Which airlines have the least delays? Here are the results for 2024

Aeromexico was the most punctual global airline in 2024, according to a report published by aviation analysis company Cirium.

About 86.7% of tracked flights arrived “on time,” defined as arriving within 15 minutes of the scheduled arrival time.

This result was “absolutely” a surprise, said Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen, “Squawk Asia Box” Friday.

“They’ve had an extraordinary year,” he said. “They have increased their punctuality… by a whopping 9%. Going from being outside the top 10 to number 1 is unprecedented.”

Bowen said Aeroméxico’s rise is due to the company’s culture, investment in new equipment and relationship with its hub at Mexico City International Airport, which ranked fourth in flight punctuality among the global airports in Cirium report. When both an airline and its hub score well, “it’s because they are working effectively as a team,” he said.

Saudia (formerly known as Saudi Arabian Airlines) ranked second among global airlines, compared to ninth in Cirium ranking for 2023 – with 86.35% of flights arriving on time, according to the report published on Thursday.

Delta Air Lines (83.46%) came in third place, followed by Latam Airlines (82.89%) and Qatar Airways (82.83%), according to Cirium.2024 On-Time Performance Review.” For the fourth consecutive year, Cirium named Delta the “best global airline for operational excellence,” in recognition of its punctuality and size. It is one of the largest airlines in the world.

Overall, on-time flight arrivals fell 0.5% in 2024 from a year earlier, Bowen said.

He said the Crowd Strike software update, which inadvertently grounded thousands of flights, especially those operated by Delta Air Lines, hurt the industry’s overall punctuality.

“We’ve also had a lot of abnormal weather conditions globally,” he said.

Punctuality is a critical factor for passenger satisfaction and a key health monitoring metric for the airline industry. Delays often increase costs for airlines, while decreasing crew morale, especially among those who directly interact with travelers seeking answers to delays.

In Europe, Iberia Express (84.69%) and Iberia (81.58%) occupy position 1 and 2, as in Cirium punctuality ranking in 2023.

Japan’s two largest airlines, Japan Airlines (80.90%) and All Nippon Airways (80.62%), once again topped the Asia-Pacific list, but on-time performance rates for both fell last year compared to to 2023, according to Cirium.

Delta Air Lines ranked first in North America, followed by United Airlines (80.93%) and Alaska Airlines (79.25%).