Atlanta ? The government’s new crackdown on chronically late flights leaves airlines with little reason to be concerned — and delayed travelers little reason to feel hopeful they’ll arrive on time.

The rule, announced days before the Christmas travel rush, defines chronic tardiness so narrowly that it would have applied to only 55 recurring flights out of the 13,981 that qualified from January to November, according to an analysis by the aviation data research firm FlightCaster for The Associated Press. All 55 flights were to or from the New York City area’s three airports.

That’s unlikely to provide much relief to passengers who just want to get from Point A to Point B on time. Even the few airlines that are at risk of violating the rule can escape the up to $27,500 fine by adjusting their schedules or canceling flights.