An annual ranking of the world’s airlines with the best on-time arrivals record was released, with Mexican airline Aeromexico topping the list and Delta Air Lines ranking highest among U.S. carriers. Flight delays and cancellations are a common issue, particularly during peak travel times like the holiday season. However, data from Cirium, an aviation data provider, shows that airlines have excelled in on-time arrivals over the past year. Almost 87 percent of Aeromexico flights arrived within 15 minutes of their scheduled time, a widely used metric to measure on-time performance.
Saudia, the flagship carrier of Saudi Arabia, ranked second worldwide in on-time arrivals with a rate of just over 86 percent. Successful airlines from around the globe included Chile’s LATAM Airlines, Qatar Airways, Brazil’s Azul, Colombia’s Avianca, Spanish budget airline Iberia Express, and SAS, the flagship carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. In the U.S., Delta ranked third worldwide and first among U.S. carriers with an on-time arrival rate of over 83 percent. This is despite a computer outage that caused thousands of flight cancellations in July due to a faulty upgrade by cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike.
United Airlines ranked second in the U.S. with an on-time arrival rate of almost 81 percent, followed by Alaska Airlines at just over 79 percent. However, budget U.S. airline Frontier, Air Canada, and Canada’s WestJet had the lowest on-time arrival rates among U.S. and Canadian carriers at below 72 percent. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, was named the best airport for on-time departures in 2024, with almost 87 percent of flights taking off within 15 minutes of their scheduled time. Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru, and Benito Juárez International Airport in Mexico City followed with rates over 84 percent.
Cirium’s CEO, Jeremy Bowen, stated that the aviation industry showed resilience and adaptability in 2024, overcoming challenges such as cybersecurity disruptions and weather anomalies. Despite these hurdles, airlines and airports prioritized operational excellence, achieving impressive levels of reliability and passenger satisfaction. As the new year begins, airlines have the opportunity to continue excelling in on-time arrivals for 2025. Travelers should stay informed about new travel requirements kicking in this year to ensure their trips go as smoothly as possible.
