Ahhh one can say they improved from by far the worst, to only the 2nd worst behind comair for both on time as well as cncl rate.

Someone about a month ago said the samde thing you are sayin, but the BTS stats dont back it up.

http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/20...dot157_09.html

Most recent stats say this:
Lowest On-Time Arrival Rates

1. Comair – 65.9 percent

2. Atlantic Southeast Airlines – 69.5 percent

3. AirTran Airways – 74.2 percent

Highest Rates of Canceled Flights

1. Comair – 4.3 percent

2. Pinnacle Airlines – 1.8 percent

3. Atlantic Southeast Airlines – 1.8 percent

These are Augusts (most recent published) stats, and ASA was over 10 points below the average of 79.7 (not below the leader, HA at 94.7.)

So while they improved from last to 2nd to last, their performance is nothing to say "they have really improved."

And this figure is very representative of their performance under Skywest. This month was par for their performance, not a very low outlier. FT opinions are one thing, but BTS stats are another, and they do not support your statement.


July: http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/20...dot138_09.html
Lowest On-Time Arrival Rates

1. Comair – 63.6 percent

2. Atlantic Southeast Airlines – 68.3 percent

3. AirTran Airways – 69.8 percent

Highest Rates of Canceled Flights

1. Comair – 5.4 percent

2. American Eagle Airlines – 2.2 percent

3. Atlantic Southeast Airlines – 2.0 percent

While June, they weren't in the bottom 3, May puts them right back where they are at home: http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/20...dot097_09.html
Lowest On-Time Arrival Rates

1. Comair – 65.7 percent

2. Atlantic Southeast Airlines – 70.8 percent

3. AirTran Airways – 75.6 percent

As well as April: http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/20...dot076_09.html
Lowest On-Time Arrival Rates

1. Comair – 68.6 percent

2. Atlantic Southeast Airlines – 69.4 percent

3. Continental Airlines – 72.0 percent
Highest Rates of Canceled Flights

1. American Eagle Airlines – 3.3 percent

2. JetBlue Airways – 3.2 percent

3. Atlantic Southeast Airlines – 3.2 percent

And March has them last in both categories : http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/20...dot065_09.html

Lowest On-Time Arrival Rates

1. Atlantic Southeast Airlines – 60.9 percent

2. Alaska Airlines – 70.2 percent

3. ExpressJet Airlines – 71.7 percent

Highest Rates of Canceled Flights

1. Atlantic Southeast Airlines – 5.3 percent

2. Comair – 3.7 percent

3. Alaska Airlines – 3.3 percent.

So I fail to see this great turn around over the past few years. They are consistently last, 2nd to last, or at best 3rd to last of 19 reporting carriers. While 2nd to last sounds better than "last", it really to me isn't much of an improvement. Especially if it has gotten better for the past few years and they still are at the bottom. Maybe you are referring to the 2008 turn around where they were merely in the bottom 1/4 instead of the 2009 numbers that make them 2nd to last again?

No matter how you look at the numbers, they are still far worse than Mesa or any carrier UA has chosen to use as an express carrier to date.