As every year, the leading aviation intelligence platform Cirium presented the results of its annual study on best on-time performance for the year 2023.
Among the global airlines (those operating regular flights to at least three regions of the world), Avianca achieved first place, reaching an on-time performance of 85.73%. The second place was awarded to another airline from the region (winner in 2022), Azul Linhas Aéreas, with an on-time performance of 85.51%, followed by Qatar Airways with 85.11%, Delta Air Lines with 84.72%, and Iberia with 84.38%.
The on-time performance of airlines is measured considering the scheduled arrival time with a tolerance of up to 15 minutes.
In the regional ranking for Latin America, Copa Airlines was the winner with an on-time performance of 89.46%, followed by Avianca with 85.73% and Azul with 85.51%. In fourth place was LATAM with 84%, then Caribbean Airlines with 81.73%, SKY Airline with 80.57%, Aeroméxico with 77.48%, GOL with 76.63%, and Aerolíneas Argentinas with 73.95%.
The European best on-time performance ranking for 2023 starts with two Spanish airlines: Iberia Express with 84.58% and Iberia with 84.38%. Third place goes to Austrian Airlines with 82.99%, followed by LOT with 82.83% and Norwegian Air Shuttle with 82.75%.
The airline with the best on-time performance in North America in 2023 was Delta Air Lines with 84.72%, followed by Alaska Airlines with 82.25% and American Airlines with 80.61%. United was in fourth place with 80.04%, followed by Southwest with 76.26%, Spirit with 71.16%, WestJet with 69.29%, Frontier with 68.8%, JetBlue with 68.33%, and Air Canada with 63.17%.
In Asia-Pacific, the winner was All Nippon Airways with an on-time performance of 82.75%. The second place went to Japan Airlines with 82.58% and the third to Thai AirAsia with 82.52%.
Oman Air was the airline with the best on-time performance in the Middle East and Africa with a rate of 92.53%, followed by Safair with 92.36% and Royal Air Jordanian with 87.51%.
Among low-cost carriers, the world’s best on-time performer was Safair with a rate of 92.36%. Azul was in second place with 85.51% and Hong Kong Express in third with 85.23%. Iberia Express was fifth with 82.75%, Vueling ninth with 80.85%, and SKY tenth with 80.57%.
Airports with Best On-Time Performance
The on-time performance of airports, unlike airlines, is compiled considering the delay over the scheduled departure time of flights.
Among global airports (accounting for 10% of the total world traffic), Minneapolis-St. Paul ranked first with 84.44%, followed by Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, India, with 84.42%. The third place also went to India, for Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore, with an on-time performance of 84.08%. El Dorado in Bogotá is the only Latin American airport in the Top 10, at position 4, with an on-time performance of 84.01%.
The medium-sized airport category was led by Osaka with an on-time performance of 90.71%, although six of the top 10 airports in this category are Latin American. In second place was Tocumen, Panama, with an on-time performance of 90.51%. In third place was Jorge Chavez Airport in Lima with 89.10%, fourth place Brasilia with 86.62%, sixth place Arturo Merino Benitez Airport in Santiago, Chile with 84.98%, seventh place José María Córdova Airport in Medellín with 84.31%, and eighth place Viracopos Airport, Brazil, with 83.93%.
In the category of small airports, there is also a notable presence of Latin American terminals. The ranking is led by Mariscal Sucre Airport in Quito with an on-time performance of 90.29%, followed by Chubu Centrair Airport in Japan with 90.17% and José Joaquín Olmedo Airport in Guayaquil with 88.83%. Recife Airport was in seventh place with 85.17% and Belo Horizonte-Confins Airport in ninth place with 84.78%.
