Did American Airlines and Southwest Airlines meet 2025 on-time expectations?
Key Points
- 1American Airlines ranked sixth in North America with a 76.43% on-time performance rate.
- 2Southwest Airlines ranked fifth in North America with a 77.04% on-time performance rate, according to Cirium's 2025 data.
- 3Delta Air Lines secured the top spot in North America for the fifth consecutive year at 80.90%.
- 4American Airlines operated the highest volume of flights, over 2.2 million, among its major U.S. rivals.
Dallas-Fort Worth’s hometown airlines finished middle-of-the-pack for on-time performance in 2025. This is according to new data from aviation analytics company Cirium. The Cirium 2025 data reviews airline punctuality globally and regionally.
Fort Worth-based American Airlines ranked sixth among North American carriers. Its on-time performance (OTP) rate was 76.43% for the year. Southwest Airlines, meanwhile, ranked fifth with an OTP of 77.04%. These results highlight the ongoing challenge of maintaining operational efficiency reliability for major U.S. carriers.
North American Carrier Rankings
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines led the North American category. It registered an on-time performance of 80.90%. This marks the fifth consecutive year Delta has held the top spot. Delta was followed by Alaska Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and United Airlines.
Scale of Operations
American Airlines on-time performance is notable given its sheer size. The carrier operated the most flights by a healthy margin last year. American flew more than 2.2 million flights in 2025. This volume is significantly higher compared to rivals like United and Delta. Higher flight volume often increases the complexity of maintaining punctuality.
Southwest Airlines on-time performance was slightly better than American's. Both Dallas-Fort Worth airlines faced the same operational environment. The global winner for on-time performance was Aeromexico at 90.02%.
Defining Punctuality and Industry Impact
Cirium defines an on-time flight by a precise industry standard. An aircraft must arrive within 14 minutes and 59 seconds of its scheduled gate arrival time. This means the plane must be at the gate within 15 minutes of schedule. The annual review is now in its 17th year. It involves analysis of flight data from more than 600 sources. These sources include airlines, airports, and civil aviation authorities.
On-time performance has become a major focus for airlines. It directly affects airline customer satisfaction and loyalty. It also impacts an airline's overall operational costs.
Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen commented on the results. “Maintaining consistent on-time performance requires sophisticated network planning,” he said. It also demands operational coordination and quick recovery from issues. “These results reflect the operational discipline that defines aviation’s top performers,” Bowen added.
For more analysis and insights into global aviation trends, visit our commercial aviation news section. The operational results for 2025 show that North American carriers, including those with large Boeing fleets, face unique challenges. The industry body IATA continues to emphasize the importance of schedule reliability.
Cirium also ranked airports across the world for on-time departures. Neither DFW International Airport nor Dallas Love Field made the cut for the top airport rankings.
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