Data Analysis of PDX Flights and Weather

Project Overview

This project, conducted by Alaina Holland and Phil, focuses on analyzing the relationship between weather conditions and flight delays at Portland International Airport (PDX). The analysis was performed using data retrieved via APIs and processed using SQL, with the project deployment managed through Railway. The goal was to understand the potential impact of various weather factors on flight departure delays over a specific period in 2023.

Authors

• Alaina Holland
• Phil

Date Presented

• August 12, 2024

Data Sources

• Flight Data: Cirium FlightStats APIs
• Weather Data: OpenWeather API

Project Context

Imagine you are a flight operations manager at Portland International Airport (PDX). Over a span of three weeks in 2023, weather conditions varied significantly, potentially impacting flight schedules. This project leverages API integration and SQL queries to investigate how these weather variations, including factors like wind speed and visibility, correlate with flight delays at PDX. The deployment and data management processes were facilitated using Railway.

Why Should You Care About Weather-Related Flight Delays?

Understanding the relationship between weather and flight delays can help:

• Improve Operational Efficiency: By anticipating delays caused by specific weather conditions.
• Enhance Passenger Experience: Through better communication and management of expectations.
• Optimize Resource Allocation: Such as ground crew and gate management in response to expected delays.

Key Weather Factors Analyzed

The analysis focused on the following weather conditions:

• Visibility
• Wind Speed
• Precipitation (Rain and Snow)
• Temperature
• Cloudiness

Project Outcome

The analysis revealed no strong correlation between the selected weather conditions and flight delays during the observed period. However, the data highlighted specific instances where visibility and wind speed may have influenced delays, suggesting the need for more comprehensive data collection and analysis.

Presentation

You can view the full presentation detailing the data analysis process and findings.

Questions?

If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to reach out.

Additional Information

For more details and to explore the data further, please visit:

• Cirium FlightStats: Source for flight data.
• OpenWeather API: Source for weather data.

To view our presentation slides on this project, please click here.

Data Description

The data used in this project includes:

• Flight Logs: Departure times, delays, and destinations.
• Weather Logs: Wind speed, visibility, precipitation, and temperature.

Future Recommendations

• Expand Data Collection: To include more flights per day and extend the observation period to different seasons.
• Integrate Destination Weather: To assess the impact of weather at both departure and arrival airports.
• Analyze Additional Factors: Such as air traffic and mechanical issues, which may also contribute to delays.

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This portfolio piece highlights the integration of API data retrieval, SQL for data processing, and the use of Railway for deployment in analyzing the relationship between weather conditions and flight delays at PDX. The findings underscore the complexity of flight operations and the necessity of comprehensive data to fully understand these dynamics.