Delta Air Lines increased its on-time performance in November, with 83 percent of its flights arriving within 15 minutes of schedule, according to data released Thursday by the Transportation Department.

The Atlanta-based airline, which operates its second-largest hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, had turned in an on-time rate of 82.1 percent in October.

The airline's November rate ranked seventh among the nation's top 10 carriers. US Airways was first with a rate of 88.7 percent, while the major carriers turned in a cumulative rate of 85.2 percent, also better than October and November 2001. Overall results were the third best month on record since the federal government began tracking delays in January 1995.

The local airport had an overall on-time departure rate of 88.17 percent, ranking 17th among the nation's 32 largest facilities.

Cincinnati ranked 16th when it came to on-time arrivals, with a rate of 85.35 percent.

Both rates were worse than the rates of November 2001, when the airport had an on-time arrival rate of 86.87 percent and an on-time departure rate of 89.61 percent.

- James Pilcher