Which airline was the most on-time – and airport – in the world in 2024?
New numbers released to start the new year provide some answers.
Aeromexico appeared to be a global success, according to data released Thursday by aviation analytics firm Cirium.
By 2024, approximately 87% of the Mexico City-based carrier’s flights arrived at their destinations on time.
Closely following Aeromexico, two places back in third place, was Delta Air Lines, America’s top airline in on-time performance last year, Cirium said.
Here’s a quick list of the best-performing airlines, as well as the major airports that saw the highest prices during the season – including one of the most popular cities in the US for tourists.
Most flights operating on time in 2024
To calculate the world’s most efficient airlines, Cirium adheres to a widely recognized industry standard: the percentage of flights that arrive at their destination within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time.
Here’s how international airlines stack up:
- Aeromexico (86.7%)
- Saudia (86.3%)
- Delta (83.5%)
It’s worth noting that Panama City-based Copa Airlines actually performed better than Aeromexico, with 88% of its flights arriving on time. However, Copa does not technically meet Cirium’s global network criteria for that level – although the Star Alliance airline has taken the crown among Latin American carriers.
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Most flights that operate on time in the US
The top US airlines operating on time in 2024 include:
- The Delta
- United Airlines (80.9%)
- Alaska Airlines (79.3%)
Delta’s top position among American airlines came despite a slump in mid-July after the worldwide technology outage in CrowdStrike, in which the Atlanta-based carrier canceled thousands of flights over a five-day period.
However, its full-year performance still ranks ahead of its closest American rivals, Cirium said.
“Their recovery was very good, because a month after the whole problem, they were at 91%. [on-time flights] in August,” said Mike Malik, Cirium’s chief marketing officer.
Delta was named the best performing carrier in TPG’s Best US Airlines 2024 report released last spring. Ultimately we’ll have to see how Delta stacks up when we crunch the numbers again this year.
Other regions of the world
Iberia Express, the regional subsidiary of Iberia in Madrid, was ranked first among European airlines in 2024 for on-time performance, announced Cirium.
Spain’s main flag carrier ranked second, followed by Scandinavian Airlines, which in 2024 became a new member of the SkyTeam alliance after years of financial turmoil.
“SAS is making great strides and investing in IT and technology, as well as fleet,” Malik noted.
Japan Airlines has been the dominant player in the Asia Pacific region, narrowly overtaking Japanese competitor All Nippon Airways.
Read more: Japan Airlines’ A350-1000 launch from New York to Tokyo: Same great service, great new seats
South Africa-based Safair led the ranking in the Middle East/Africa region.
Top airports in the world for on time operations
Cirium also compiled rankings of the world’s best airports for on-time travel.
Among the major hubs, here’s how the top three will move in 2024:
- King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu
- Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM) in Lima, Peru
Honolulu Airport is the largest airport in Hawaii, serving as a key connection for flights from the islands in the state and as a gateway to Asia. It is also the new global hub for the recently merged airline that combines the Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines brands.
Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport (PTY) was the world’s best mid-sized airport for on-time flights, Cirium said, with Guayaquil, Ecuador’s Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport (GYE) leading among small airlines.
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