Thomas Cook most punctual UK charter airline

[Localiser Green]

Thomas Cook look set once again to be the most punctual UK charter airline over the Summer 2003 season, jmc having clinched the title last year.

Nowhere near as much in it this time round though, with Air 2000, Britannia and Excel all very close to TCX so far this year.

Interestingly, Air 2000 are the most punctual at Manchester so far and Britannia are the most punctual at Gatwick.

There are 3 more months of analysis left so anything could happen.

Source: Flightontime.info (http://www.flightontime.info)

[Whalerider]

What it doesn't say however, and we at the airport know how they do it, is how their ops manage to fudge the CTOTs - can't believe CFMU allow them to get away with it !!!

[Localiser Green]

How do they manage that then? If it produces punctuality figures like that I find it hard to believe they are the only culprits?

[PPRuNe Radar]

Aren't the CTOTs regulated by the ATC unit ??

It does form part of the ATC clearance after all so any fudging must be with the approval of ATC who are supposed to be doing the Air Traffic Management side of the equation.

[jmc-man]

It's not the CTOT's that we fudge, it's the Scheduled Departrure time we give the passengers. We give the passengers a departure time 15 minutes earlier than that agreed with the airport authority (which is driven by our airport slot). This way, when we get the fairly normal 10 to 15 delay in boarding/baggage/missing pax/late fuelling/no tow truck etc etc, the Airport figures don't capture is as they see us leaving on time.

I'm aware that Excel also try this trick, and I've heard the airports are seriously pissed off at us, so things may change. I understand the frustration of the other guys who "play by the rules", so it's probably going to be them that get most excited, but at the end of the day we have the best punctuality record....end of story really. :) :)