Aeromexico maintained a 90.02 percent on-time performance to claim the world’s most on-time global airline title for the second consecutive year, according to Cirium‘s 2025 On-Time Performance Review.
The Mexican carrier becomes only the second airline to achieve consecutive global wins since Cirium launched the program in 2009, operating 188,859 flights across 23 countries while maintaining industry-leading schedule reliability.
Aeromexico secured the global airline title with 90.02 percent on-time performance, holding off strong competition from Saudia in second place with 86.53 percent and SAS with 86.09 percent in third. The margin between first and third place was 3.93 percentage points, reflecting the strong performance of Aeromexico in 2025.
Top 10 Global Airlines
| Ranking | Airline | On-Time Arrival | Total Flights |
| 1 | (AM) Aeromexico | 90.02% | 188,859 |
| 2 | (SV) Saudia | 86.53% | 202,864 |
| 3 | (SK) SAS | 86.09% | 249,674 |
| 4 | (AD) Azul | 85.18% | 304,625 |
| 5 | (QR) Qatar Airways | 84.42% | 198,303 |
| 6 | (IB) Iberia | 83.52% | 188,447 |
| 7 | (LA) LATAM Airlines | 82.40% | 580,707 |
| 8 | (AV) Avianca | 81.73% | 266,921 |
| 9 | (TK) Turkish Airlines | 81.41% | 421,090 |
| 10 | (DL) Delta Air Lines | 80.90% | 1,800,086 |
Regional winners included:
North America: Delta Air Lines won for the fifth consecutive year with 80.90 percent on-time performance
Europe: Iberia Express (International Airlines Group) defended its title for the third consecutive year with 88.94 percent on-time performance
Asia-Pacific: Philippine Airlines claimed the regional title for the first time with 83.12 percent on-time performance
Latin America: Copa Airlines achieved its 11th win, the most of any airline since Cirium’s program launched in 2009 with 90.75 percent on-time performance
Middle East and Africa: Safair topped the regional rankings with 91.06 percent on-time performance
Top 10 North American Airlines
| Ranking | Airline | On-Time Arrival | Total Flights |
| 1 | (DL) Delta Air Lines | 80.90% | 1,800,086 |
| 2 | (AS) Alaska Airlines | 79.20% | 453,031 |
| 3 | (NK) Spirit Airlines | 78.83% | 218,265 |
| 4 | (UA) United Airlines | 78.77% | 1,732,450 |
| 5 | (WN) Southwest Airlines | 77.04% | 1,422,405 |
| 6 | (AA) American Airlines | 76.43% | 2,259,576 |
| 7 | (B6) JetBlue | 74.66% | 313,318 |
| 8 | (WS) WestJet | 73.58% | 205,501 |
| 9 | (AC) Air Canada | 73.26% | 383,819 |
| 10 | (F9) Frontier Airlines | 72.14% | 208,987 |
Qatar Airways Wins Airline Platinum Award
Qatar Airways captured Cirium’s Platinum Award, recognizing the Doha-based carrier’s operational excellence across its global hub network. The airline achieved 84.42 percent on-time performance across more than 198,303 flights spanning six continents.
Virgin Atlantic Claims Inaugural ‘Most Improved’ Award
Virgin Atlantic won Cirium’s new ‘Most Improved’ award, demonstrating the largest year-over-year operational performance gain among global carriers. The UK-based airline improved its on-time performance from 74.01 percent in 2024 to 83.45 percent in 2025—a 9.44 percentage point increase year-over-year.
The new award recognizes airlines that have achieved meaningful operational scale (minimum 70 percent baseline performance) while delivering substantial improvements, ensuring the honor reflects genuine operational excellence rather than recovery from poor prior performance.
Strong Global Airport Performance in 2025
Santiago Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport wins the Large Airport category, with 87.04 percent of flights departing on time.
Panama‘s Tocumen International Airport won the Medium Airport category with 93.34 percent of flights departing on time. Ecuador‘s Guayaquil José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport claimed the Small Airport title for the second year in a row with 91.47 percent of flights departing on time.
Istanbul Airport won Cirium’s Airport Platinum Award, which evaluates operational complexity, passenger impact during disruptions, and growth trajectory. Last year’s Airport Platinum winner was El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia.
“Maintaining consistent on-time performance requires sophisticated network planning, operational coordination, and the ability to recover quickly when irregularities occur. These results reflect the operational discipline that defines aviation’s top performers,” Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen said in a statement. “Qatar Airways’ Platinum win is particularly significant because it demonstrates how a network carrier can maintain on-time performance across six continents while operating one of the industry’s most complex hub structures. Their 84.42 percent on-time rate over 198,303 flights sets a new benchmark for network carriers. Similarly, Copa’s 11th win for the Latin American category and Delta’s fifth consecutive North American win, reflects sustained operational focus that separates industry leaders from competitors.”
Now in its 17th year, the Cirium On-Time Performance Review analyzes flight data from over 600 real-time sources including airlines, airports, global distribution systems, and civil aviation authorities. An independent advisory board of aviation industry veterans provides oversight and guidance.
An on-time flight arrives within 14:59 minutes of scheduled gate arrival time. Airport punctuality measures flights departing within 14:59 minutes of scheduled departure time. The Platinum Awards for both airlines and airports consider operational complexity, network scale, passenger impact during disruptions, and consistency throughout the year.
The Most Improved award, introduced in 2025, requires carriers to demonstrate at least 70 percent baseline on-time performance in the prior year to ensure recognition reflects operational excellence rather than recovery from poor performance.
Related Stories
American Airlines Strengthens Ties at Flagship DFW Hub
JetBlue to Launch New Flights Between New York and Cleveland
American Airlines Expands in Chicago with 100 New Spring Flights
Avelo Airlines Launches International Flight from Wilmington, DE
Source link
