Weather top reason for flight disruptions

Bad weather is the No. 1 reason for flight delays and cancellations, new research has revealed.

A study from WeatherBill has found that 14 percent of all flight disruptions are caused by unexpected weather conditions.

The highest number of weather-related disruptions takes place in winter with snow and ice leading to the cancellation or delay of 16 percent of flights. Some 15 percent are affected in summer, 13 percent in spring and 12 percent in fall.

This led the scientists to conclude that precipitation rather than temperature has the main impact on flight schedules.

Inches of rainfall can be related to delays - several carriers experience 15 minutes delay per inch of rain during spring.

David Friedberg, Chief Executive of WeatherBill, said: "This is an industry based on schedules. Weather disruptions increase the operational costs of airlines and negatively affect customer relationships.

"We can't control the weather but now we can do a better job understanding the relationship between weather and flight delays."

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