Odds are 1 in 5 that your flight will arrive late, but airline cancellations decline slightly

About one in five U.S. flights arrived at least 15 minutes late in October, 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 percent of flights arrived on time in November. That was better than October's 80.0 percent on-time rate, but down from 83.5 percent in November 2013.

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

Airlines canceled 4,301 domestic flights, or just under 1 percent, slightly lower than the rate a year earlier.