Airline performance in 2013 was the highest since the Airline Quality Rating started in 1991, Wichita State University announced in a news release Monday.

The 24th annual Airline Quality Rating ranked SkyWest, the new carrier at Hays Regional Airport, as 14th, down two spots from its 2012 ranking. Virgin America was ranked best, followed by JetBlue.

Of the 15 carriers rated for performance in both 2012 and 2013, eight airlines improved, six airlines declined and one is new to the rankings.

The Airline Quality Rating is a joint research project funded as part of faculty research activities at Wichita State University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, Ariz.

SkyWest is scheduled to be the commercial carrier at the Hays airport on July 1. The previous carrier, Great Lakes, ended service early at the end of March after being passed over for a contract renewal. Currently, that leaves Hays without a commercial carrier.

For more on the Airline Quality Rating, click HERE.

The report says SkyWest recorded an on-time performance of 79.7 percent for 2013.