Flight delays could soon be reported by airports

Newcomer Jetstar has been forced to build a bigger buffer into its domestic timetables. Photo / Greg Bowker

Airport companies may have to supply figures to the Commerce Commission from next year on why planes are late.

Australian and US authorities require regular "on-time performance" reporting from airlines but this has not happened in this country in spite of the carriers' support.

Changes to the Commerce Act will require a wide range of reporting by airports. One spinoff could be figures on airlines' punctuality.

This week Jetstar changed its timetable to build a bigger buffer into its schedule, hit by delays since its launch 10 days ago. It has blamed ground equipment problems, airport infrastructure, new staff and procedures.

Jetstar's figures showed in the first six days of operation just 20 per cent of flights ran within 15 minutes of schedule. By the middle of this week this had improved to 61.5 per cent.

Yesterday Pacific Blue released its own figures for the first five months of 2009. Flights ran within 15 minutes of schedule 92 per cent of the time, it said.

Air New Zealand says that on main trunk jet routes it aims to keep within 10 minutes of its schedule 90 per cent of the time. It says it was able to do that for most of the past year.

Board of Airlines Representatives executive director John Beckett said it was hoped punctuality figures would be made public. Other measures include surveys of passenger satisfaction with airports, and records of when runways and taxiways are not available.

Following changes to the Commerce Act, the Commerce Commission is now considering what information companies operating Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch airports must disclose.

Air New Zealand domestic airline general manager John Whittaker said his airline supported public disclosure. Its internal standard for on-time performance was 10 minutes, rather than the industry norm of 15 minutes.

Delays could be due to bad weather, passengers running late from connecting flights, passengers falling sick at the last moment or needing extra help if disabled, unloading bags of anyone who had checked in but then not boarded, extra-large freight loads or mechanical issues.

A key priority in delays was to inform passengers clearly.

Adrian Hamilton-Manns of Pacific Blue said his airline had lobbied the previous Government and this one for a full-disclosure regime.

"I think it's important for people to know how reliable an airline is. Obviously [delays] do happen. Aircraft are mechanical beasts and things fail."