Which Global Airline Beat Delta Air Lines for On-Time Performance?
The aviation analytics firm Cirium has released its 2025 On-Time Performance Review. This annual report tracks global airline rankings for punctuality. The results highlight operational excellence across the commercial aviation sector. The data confirms which carriers are the most on-time airlines in the world.
Global Punctuality Leader: Aeromexico
Mexico's flag carrier, Aeromexico, earned the top spot globally. It is the most punctual global airline for the second consecutive year. The airline achieved a 90.02% on-time arrival rate. This performance improved by over 3% from the previous year. Aeromexico is only the second carrier to secure back-to-back global victories since the report began in 2009. The win reflects strong airline operational discipline and network planning.
Cirium defines an on-time flight as one that lands within 15 minutes of its scheduled gate arrival time. The analysis draws on flight data from over 600 sources. This data includes airlines, airports, and civil aviation authorities.
The Global Top 10
The Cirium On-Time Performance Review showed a competitive field. Latin American and Middle Eastern carriers dominated the top ranks.
- Aeromexico: 90.02% on-time arrivals
- Saudia: 86.53%
- Scandinavian Airlines (SAS): 86.09%
- Azul Brazilian Airlines: 85.18%
- Qatar Airways: 84.42%
- Iberia: 83.52%
- LATAM Airlines: 82.40%
- Avianca: 81.73%
- Turkish Airlines: 81.41%
- Delta Air Lines: 80.90%
Improvements from airlines like Azul Brazilian Airlines, Iberia, and Qatar Airways helped them climb the global airline rankings. Qatar Airways also won the Cirium Platinum Award for overall operational excellence. This recognizes their performance across a complex global hub network. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) views operational efficiency as a key driver of industry recovery and passenger confidence.
Delta's North American Lead
Delta Air Lines on-time performance secured the 10th spot globally. This made Delta the only U.S. carrier to make the worldwide list. However, the Atlanta-based airline dropped from its third-place global ranking in 2024. Delta did maintain its position as the North American on-time winner for the fifth consecutive year. The carrier's 80.90% on-time rate topped all North American competitors.
It is important to note Delta operates a significantly higher volume of flights. The airline flew more than three times the number of flights as any other carrier in the global top 10. Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen noted that consistent punctuality requires "sophisticated network planning". These results show the operational discipline that defines top aviation performers. For more details on these trends, visit our commercial aviation news section commercial aviation news.