We all hate them, now a new study finds flight delays cost us billions.
The study paid for by the Federal Aviation Administration was conducted by several universities and led by researchers at UC Berkeley. It looked at flight delays from 2007 and then calculated the economic impact of flight delays on airlines, passengers and the overall U.S. economy.
Here’s some of what the study found:
Of the total costs $16.7 billion or just over half the cost, was borne by passengers. This number was calculated based on lost passenger time due to flight delays, cancellations and missed connections, plus expenses such as food and accommodations that are incurred from being away from home for additional time.
The $8.3 billion direct cost to airlines included increased expenses for crew, fuel and maintenance, among others. Nearly half this cost is due to padded schedules, the hidden delays that are built into schedules because the airlines anticipated them.
In addition to the direct costs to the airline industry and its customers, flight delays have indirect effects on the U.S. economy, the report said. The authors noted that inefficiency in the air transportation sector increases the cost of doing business for other sectors, making the associated businesses less productive. The study estimated that air transportation delays reduced the 2007 U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) by $4 billion.
Want to see which airlines and airports have the most delays? Go here.
You can select the airline, the airport, even the time of year.
