Airline winter stress test

The summer will test how well airlines have recovered from the chaos of last holiday season.

The big picture: Summer travel and holidays are airlines’ biggest stressors. The holidays were a nightmare as Southwest Airlines went into full meltdown and several other challenges could complicate summer travel.

In numbers: By December 2022, 69.1 percent of domestic U.S. flights departed on time, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Southwest’s struggles dragged down the average for all carriers.

• That figure is generally between 75%-80% in a typical month, though predictably during the busy – and often meteorologically challenging – summer and winter travel seasons.

Present: Denver International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport posted some of the nation’s best on-time performance rates in December, at 57.4%, 61.7% and 66.4%, respectively.

What we are looking at: All signs so far point to the Southwest recovering well from December – but the industry is grappling with new challenges.

The busiest travel season will be a challenge for pilots, air traffic controllers and other stakeholders after a series of shocking incidents in recent months.

• The Federal Aviation Administration issued a “safety call to caution” Wednesday to remind pilots, airlines and others of best practices for safe flying following a spate of incidents in recent months.
• Also on Wednesday, a key Senate committee indefinitely delayed a vote on President Biden’s pick to lead the FAA due to protests against nominee Phil Washington.
• The FAA has been without a Senate-confirmed administrator since March 2022.