Contour Airlines' performance in line with industry norms

Contour Airlines' performance at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport is on par with those of other airlines in different markets, statistics show.

Airport manager Katrina Amos presented Airport Advisory Board members with the airport activity report at their meeting Tuesday, Sept. 12.

According to the report, Contour Airlines maintained an on-schedule arrival rate of 82% during the month of August, with 18% of the flights delayed and zero flights canceled. Only delays greater than one hour are taken into account, since delays shorter than that may not affect the on-time arrival.

"A delay doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be delayed from making it on time, because they have a pretty substantial block time. You can be delayed 30 minutes and still make it to Nashville (Tennessee) on time," Amos explained.

Numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics were presented to the board for comparison, showing the operation of SkyWest Airlines at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport during August 2022. According to the report, 88.71% of the flights operated by SkyWest in August 2022 arrived on schedule, 8.06% were delayed, and 3.25% were canceled.

Although Contour is experiencing a higher delay rate than what SkyWest experienced last year at Cape Girardeau, statistics of the operation of SkyWest in other markets in 2023 show the airline is struggling more this year. From January to May 2023, SkyWest has had an average of 17.18% delays, which is slightly lower than Contour's delay rate.

"Contour is performing lower (delay rates) than industry averages. It's not great, but I think the industry as a whole has suffered. It's not just Contour. Every airline has had some type of challenge, whether it be from a crew or pilot shortage standpoint or just a variety of factors that have impacted air traffic. So it's important to consider that when we look at Contour's performance here in Cape Girardeau," Amos said.

Statistics appear to back up Amos' claim, though the numbers cited did not provide a complete apples-to-apples comparison. According to Bureau of Labor statistics, the airline industry as a whole has suffered from 20.16% delays and 1.45% cancellations from January to May 2023. The industry has maintained an average of 78.39% on-time arrival rate during this period. July and August data was not available at this time, Amos said.

The airline enplaned a total of 671 passengers at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport in August. The number has not been confirmed by Contour and may be slightly higher or lower, Amos said.

Contour operated its first flight out of Cape Girardeau on Oct. 18, replacing former carrier SkyWest. The airline currently operates two flights per day from Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.