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Despite a chaotic CrowdStrike outage that forced Delta Air Lines to cancel some 7,000 flights over five days this summer, the Atlanta-based carrier retained its title as the US' most on-time airline.
Delta was the third-most on-time global airline in 2024, Cirium said in its annual release of airline punctuality, behind Aeromexico and Saudia, with rates of 86.70% and 86.35%, respectively. It also won Cirium's "Platinum Award" for operational excellence for the fourth consecutive year.
To be "on time," an airline must arrive within 14 minutes and 59 seconds of its scheduled arrival time.
Delta's on-time performance was 83.46%, down from 84.60% in 2023. The summer disruptions cost Delta some $330 million.
"That is a phenomenal number," Cirium's chief marketing officer, Mike Malik, told reporters, adding that Delta operates 1.6 million flights a year and to have such a high punctuality rate is an "incredible feat."
The award considers factors like network and hub complexity to determine how difficult it is for an airline to operate.
United Airlines was on Delta's heels with an on-time rate of 80.93% — up about one percentage point from 2023. It also jumped from fourth place the prior year and ranked 10th globally.
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Alaska Airlines dropped to third place in 2024 with a 79.25% on-time rate. Its 2023 punctuality was 82.25%.
American Airlines' on-time performance fell from 80.61% last year to 77.78% in 2024. Due to a technical issue, the carrier experienced a brief ground stop on Christmas Eve, delaying flights during one of the year's busiest travel days.
Southwest Airlines increased its on-time performance to 77.77% from 76.26% in 2023, finishing right behind American.
Industry data provider OAG says anything about 80% is generally "pretty good," while rates above 90% are excellent. Those airlines "remain the exception, rather than the rule," it says.
The top-performing European airlines were Spanish low-cost airline Iberia Express at 84.69%, its parent airline Iberia at 81.58%, and Scandinavian Airlines at 81.40%.
In Asia, Japan Airlines came in first at 80.90%. Japan's All Nippon Airways and Singapore Airlines followed at 80.62% and 78.67%, respectively.
In Latin America, Panama's Copa Airlines beat the global winner, Aeromexico, with an 88.22% on-time rate. This is Copa's 10th year in the top spot.
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Malik said Copa does not win globally because it does not have a high enough international presence to quality as a "global" airline.
Aeromexico was second, while Caribbean Airlines, jointly state-owned by Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, was third at 85.47%.
In the Middle East and Africa, South African low-cost carrier Safair took first place at 93.82% — achieving the highest on-time rate worldwide. Oman Air came in second with a punctuality rate of 90.27%, and Royal Jordanian Airlines was third at 87.02%.
All three Middle Eastern and African airlines achieved a higher punctuality rate than any global carrier — including Delta. Still, none qualify as "global."
Safair, for example, has a simpler, more regional operation. It only flies within South Africa and to neighboring countries and has few overwater routes.
Royal Jordanian is the only one that competes in the US. It is part of the Oneworld Alliance with America and Alaska. Oman is expected to join Oneworld soon.
