BUSINESS BRIEFING / AIRLINES

U.S. airlines’ on-time performance declined dramatically in December compared with the previous month, but improved slightly over a year earlier, the Transportation Department said.

The carriers blamed heavy snowstorms around the Christmas holiday and aviation system issues for contributing to some delays. The 19 carriers reporting on-time performance recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 65.3%, up from 64.3% a year earlier but down from 83.3% in November.

Regional carrier Comair, a unit of Delta Air Lines Inc., had the worst on-time performance in December, while Hawaiian Airlines had the best.