Resource of the Week: Comprehensive Airline Industry Data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics
By Shirl Kennedy, Senior Editor
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), has long been one of our favorite fishing holes. Recently, we noticed its extensive collection of airline industry data, and we decided to browse in depth. Woo hoo! Excellent databases here:
+ Extensive airport fact sheets containing information about passenger counts, airline traffic, top destination airports from that location, and data about delays and on-time performance, compared to national averages.
+ Detailed carrier fact sheets for all major U.S. airlines, which contain information on their top domestic markets, revenue and costs, passenger and monthly flight operations data.
+ Airline On-Time Tables for the most current month available. (A searchable database going back to January 1995 is also available.)
+ A comprehensive table of On-Time Details going back to 1999. You can filter results by airport, airline, time frame and more.
+ Interesting data about the causes of flight delays -- e.g., weather, security, etc.. Again, you can filter by airport, airline or time frame, and there are links that allow you to view the data in various ways -- e.g.., Flight Delays by Cause.
+ Press releases containing statistics related to Traffic, Financial, Fares and Employment.
Hit the More Databases link near the bottom of the box and you'll be connected to an extensive data library. I like this view, which offers nice annotations for all the databases, some of which are on other sites, such as:
+ National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Aviation Accident Database.
+ "(D)data on spills, releases, or other incidents involving hazardous materials during the course of transportation" from DOT's Office of Hazardous Materials Safety.
Additionally, you may want to bookmark this link, which takes you to an extensive annotated list of all transportation-related databases.
See Also: Here are several databases that offer real-time tracking and alerts of aircraft flying from/to or currently in U.S. or Canadian airspace. Some of historic takeoff/landing data (free registration) and alert tools to let you know a flight has landed, been delayed, etc.
+ FlightAware.com
Search by flight/airline, tail number, airport. Historic data available if you register (free).
+ FlightStats.com
New mobile version at: http://mobile.flightstats.com. Historic data, alerts. Real-time airport delay info. Historical Ontime Flight Ratings. Numerous widgets.
+ Rovenet Mobile
Interface optimized for mobile browsers. Uses data from RLM.
+ FAA Wireless
Real-time airport delays. Also, lists of consumer hotlines and airline telephone numbers. The FAA also provides delay information (you select the airports of interest) via e-mail.
Additional Statistical Resources, Imagery
See Also: Airbus FAQ's
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