Cirium, a company that provides information about aviation, recently shared its yearly list of airlines that are the most on-time. They categorized the winners based on the size of the airlines and their location.
In 2023, Avianca Airlines from Colombia was recognized as the most punctual global airline, with an 85.73% rate of arriving on time. This achievement is noteworthy because the airline faced financial challenges in 2020 and had to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This situation led to a complete overhaul of Avianca’s brand and business approach.
“The program’s goal is to offer the airline industry and everyone involved an unbiased, third-party evaluation of how well individual airlines are performing,” explained Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen during a press conference. He mentioned that the data is gathered from more than 600 sources.
How Cirium Determines On-Time Performance
Cirium defines being “on-time” as arriving within 14 minutes and 59 seconds of the scheduled arrival time set by the airline. To be recognized as a “global” airline, carriers must also meet certain capacity and network criteria.
Take Copa Airlines from Panama as an example. It achieved a higher on-time performance, reaching 89.46%, which makes it the most punctual airline in Latin America. However, it falls short of meeting the regional criteria needed to be considered a global airline because it doesn’t fly to at least three regions daily.
Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen explained during a media briefing, “We strongly believe that a simple ranking without considering these factors wouldn’t be helpful. This is because airlines vary greatly in size and operational approaches worldwide.”
Along with identifying the world’s most punctual global airline, Cirium also presents the “platinum award” to what CEO Jeremy Bowen considers the top all-around global airline, recognizing its “operational excellence.”
Punctuality and Excellence in 2023
For the third year in a row, Delta Air Lines clinched this honor. Additionally, Delta secured the fourth spot in terms of on-time performance among global carriers and emerged as the most punctual airline in North America.
As per Bowen, Cirium didn’t just consider punctuality but also factored in the “complexity of operations and the ability to offer greater advantages to passengers and airports” in determining the winner.
In addition to the global winner, Cirium honored other airlines in 2023. Iberia Express, a Spanish low-cost carrier, received recognition in Europe, while All Nippon Airways from Japan secured the award in the Asia Pacific region. Oman Air was acknowledged in the Middle East and Africa. Notably, Safair, a South African airline, was recognized as the most punctual budget carrier.
The airline, which has the largest fleet size and market share in India, became the first Indian carrier in 2023 to carry 100 million passengers in a calendar year.
In the report, Oman and Safair were the sole airlines to achieve an on-time arrival rate exceeding 90%. Travel data provider OAG notes that this level of punctuality is typically reached by the “very best airlines,” although they still “stand out as exceptions rather than the norm.”
David White, Cirium’s senior director of advanced initiatives, informed the media that this elevated rate is more attainable for both airlines primarily because they are “operating comfortably within their capacity.” This means that the demand for flights does not surpass the available seats in either of these regions.
Let’s take a more detailed look at the five airlines that were the most punctual globally in 2023, as per data from Cirium.
1. Avianca Airlines — Colombia
On-time arrival rate in 2023: 85.73%
On-time arrival rate in 2022: 83.48%
Ranking in 2022: 6
2. Azul Airlines — Brazil
On-time arrival rate in 2023: 85.51%
On-time arrival rate in 2022: 88.93%
Ranking in 2022: 1
3. Qatar Airways — Qatar
On-time arrival rate in 2023: 85.11%
On-time arrival rate in 2022: 78.32%
Ranking in 2022: 9
4. Delta Air Lines — U.S.
On-time arrival rate in 2023: 84.72%
On-time arrival rate in 2022: 83.63%
Ranking in 2022: 5
5. Iberia — Spain
On-time arrival rate in 2023: 84.38%
On-time arrival rate in 2022: 85.87%
Ranking in 2022: Did not qualify as a global airline
Asia-Pacific
- All Nippon Airways — Japan
- Japan Airlines — Japan
- Thai AirAsia — Thailand
- IndiGo — India
- Air New Zealand — New Zealand
Europe
- Iberia Express — Spain
- Iberia — Spain
- Norwegian Air Shuttle — Norway
- Austrian Airlines — Austria
- LOT Polish Airlines — Poland
Global Airports
- Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport — U.S.
- Rajiv Gandhi International Airport — India
- Kempegowda International Airport — India
- El Dorado International Airport — Colombia
- Salt Lake City International Airport — U.S.
Conclusion
Cirium’s yearly report spotlights Avianca Airlines as the most punctual global airline in 2023, even after facing financial issues. Cirium doesn’t just focus on punctuality but also considers how airlines operate. Delta Air Lines grabs the top spot for the third consecutive year. Other winners include Iberia Express, All Nippon Airways, and Safair, highlighting outstanding punctuality in specific regions.
