(DiveTravelNewswire.com - Oct 12, 2009) - "Expect Delays: An Analysis of Air Travel Trends in the United States," a report released last week by the Brookings Institution says the nation's expected economic recovery will cause more delays at the country’s most congested air hubs.
Brookings said the national average for all delayed fights increased to 56.5 minutes in June 2009 from 40.9 minutes in 1990. The percentage of all flights that were delayed at least two hours more than doubled to 10.1% between 1990 and mid-2009.
Brookings identified six metropolitan areas that experienced worse-than-average delays for both arrivals and departures: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Atlanta and San Francisco. According to the report, it’s those short-haul trips through such major hubs that need the extra attention where economic recovery will bring increased numbers of passengers and flights and more passengers and flights traveling 500 miles or less.
