The Most Punctual Airlines of 2023

If there was one thing we could choose to leave behind in 2023, it would be flight delays. Therefore, while there’s no way to guarantee an on-time take-off, choosing airlines with a punctual track record can significantly enhance your travel experience. Instead of leaving it to chance, leverage data to make informed decisions about your future travel plans.

On Tuesday, aviation analytics firm Cirium released its annual on-time performance report ranking the most punctual airlines and airports of 2023. This insightful list, derived from over 600 real-time flight information sources, features some expected names, with Delta receiving Cirium’s Platinum Award for global operational excellence for the third consecutive year. However, the report also highlighted some unexpected winners.

Drum roll, please: Avianca Airlines, a low-cost carrier based in Colombia, was ranked the most punctual global airline of 2023 with 85.73 percent of its flights arriving within 15 minutes of their scheduled gate arrival. This marks a significant improvement from last year when Avianca ranked sixth for on-time arrivals in the same Cirium report.

As one of Latin America’s largest airlines, Avianca offers direct flights from various US cities to destinations like Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala, ensuring a connected travel experience.

Avianca faced challenges during the pandemic and filed for bankruptcy in 2020, which led the airline to simplify its business model and introduce more competitive fares. Reaching the top on-time ranking is an “amazing feat for this resurgent airline,” as noted by Jeremy Bowen, CEO of Cirium, in a news release accompanying the report.

Brazilian airline Azul earned the title of second-best global airline for on-time performance, achieving 85.51 percent on-time arrivals. Qatar Airways secured the third position with 85.11 percent, while Delta Airlines, which operated substantially more flights than any other airline in its category, ranked fourth with 84.72 percent on-time arrivals. Iberia, Spain’s flag carrier, occupied the fifth spot in the punctuality rankings.

In light of the travel chaos that has affected airlines and passengers since the pandemic, the 2023 winners demonstrated exceptional performance by “steering through the year’s operational hurdles.” Bowen praised their relentless pursuit of efficiency and punctuality as we look ahead to 2024, which holds great promise for the aviation sector.

The Most Punctual North American Airlines

• Delta Air Lines: 84.72% on-time arrival; 1,635,486 total flights
• Alaska Airlines: 82.25% on-time arrival; 404,925 total flights
• American Airlines: 80.61% on-time arrival; 1,998,844 total flights
• United Airlines: 80.04% on-time arrival; 1,513,432 total flights
• Southwest Airlines: 76.26% on-time arrival; 1,459,926 total flights

The Most Punctual Airlines in Europe

• Iberia Express: 84.58% on-time arrival; 40,985 total flights
• Iberia: 84.38% on-time arrival; 170,750 total flights
• Austrian Airlines: 82.99% on-time arrival; 113,587 total flights
• LOT Polish Airlines: 82.83% on-time arrival; 96,112 total flights
• Norwegian Air Shuttle: 82.75% on-time arrival; 82,791 total flights

The Most Punctual Airlines in Latin America

• Copa Airlines: 89.46% on-time arrival; 115,657 total flights
• Avianca Airlines: 85.73% on-time arrival; 213,039 total flights
• Azul Airlines: 85.51% on-time arrival; 310,972 total flights
• LATAM Airlines: 84.00% on-time arrival; 508,721 total flights
• Caribbean Airlines: 81.73% on-time arrival; 26,644 total flights

The Most Punctual Airlines in the Asia-Pacific

• All Nippon Airways: 82.75% on-time arrival; 302,279 total flights
• Japan Airlines: 82.58% on-time arrival; 308,302 total flights
• Thai AirAsia: 82.52% on-time arrival; 113,871 total flights
• IndiGo: 82.12% on-time arrival; 678,446 total flights
• Air New Zealand: 79.68% on-time arrival; 175,876 total flights

The Most Punctual Airlines in the Middle East and Africa

• Oman Air: 92.53% on-time arrival; 45,908 total flights
• Safair: 92.36% on-time arrival; 55,444 total flights
• Royal Air Jordanian: 87.51% on-time arrival; 32,706 total flights
• Qatar Airways: 85.11% on-time arrival; 183,090 total flights
• Etihad Airways: 82.90% on-time arrival; 65,376 total flights