The Nation : Airline Flight Delays Drop in September

The Federal Aviation Administration reported that the number of airline flight delays dropped 41% last month to the lowest level since January. FAA Administrator T. Allan McArtor said flight delays have now dropped in each of the last three months despite heavy summer travel. Preliminary figures showed there were 26,586 delays of 15 minutes or more last month, an average of 886 a day. This compared with 44,868 in September of last year, a daily average of 1,496. The September figure was the lowest monthly total since January when 26,407 delays were reported. McArtor said the sharp drop was caused partly by more realistic airline scheduling. He also credited improved air traffic control procedures.