(WAND)- Illinois ranks fifth in states with the most flight delays.
Family vacation experts, Family Destinations Guide analyzed data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics to investigate flight delay causes. The data highlights several reasons why flights are delayed in airports all over America.
According to experts Air Carrier Delay is the country's most common reason for flight delays, causing nearly 500,000 disruptions in 2022. Late aircraft is the second most common reason for flight delays.
After further research experts found five leading causes for flight delays in Illinois are as follows:
Air Carrier Delay
Aircraft Arriving Late
National Aviation System Delay
Canceled
Weather Delay
Research shows between January and November 2022, nearly 1.4 million flights were disrupted in America.
The following findings are of the analyzed data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics:
1. Air Carrier Delay - Air Carrier Delays are setbacks caused by circumstances within the airline’s control. This could range from delays with aircraft cleaning, damage to the aircraft at the gate, baggage delays, or catering issues.
This was the most common reason for delays across all flights last year and was the number one reason in 45 states, with a total of 465,759 disrupted flights. Airports in California were heavily impacted, with over 49,000 flights being disrupted due to Air Carrier delays. Florida and Texas also experienced a considerable number of delays, with over 45,000 flights delayed for this reason.
2. Aircraft Arriving Late - There are numerous reasons why planes land past their arrival time. The most obvious reason for this would be late departures, however, crowded airports are usually a significant factor in late arrivals.
Busy airports can have aircraft lined up waiting to take off, greatly impacting airports with only one runway. Inbound flights must circle above the airport until they have clearance to land, which has a rippling effect on other flights. Aircraft arriving late was the second most common reason for delays in 43 states, affecting 422,851 flights between January and November 2022.
3. National Aviation System Delay (NAS) - The Bureau of Transportation Statistics defines NAS as delays and cancellations attributable to a broad set of conditions, such as non-extreme weather conditions, airport operations, heavy traffic volume, and air traffic control issues. This was the third most common reason affecting 43 states and 296,573 flights.
4. Canceled Flights -There is no definitive reason as to why flights get canceled. Common reasons could be weather issues or issues with the aircraft scheduled to fly out. Cancelations affected 150,612 flights in America last year, with Florida having the most canceled flights out of all states, with 17,477 flights.
5. Weather Delay - Weather delay is a result of inclement weather. Though it is an inconvenience, it is out of the airline's control and is done to ensure the safety of all passengers. This affected nearly 44,000 flights last year, mainly in Texas.
6. Diversions -Flights will divert if there is a threat or other safety concerns to the passengers, crew, or aircraft. They can also occur if an airport has closed due to terrorist attacks, system problems, or issues with runways. Last year, 14,507 flights were affected due to diversions throughout America.
7. Security Delay -Security delays are delays, or even cancelations, due to security breaches. This could be the evacuation of the terminals/concourse, re-boarding the aircraft, and excessive queues at security. This caused the least delays in America, with only 3,813 flights being disrupted last year.
A spokesperson for Family Destinations Guide commented on these findings; “Air Carrier Delay being the most common reason for flight delays in America signifies that airlines and airports need to find more efficient ways to streamline the traveling process and take measures to prevent further disruptions. Dealing with issues firsthand, whether it be crew strikes or aircraft maintenance, can improve the traveling experience for all passengers and crew”.
