DALLAS >> Spirit Airlines tops the latest ratings for on-time flights, a big turnaround for a discount carrier that consistently ranked as the tardiest airline in America three years ago.

Spirit also has the second-lowest rate of canceled flights in the latest government report by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

It still has a high rate of passenger complaints, and some travelers avoid it and other budget airlines because of their reputation for poor service. If travelers come to see them as reliable, however, discount airlines could pose a greater threat to bigger competitors.

The DOT said Friday that 89 percent of Spirit’s flights in October arrived on time, putting it just ahead of frequent winner Hawaiian Airlines (88.5 percent) and Delta Air Lines (87.1 percent).

It’s the first time the Miramar, Fla.-based carrier has topped the rankings. It finished second in November 2017.

Spirit had the worst on-time performance every month but one between May 2015 and May 2016.

The DOT counts a flight as on time if it arrives within 14 minutes of schedule.

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ON THE MOVE

>> Cades Schutte has announced that Mauna Kea Trask recently joined its Kauai office. Trask has been an attorney for 13 years. He served as a County of Kauai attorney from December 2014 until November 2018.

>> Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties has announced that Simona Winstone is a new independent agent and Global Luxury specialist for the firm’s Honolulu office. Winstone’s specialty is in new development and construction. She has been a Realtor for more than 10 years at Locations Hawaii.

>> Hawaiian Airlines has appointed Andrew Stanbury to regional director for New Zealand and Australia beginning Jan. 2. Stanbury was executive general manager for Fiji Airways global sales for the past three years. He also worked in various management roles with Air New Zealand.