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2.3 Economics

Aviation in the United States today is a multi-billion dollar enterprise, built upon fast, efficient transportation. Commercial airlines, air cargo, corporate/executive planes, and assorted private aircraft continuously fly the sky carrying an endless stream of people and goods. Takeoff/landing delays or closures of airports due to adverse weather can very quickly cause extra consumption of expensive fuel and disrupt the arrival schedules of passengers, crew, and freight at other airports.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) tracks the on-time performance of domestic flights operated by large air carriers.

Flight delays caused by weather along with additional information on the number of on-time, delayed, canceled and diverted flights can be found on this website.

Airline On-Time Statistics and Delay Causes

The total cost of domestic air traffic delays to the U.S. economy in 2007 was as much as $41 billion, including $19 billion in raised airline operating costs and $12 billion worth of passengers’ time. Delayed flights cost the airlines and customers an additional $1.6 billion in fuel (740 million additional gallons of jet fuel at an assumed wholesale price of $2.15 per gallon in 2007). In addition, an estimated $10 billion was lost by industries that rely on air traffic for supplies or customers, such as food services, lodging, general retail and ground transportation.

[Source: U.S. Congressional Joint Economic Committee. (2008, May). Your Flight Has Been Delayed Again. Washington, DC.

The economic and societal impacts of weather on the airline industry are tremendous. All of the NWS aviation forecasts and services provided to the different sectors of the airline industry help them make better decisions for flight operations.