A Quarter of Domestic Flights Fail to Arrive on Time

A quarter of domestic flights failed to arrive on time in 2007 - the industry's second poorest performance on record - and analysts say it is likely to get worse. More than 26 percent of commercial flights in the U.S. arrived late or were canceled last year as rising passenger demand and an industry preference for smaller planes intensified congestion in the skies and on runways. The air travel log jam, reported by the Department of Transportation, comes as a growing number of air traffic controllers near retirement age - a trend the controllers' union says will magnify the problem The only time passengers had more difficulty getting to their destinations on time was in 2000, when more than 27 percent of flights were tardy or canceled.