Based on the United Nations, world tourism is predicted to have surpassed prepandemic ranges in 2024. In reality, final yr noticed the ten busiest air journey days of all time. And contemplating that the Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation is forecasting an almost 5 % enhance in departures in 2025, air journey is simply going to change into extra crowded and congested.
Cirium, an aviation analytic firm, could have some excellent news for these anxious about whether or not their upcoming flights will get them the place they should go in a well timed method. For the sixteenth yr, the agency has introduced which airways had the very best data for on-time departures.
Within the prime spot for world airways is Mexico’s largest provider, Aeromexico. For home U.S. carriers, Delta Air Strains outperformed all others.
“In 2024, the aviation trade demonstrated unbelievable resilience and flexibility, overcoming challenges starting from cybersecurity disruptions to climate anomalies,” Cirium chief govt Jeremy Bowen mentioned in a press release. “Regardless of these hurdles, airways and airports continued to prioritize operational excellence.”
Cirium’s annual report pulls knowledge from thousands and thousands of flights and ranks the airways primarily based on the charges of on-time arrivals and departures, outlined as arriving inside quarter-hour of the scheduled time.
World’s most on-time airways
Based on Cirium’s 2024 most on-time airways report, probably the most punctual world airways in 2024 have been:
- Aeromexico (arriving on time 86.7 % of the time)
- Saudia (86.3 %)
- Delta (83.5 %)
- LATAM (82.89 %)
- Qatar Airways (82.83 %)
- Azul Airways (82.42 %)
- Avianca (81.80 %)
- Iberia (81.58 %)
- Scandinavian Airways (81.40 %)
- United Airways (80.93 %)
Every of the highest three carriers is a part of the SkyTeam alliance. For Aeromexico, its on-time share represents a 9 % enchancment from the prior yr. Alternatively, Avianca, the flag provider for Colombia and probably the most punctual airline of 2023, dropped to seventh place.
Cirium additionally acknowledges the highest regional airways. Iberia Specific was probably the most on-time airline in Europe (and probably the most on-time low-cost provider globally). Japan Airways ranked first inside Asia–Pacific. South Africa’s FlySafair carried out higher than some other provider in Africa and the Center East. And Copa Airways took the highest spot in South America for the tenth yr operating.
Technically, Copa Airways outperformed Aeromexico, with 88 % of its flights arriving on time. Nonetheless, the Panama Metropolis–primarily based airline doesn’t meet Cirium’s threshold of operational measurement and regional variety to be thought of a worldwide airline.
Most on-time U.S. airways
Regardless of the widespread disruption attributable to a worldwide IT outage in July, which disproportionately affected Delta and compelled the corporate to cancel greater than 5,000 flights, the airline nonetheless managed to finish the yr on prime. And throughout the board, 76 % of all U.S. airways flights in 2024 have been on-time, up from 74 % of the time in 2023. Different airways within the 10 prime for the USA are:
- Delta (arriving on time 83.5 % of the time)
- United Airways (80.9 %)
- Alaska Airways (79.3 %)
- American Airways (77.78 %)
- Southwest Airways (77.77 %)
- Spirit Airways (76.05 %)
- JetBlue (74.53 %)
- Frontier Airways (71.57 %)
- Air Canada (71.36 %)
- WestJet (70.99 %)
JetBlue Airways took seventh place amongst U.S. airways, arriving on time 74 % of the time. Nonetheless, the New York–primarily based provider was not too long ago fined by the Division of Transportation for chronically delayed flights (that means that common flights in its community arrive greater than half-hour late greater than 50 % of the time) and unrealistic scheduling.
World’s most on-time airports
Along with rating airways, Cirium additionally shared knowledge concerning the locations the place vacationers have been most probably to depart on time. Maybe not surprisingly, the busiest airports within the USA and on this planet have been largely absent from the on-time rating. They embody:
- Riyadh King Khalid Worldwide Airport in Saudi Arabia (86.65 % of flights depart and arrive on time)
- Lima Jorge Chávez Worldwide Airport in Peru (84.57 %)
- Mexico Metropolis Benito Juárez Worldwide Airport in Mexico (84.04 %)
- Salt Lake Metropolis Worldwide Airport in Utah (83.80 %)
- Santiago Arturo Merino Benítez Worldwide Airport in Chile (82.84 %)
- Minneapolis–St. Paul Worldwide Airport in Minnesota (82.27 %)
- Washington Dulles Worldwide Airport in Maryland (83.23 %)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Michigan (82.06 %)
- Oslo Gardermoen Airport in Norway (81.91 %)
- Doha Hamad Worldwide Airport in Qatar (81.38 %)