Best and Worst in Iranian Air Flight Punctuality

Iran's Atrak Airline hit the worst record in flight punctuality with 72% delayed cases in the last month of summer (Aug. 23-Sept.  22), a report released by the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran indicated.

A scheduled airline based at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran, Atrak Airline operated 78 flights, of which only 22 operated on time during the period.

According to the data, Aseman Airline, the busiest among all domestic airlines, comes after Atrak with 67% delayed flights from among the total of 1,020 operations in the month-long period, labeled second worst airline in terms of punctuality.

Not as bad in records as the first two air fleets, Naft Airline stands at third position with 64% delayed cases, comprising 126 out of 198 flights. The private-owned Meraj Airline, on the other hand, stands first on the punctuality list, as it did in the previous months of the current Iranian year (started March 21). Meraj operated 77 flights during the last month of summer, of which only six were delayed.

The second best in punctuality list is Saha Airline that has recorded 55 on-time flights out of 64, that is 86% of the total. With a large gap from the second, Mahan airline stands third with 68% of its departures on time.

Flying saves time, the main reason for travelers opting for air services over other modes of transport. However, delays can reduce the benefit. Recently, missing the schedule has become very common among Iran's domestic airlines.

Flight delays are typical in the aviation industry and are caused by aircraft maintenance problems, fueling, inclement weather, airline glitches (which are the top cause of flight delays, according to a USA TODAY analysis) and air traffic congestion.