As Fewer Fly, Airline Delays Nosedive

With fewer travelers taking to the skies, airline delays have dropped significantly compared to recent years, USA Today reports. Delays topping two hours fell by more than a quarter this year from 2008 and 2007 levels, while traffic at big hubs has dropped 9% compared to last year. Traffic at airports hardest hit by airline restructuring, like Pittsburgh and St. Louis, has sunk some two-thirds.

The decrease in traffic has eased delays at all but two of the 31 busiest US airports—Atlanta and Newark. The biggest gainer: Chicago's O'Hare Airport, which opened a new runway last fall, went from 61% to 78% on time departures. “We're no longer at rush hour,” says an expert.
(More airport stories.)