Canada’s largest airline ranks last place when it comes to flight punctuality as almost half of its flights arrived late at destinations in July, according to aviation data company Cirium.
In comparison, the monthly report by Cirium said that Calgary-based WestJet fared better in seventh position with 62 percent of its 17,405 flights arriving at the gate within 15 minutes of the scheduled arrival time.
The performance gap widens when compared with other U.S. airlines, particularly Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines, which led the pack at 82 percent and 79 percent, respectively.
Air Canada was notching a 70 percent on-time performance in May before sliding down to 53 percent in June.
In an email statement to The Epoch Times, the carrier acknowledged the strain on its network amid the throes of peak travel season.
“There has been very strong demand for air travel in Canada resulting in high passenger loads aboard our aircraft and we are operating at near full capacity, successfully transporting approximately 140,000 passengers daily with higher numbers on peak days,” the airline said.
It stressed that adverse weather played a key role in the drop in punctuality.
“The weather this summer has been unusual, particularly in the U.S. where we are the foreign carrier that operates the most flights, so we are more affected than other Canadian airlines.”
The airline said it also spread out flights to ease traffic peaks, particularly in the late afternoon and evening, added 311 last-minute flights to move otherwise stranded passengers in July, and partnered with more carriers such as PAL in Eastern Canada.
A comparison between regions shows that North American airlines lagged behind their counterparts with just 66 percent of flights arriving on time.
Staffing Shortages
Several reasons underlie the ongoing tarmac tardiness in North America, according to industry players.On July 19, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) criticized the U.S. and Canadian governments for not addressing the prolonged shortages of air traffic controllers, which resulted in “unacceptable delays and disruptions.”
NAV Canada, the Canadian air navigation services provider, acknowledged that some delays at the country’s biggest airports over the past two months are owed in part to a dearth of air traffic controllers.
“NAV Canada will bring in reinforcements, ask employees to extend their shifts or start early to assist with the increased workload.”
John Gradek, a lecturer at McGill University’s aviation management program, said in an interview in July that soaring summer demand and shortages of airline crew contribute to Air Canada’s flight delays.
“The existing airplanes are working harder,” he told The Canadian Press. That leaves less time for maintenance between flights and overnight.
“If you don’t give the mechanics enough time to fix the snags on a regular turn, those snags will catch up to you. And then you now have an unserviceable airplane that cannot be dispatched.”
Crew shortages can also play a role in peak season. It’s harder to find a spare pilot or flight attendant when each aircraft is flying more, or when delays pile up, exceeding the “duty times” that employees are allowed to work within a given period, he added.
