Understanding the Reporting of Causes of Flight Delays and Cancellations

• How do we know the reason for a flight being late or cancelled?
• Which airlines report on-time data?
• Do the airlines report the exact cause of the delay?
• How are these categories defined?
• What have the airline reports on the causes of delay shown about flight delays?
• Is it true that weather causes only 4 percent of flight delays?
• How many flights were really delayed by weather?

Rural Airports

OVERVIEW

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics, part of the Office of the Research and Technology Administration, compiles the list of rural airports annually for the Treasury Department/IRS.  This list is used by airlines to assist in establishing air fares.  For travel to and from airports defined as “rural airports,” the ad valorem ticket tax was reduced and, presently, flight segments involving the last segment into or first segment out of a rural airport are exempt from the segment fee.  The rural airports designation originated with The Taxpayer Relief Act o