Planes leaving and arriving in France have never arrived so punctually in ten years as in 2022, in a context of recovery after the pandemic, according to a report published this Tuesday. “Whatever the type of flight (domestic, medium and long-haul), 2022 represents the highest delay rate in the last ten years (2013-2022 period),” stated the Transport Service Quality Authority (AQST). ).
In its report, the authority indicates that 19.6% of domestic flights suffered delays last year, a rate that rises to 28.1% for medium-haul flights and 28.4% for long-haul flights. Air traffic, reduced to zero by Covid-19 and border closures in March 2020, slowly resumed until the end of the Omicron wave in early 2022, before growing again.
Lack of staff
The AQST highlighted a “lack of staff that mainly affects airlines” and “the difficulties encountered by airports in anticipating the resumption of traffic.” Result: “for domestic and medium-distance flights, the average delay increases compared to 2019, standing at approximately 46 minutes. On the other hand, for long-distance flights, the average delay decreases, standing at approximately 51 minutes.”
In terms of long-distance rail connections, 2022 also saw a general deterioration in punctuality, with a TGV delay rate of 14.2% compared to 11.3% the previous year. The Intercités were delayed in 16.7% of cases (14.1% in 2021) and the TERs in 8% (7.1% the previous year). The AQST explained the phenomenon, for the TGV, due to meteorological causes (storms, heat waves) and social causes, such as the December 2022 strike.
On the other hand, rail connections in Paris and its surroundings saw their regularity improve in 2022, in particular Transilien lines R, N and K. Bad students: the L and especially the P. As for the RER, the AQST analysis joins observations already deplored by Ile-de-France Mobilités (IDFM): the RER B and D “accumulate high traffic and a punctuality rate significantly lower than that of the other lines”. In mid-October, IDFM, SNCF and RATP announced a series of measures to reverse the trend of deteriorating RER B punctuality.
Source: BFM TV
