [On Time Arrival: 83.13%]
Endeavor Air is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Airlines. It is also the world's largest operator of Bombardier CRJ-900. Endeavor Air was first established as Express Airlines I in 1985. Seventeen years later, it was renamed to Pinnacle Airlines, before being renamed to Endeavor Airlines in 2013.
Headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Total aircraft in operating fleet: 193
Fleet: Bombardier CRJ-900, Bombardier CRJ-700, Bombardier CRJ-200
Cities currently served: 145 [135 in the US, 10 International]
Passengers carried annually: 15 millionFrom 2016-2020, Endeavor Air had an on-arrival percentage of 83.13, making it an airline with the fourth fewest flight delays. Endeavor Airlines operates from Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and Minneapolis- Saint Paul International Airport, among others.
3. Alaska Airlines [On Time Arrival: 83.44%]
In terms of the scheduled passengers carried, Alaska is the fifth-largest airline in North America. From 2016-2020, it had the third-fewest flight delays in the nation. Alaska Airlines was founded in 1932 and it started its operations in 1944. Some of the regional partners of Alaska Airlines are Horizon Air, Hawaiian Airlines, and SkyWest Airlines.
Headquarters: SeaTac, Washington
Total aircraft in operating fleet: 315
Fleet: 230 Boeing 737 aircraft, 85 Embraer 175 aircraft
Destinations: 128
Passengers carried annually: 44,557,000 in 2023
Alaska Airlines operates from hubs such as Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Portland International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport, though its primary hub is Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
2. Delta Air Lines [On Time Arrival: 85.82%]
Delta Air Lines is one of the oldest operating airlines in the world, and the oldest operating airline of the United States. The airline was founded as Huff Daland Dusters in 1925 and was later renamed as Delta in 1928. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the largest hub of Delta Airlines.
Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia
Total aircraft in operating fleet: 985
Fleet: Airbus A321, Boeing 737, Airbus A330, Airbus A-320, Embraer E175 etc.
Destinations: more than 290
Passengers carried annually: 190 million in 2023
Although the airline had filed for bankruptcy in 2005, it was able to restructure and exit out of insolvency. Since then, the airline has never looked back and in 2023, it was listed 113th on the Fortune 500.
1. Hawaiian Airlines [On Time Arrival: 88.98%]
With almost 90% on time arrival, Hawaiian is the airline with the fewest flight delays in the US. Hawaiian also has the smallest fleet in this list and operates in the fewest number of destinations compared to the airlines listed above.
Headquarters: Honolulu, Hawaii
Total aircraft in operating fleet: 73
Fleet: 12 Boeing 787, 24 Airbus A330, 18 Airbus A321neo, 19 Boeing 717
Destinations: 30
Average Daily Flights: 225
Hawaiian Airlines also holds a proud distinction of never experiencing a hull loss or being involved in a major accident. Hawaiian operates its main hub at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport while its secondary hub is at Kahului Airport.