Share of US airline cancellations at lowest level in 10 years

According to the ministry, the 0.8 percent cancellation rate was even better during holidays, even though passenger numbers were at a record high. That's a big difference from a year ago, when Southwest Airlines canceled flights due to bitterly cold weather. Ultimately, the cancellation rate for the holiday season was 8.2 percent.

President Joe Biden's administration plans to introduce regulations to compensate for long delays and cancellations if they are attributed to airline policies. But in the meantime, the government is also trying to force airlines to fly as scheduled. “We've put a lot of pressure on the airlines,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday on CNBC.

Airlines for America, which represents airlines such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines, reported that US airlines arrived at their destinations 83.7 percent of the time in December. According to the trade association, 99.6 percent of flights were fully completed last month.