The Most Punctual Airlines and Airports of 2023

Flying High: Avianca Takes the Top Spot

Avianca, the Colombian flag carrier and part of the Star Alliance network, was named the most punctual airline globally. Copa, the national airline of Panama, took the title for South America, while All Nippon Airways (ANA) won in Asia. Delta Air Lines was the most punctual in North America, and Iberia Express claimed the top spot in Europe. Oman Air, celebrating its 30th anniversary, was the most punctual in the Middle East and Africa.

Cirium's analysis considered factors such as on-time arrivals, tracked flights, and total flights made. Avianca achieved an 85.73% on-time arrival rate out of 213,039 total flights.

Other airlines that scored well in punctuality were Qatar Airways (85.11%) and Japan Airlines (82.58%).

Resilience in the Face of Challenges

Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the airline industry demonstrated resilience in 2023. David White, senior director of advanced initiatives at Cirium, commended the leading airlines for their impressive on-time performance metrics.

Cirium also recognized smaller low-cost carriers for their punctuality, including Safair (South Africa), Azul (Brazil), Hong Kong Express, Jetstar Japan, and Iberia Express (Spain).

The report highlighted that not all delays are the fault of the airlines themselves, as weather, airport traffic, and staffing issues can also contribute to delays.

Minneapolis-St Paul and Osaka International Lead in Airport Punctuality

Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport (MSP) in Minnesota was named the best airport for punctuality in 2023. Osaka International (ITM) in Japan took the top spot among medium-sized airports. It should be noted that Kansai International Airport (KIX) is the primary air hub for Osaka, but Osaka International serves as a domestic hub in the country.

Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) in Quito, Ecuador, won in the small-airport category.