AIRTOURS International has turned in the worst on-time
performance of any major UK charter carrier for the third year running,
according to latest figures issued by the Air Transport Users Council.
The carrier – now rebranded as MyTravel Airways – kept
holidaymakers waiting for an average of 54 minutes last year, with over a fifth
of its flights delayed by an hour
or more. The results plunged the airline from 12th in
2000 to 17th place out of 25 charters operating in the UK last year.
AUC chief executive Simon Evans said he believed the
price of a holiday pointed to the likely length of delays.
“Airtours International can’t blame air traffic
control and the weather because every airline is competing in the same
conditions,” he said.
“There seems to be a correlation between the price
people pay for their holiday and the delays they experience. Perhaps Airtours’
pile ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap strategy doesn’t allow for measures to reduce
delays.”
MyTravel Airways managing director Dave Betts insisted
delays would be tackled. He said: “I admit we’ve had a disappointing year –
it’s not nice to be picked out by the AUC as a poor timekeeper.
“But we have simplified our procedures and flying
programme and we’re already seeing the benefits of that in fewer delays so far
this winter.”
Excel Airways’ average delay fell from 66 minutes to
21 minutes after a sustained investment programme to improve on-time
performance, while JMC Airlines saw delays fall by an average of 13 minutes.
JMC Airlines managing director Mohamed El-Borai said:
“We’ve got everyone involved, our pilots and cabin crew, our handling agents
and our operations centre, just so we can break down and improve on the
elements causing delays.”
Air 2000, Britannia Airways and Monarch Airlines
showed small improvements in the percentage of their flights delayed by an hour
or more, but the biggest UK charters still had a 32.8 minute average delay last
year.
* Stansted had the worst
charter and scheduled delays of any major UK airport last summer, according to
Civil Aviation Authority figures. Only 50% of charter and 59% of scheduled
flights left the Essex airport on time last summer, compared to 61% of charters
and 80% of scheduled flights at Newcastle.