Why American Airlines still lags behind competitors on cancellation rate

FORT WORTH, TEXAS — American Airlines’ cancellation rate improved in August, but it still lagged behind other major U.S. carriers, according to data from airline analytics firm OAG.

American Airlines Group Inc. canceled 2.7% of its flights last month, which is an improvement from the beginning of the summer. It marks the first time AA canceled less than 3% of its flights since March, according to OAG data.

However, it still ranked as the worst among the big four carriers. United Airlines Holdings Inc. recorded a cancellation rate of 2.1%, Southwest Airlines Co. recorded a 1.3% rate, and Delta Air Lines Inc. continued its reliable operation with a 0.9% cancellation rate.

This summer has been one to forget for American, which has been canceling flights at a higher rate than competitors for several months now. Read about why that's happening here.

Cox Media Group