About one in five U.S. flights arrived at least 15 minutes late in ********, and passengers on four planes sat on the tarmac for more than three hours, a violation of federal rules.

The U.S. Department of Transportation said Tuesday that on the 14 airlines that carry the most passengers, 80.6 per cent of flights arrived on time in ********. That was better than October’s 80.0 per cent on-time rate, but down from 83.5 per cent in ******** 2013.

AirTran topped the ratings, beating frequent leader Hawaiian Airlines. Regional carrier Envoy Air finished at the bottom.

Airlines cancelled 4,301 domestic flights, or just under 1 per cent, slightly lower than the rate a year earlier.