Airline On-Time Performance Slips In May

North American airlines last month delivered nearly 79 percent of their flights to the gate within 15 minutes of schedule, just a percentage point lower than the 80 percent on-time arrival rate recorded for the same month last year, according to FlightStats.

The 38 North American airlines that FlightStats measures posted better on-time performances in April and March this year with 84 percent and 80 percent of flights arriving on time for those months, respectively, though May's 79 percent on-time rate bested February's 74 percent rating.

Alaska Airlines, US Airways and JetBlue Airways posted the best on-time performances among the nine largest U.S. carriers, delivering about 91 percent, 85 percent and 83 percent of their flights to the gate on time, respectively. Among the legacy carriers, Delta landed at the bottom of the heap, with its 74 percent on-time performance in May.