Airline On-Time Performance Analysis
With many airlines on the path to pre-COVID traffic figures, operations quality is also back on airlines’ agenda. Handled with a lower priority during the pandemic, regularity or on-time performance are becoming essential again. So we took a look at available data and collected on-time figures from airlines around the world. As a result, we’re happy to present the first airline on-time performance analysis for more than 12 months.
Here’s what you’ll find on this blog post:
- Top 3 Most Punctual Airlines in May 2021
- Analysis: Rank 1 — 10
- Analysis: Rank 11 — 20
- Analysis: Rank 21 — 30
- Analysis: Rank 31 — 40
- Data Sources, Limitations, and Explanations
Top 3 Most Punctual Airlines in May 2021
Before we dive into the detailed ranking, we are proud to present the top airlines in terms of on-time performance. At that time, we have a mix of airlines from North America, Europe, and Asia. Moreover, it is interesting to see that none of the top 3 airlines were among the top carriers in our last ranking from 2019.
#1 — WestJet
WestJet, the Canadian low-cost carrier, tops the ranking with an outstanding on-time performance of 96.87%. WestJet is a Canadian low-cost airline founded in 1996. The airline operates hubs in Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver. WestJet operates a Boeing fleet of 123 aircraft, consisting of mainly B737 (600, 700, and 800) and some 787-9. The airline currently flies to 108 destinations in 25 countries across North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Europe.
#2 — Iberia
Spain’s flag carrier and the second-largest airline of the country get the on-time performance silver medal. However, with an on-time performance of 96.57, Iberia achieved an on-time performance that is only slightly behind WestJet.
Iberia operates an international network of services from its main base of Madrid–Barajas Airport. Iberia, with Iberia Regional (operated by an independent carrier Air Nostrum) and Iberia Express, is a part of International Airlines Group. In addition to transporting passengers and freight, Iberia Group carries out related activities, such as aircraft maintenance, airports, IT systems, and in-flight catering. Iberia Group airlines fly to over 109 destinations in 39 countries and a further 90 destinations through code-sharing agreements with other airlines.
#3 — Air Do
We have a carrier you might not know at position three of the airlines with the best on-time performance. Air Do is a Japanese regional airline. The rather smaller carrier achieved an on-time performance of 96.4 in May 2021. With a fleet of 14 aircraft, Air Do operates scheduled service between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido in cooperation with All Nippon Airways, from its hubs at New Chitose Airport in Sapporo and Haneda Airport in Tokyo.
Airline On-Time Performance Analysis: Rank 1 — 10
When looking at the top 10 airlines with the best on-time performance in May 2021, it is interesting to see two airlines from Japan, Canada, and Spain. Moreover, two carriers from Latin America (LATAM & Avianca) complete the top 10.
| Rank | Airline | Country | On-time Performance (in % — May 2021) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WestJet | Canada | 96.87 |
| 2 | Iberia | Spain | 96.57 |
| 3 | Air Do | Japan | 96.40 |
| 4 | Vueling | Spain | 96.07 |
| 5 | Olympic Air | Greece | 95.96 |
| 6 | KLM | Netherlands | 95.74 |
| 7 | All Nippon Airlines | Japan | 95.22 |
| 8 | Air Canada | Canada | 94.79 |
| 9 | LATAM | Chile | 94.68 |
| 10 | Avianca | Colombia | 93.99 |
Airline On-Time Performance Analysis: Rank 11 — 20
On ranks 11 to 20, we have many airlines with a solid on-time performance of 93.x%. However, interesting to see that Hawaiian Airlines —which usually is among the top 3 airlines— ranks only 17th. Russia’s Aeroflot also lost many positions compared to previous rankings and ranks only 12th.
| Rank | Airline | Country | On-time Performance (May 2021) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Japan Airlines | Japan | 93.90 |
| 12 | Aeroflot | Russia | 93.60 |
| 13 | Alitalia | Italy | 93.55 |
| 14 | Azul | Brazil | 93.53 |
| 15 | GOL | Brazil | 93.52 |
| 16 | Copa Airlines | Panama | 93.27 |
| 17 | Hawaiian Airlines | United States | 93.22 |
| 18 | Austrian Airlines | Austria | 93.18 |
| 19 | SunExpress | Turkey | 93.11 |
| 20 | Eurowings | Germany | 92.75 |
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Airline On-Time Performance Analysis: Rank 21 — 30
On ranks 21 to 30, we have many of the United States’ main carriers, with Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, United, and American Airlines. However, Garuda Indonesia —previously ranked as the airline with the best on-time performance— ranks only 27th.
| Rank | Airline | Country | On-time Performance (May 2021) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Aerolineas Argentina | Argentina | 92.68 |
| 22 | Sky Airline | Chile | 92.55 |
| 23 | SAS | Sweden | 91.62 |
| 24 | Delta Air Lines | United States | 91.02 |
| 25 | Alaska Airlines | United States | 89.96 |
| 26 | Air New Zealand | New Zealand | 89.59 |
| 27 | Garuda Indonesia | Indonesia | 87.98 |
| 28 | United Airlines | United States | 86.97 |
| 29 | Korean Airlines | South Korea | 85.48 |
| 30 | American Airlines | United States | 85.42 |
Airline On-Time Performance Analysis: Rank 31 — 40
| Rank | Airline | Country | On-time Performance (May 2021) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Spirit Airlines | United States | 84.94 |
| 32 | Jeju | South Korea | 84.93 |
| 33 | Frontier Airlines | United States | 84.82 |
| 34 | Virgin Australia | Australia | 84.76 |
| 35 | Aeromexico | Mexico | 83.80 |
| 36 | Qantas | Australia | 82.39 |
| 37 | Volaris | Mexico | 81.85 |
| 38 | Southwest | United States | 80.23 |
| 39 | Kunming Airlines | China | 70.88 |
| 40 | Chengdu Airlines | China | 69.19 |
Data Sources, Limitations, and Explanations
All data shown on this blog post is provided by Cirium.com. Due to the reduced number of flights, Middle East carriers are not included in the report. For more information about the calculation and data coverage, visit Cirium’s website.
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