Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai top Forbes' most delayed airports

Airports in India and China top Forbes' third annual list of the World's Most Delayed Airports with Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport taking the prize for the airport with the least timely arrivals.

While only just 45 per cent of scheduled passenger flights arrived on time in Delhi, Beijing Capital International Airport has the worst departure record with just 38 per cent of commercial passenger flights leaving as scheduled.

The status of Delhi's and Beijing's airports should come as no surprise, says the US business magazine as both were at or near the top of Forbes' most-delayed list last year.

Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (55.9 per cent) and Istanbul Ataturk International Airport (60.7 per cent) round out the top three worst airports for timely arrivals. For departures, Dubai International Airport and Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport follow Beijing.

With on-time arrivals of 63.9 per cent, Chennai International Airport, the third-busiest airport in India, was ranked fourth worst.

A flight is considered on time if it arrives or departs less than 15 minutes after its scheduled take-off or landing time. In many cases, delays can be attributed to growing pains at a particular airport, it said.

For example: Delhi's airport expects to open a new terminal later in 2010 and Mumbai's airport plans a massive expansion by 2015.

If it's any consolation, five American airports: Newark, New York's La Guardia, Dallas' Fort Worth, Miami and LA-Ontario were also on the most delayed list.

Japan and South Korea topped the list of world's least delayed airports. Flights at Osaka's Itami Airport arrived and departed on time 94 per cent of the time in 2009, according to FlightStats.

At Seoul's Gimpo International Airport, 91 per cent of passenger flights arrived on time, and 93 per cent departed as scheduled.