Good news for Delta Air Lines fliers: The main tenant of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport strongly increased its on-time rate during August.

        But data released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Transportation showed the nation's top 10 carriers' on-time performance overall slipped slightly.

HOW THEY DID

Percentage of on-time flights by the 10 largest airlines.     Northwest 79.2%     Continental: 77.7%     Delta: 77.3%     TWA: 76.7%     Southwest: 76.2%     American: 73.9%     Alaska: 69.6%     US Airways: 67.3%     America West: 59.5%     United: 42.7%     Source: U.S. Department of Transportation

        Because of weather and labor strife, the summer has already been deemed the worst for flight delays.

        The airlines' on-time rate fell to 70 percent in August from 70.3 percent in July. June's rate of 66.3 percent was the lowest ever.

        DOT considers any flight that arrives 15 minutes or more later than scheduled to be delayed.

        Delta stayed in third place, with an on-time arrival rate of 77.3 percent, up from 76.1 percent in July. United had the worst on-time record, with just 42.7 percent. After months of delays caused by pilots refusing to work overtime, United signed a deal with the pilots Aug. 26.

        The airport ranked third in on-time arrivals among the nation's 29 largest, with a rate of 79.1 percent.

        Passengers also voiced their displeasure more in August. Consumers registered 2,911 complaints about airline service with the government, an increase of 19 percent over July and 24 percent more than August 1999.

        Rounding out the top 10 were TWA, 76.7 percent; Southwest, 76.2 percent; American, 73.9 percent; Alaska, 69.6 percent; US Airways, 67.3 percent; America West, 59.5 percent; and United, 42.7 percent. After months of delays caused by pilots refusing to work overtime, United settled the contract dispute on Aug. 26.

        Cincinnati-based Comair, the regional carrier that is a wholly-owned Delta subsidiary, did not show up on the report, but company spokesman Nick Miller said the company shoots for a rate of 90 percent and has remained within a point or two of that over the past few months.

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