Airllines fudge 'on-time' record

Mumbai: It's an open secret in the airline industry. Exaggerating the time it takes to operate a particular flight, especially those prone to chronic delays, is the easiest way to improve a carrier's on-time performance record.
Till recently, when booking an air ticket, passengers found that flight duration for a given route varied from airline to airline. For instance: Mumbai-Delhi flights operated by different airlines within minutes of each other showed different journey times or what's called "block time in airline parlance. If one airline listed a block time of one hour fifty-five minutes, another listed it as a two-and-a-half-hour flight and a third may list it as a two-hour-fifteen-minute flight.
No wonder then, passengers of certain airlines found that they often reach their destination well ahead of their scheduled arrival time. Afterall, adding a margin of 20-30 minutes to the actual time it takes to operate a given flight ensures the airline a spotless on-time record even if the departure is delayed.
14/11/11 Times of India

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Nov 2011