Canada’s two largest airlines, Air Canada and WestJet, are experiencing a higher proportion of flight delays compared to their American counterparts, according to data from aviation firm Cirium, reports The Canadian Press.
The data reveals that only half of Air Canada’s flights were on time between June 19 and July 16, compared to 64% of WestJet’s flights. This is in stark contrast to the on-time performances of the five largest airlines in the United States, which range between 68% and 83%.
Several factors contribute to these delays, which fall significantly below the industry goal of 80% on-time flights. John Gradek, a lecturer at McGill University’s aviation management program, suggests that airlines are operating their planes too frequently to meet the soaring summer demand, leading to maintenance issues that cause delays.
Additionally, crew shortages during peak season can also contribute to delays. When each aircraft is flying more frequently or when delays accumulate, it can exceed the “duty times” that employees are allowed to work within a given period.
Weather-related disruptions have also been a significant factor this summer, with 31 out of 40 days between June 1 and July 10 experiencing weather-related disruption. Furthermore, a shortage of air traffic controllers in both Canada and the U.S. often leaves planes waiting to land, adding to the delay times.
Despite these challenges, Air Canada strives to get aircraft and crew back on track and get customers on their way as soon as possible following these events, according to spokeswoman Angela Mah.
About 93% of Air Canada trips and 98% of WestJet trips arrive less than two hours late, shows the data.
Last week, Greater Toronto Airports Authority CEO Deborah Flint said summer operations have “significantly improved.” But as she spoke, a cameraman panned to the arrivals board above her, showing numerous flights were either delayed, cancelled and not on time, contradicting her statement at the time (not all heroes wear capes):
Check out the hilarious video below and wait for the panning near the end of the video:
Cameraman was determined to show the truth 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Pw39QmGxwJ
— Valuetainment Media (@ValuetainmentTV) July 23, 2023
