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The secret of IATA delay codes! Why are flights often late?
With the rapid development of the aviation industry, flight delays seem to be becoming more common. In order to standardize the reporting process, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has developed a set of delay codes to enable airlines to report the causes and responsibilities of flight delays more effectively. This plays an important role in aviation management, efficient operations and the determination of delay compensation.
“Standardization of delay codes will allow the industry to be more organized when dealing with delays and will give passengers greater clarity on the status of their flights.”
In the past, each airline had its own delay reporting system, which made it difficult to share and integrate information. IATA's delay code system provides a unified reporting format for all airlines, making modular management of the causes of delays feasible.
IATA's delay codes cover nine main categories, each with its own unique numeric or alphabetic code, with most airlines preferring the numeric format, while some prefer the alphabetic format. For example, codes beginning with "0" are used primarily for internal airline purposes, while codes beginning with "1" are for passenger and baggage delays.
Delay Code Overview
Here are some common delay codes:
Delay codes starting with 0 (internal reasons)
For example, the code 06 means "Gate/slot not available due to airline activity."
Delay codes starting with 1 (passenger/baggage)
For example, code 11 means "delayed boarding, the deadline for accepting passengers has passed", while code 14 means "booking error due to overbooking".
Delay codes starting with 2 (Cargo/Mail)
For example, a 21 code refers to a "documentation error," which may cause delays in the proper processing of the shipment.
Delay codes starting with 3 (processing)
Code 31 indicates "aircraft documents are delayed or inaccurate", which will affect the flight's departure punctuality.
Delay codes starting with 4 (Technical)
For example, code 41 means "aircraft defect," which means it will take time to repair before the aircraft can return to flight.
Delay codes starting with 5 (damage/failure)
Code 51 means "damage caused during flight operations", while 52 means "damage caused during ground operations".
Delay codes starting with 6 (operational)
For example, code 61 means "flight plan delay", which may be due to various operational requirements.
Delay codes starting with 7 (weather)
Code 71 indicates "weather problems at the departure point" which may affect flight punctuality.
Delay codes starting with 8 (Air Traffic Control)
For example, the 81 code stands for "Air Traffic Control Restriction," which may delay your flight.
Delay codes starting with 9 (Other)
Code 99 stands for "other unspecified reasons" and is probably the most unpredictable.
As the aviation industry continues to change and passenger demands increase, these delay codes not only help airlines standardize their internal reporting processes, but also increase transparency with passengers. After a delay occurs, passengers are able to understand the problem more quickly and make appropriate adjustments. Therefore, this system is not only a part of airline management, but also an important tool for improving service quality.
So, in the face of these reasons for delays, how can passengers effectively alleviate the inconvenience caused by flight delays?
