Aeromexico maintained a 90.02% 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, released on Jan. 2.
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.
Saudia in second place with 86.53% and SAS with 86.09% in third. The margin between first and third place was 3.93 percentage points.
No Canadian carriers cracked the top 10, though WestJet (73.58%) and Air Canada (73.26%) placed eighth and ninth respectively amongst North American carriers.
Regional winners included:
- North America: Delta Air Lines won for the fifth consecutive year with 80.90% on-time performance; the carrier was the only airline to rank globally, placing 10th
- Europe: Iberia Express (International Airlines Group) defended its title for the third consecutive year with 88.94% on-time performance
- Asia-Pacific: Philippine Airlines claimed the regional title for the first time with 83.12% 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% on-time performance
- Middle East and Africa: Safair topped the regional rankings with 91.06% on-time performance
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% on-time performance across more than 198,303 flights spanning six continents.
‘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% in 2024 to 83.45% in 2025—a 9.44 percentage point increase year-over-year.
Airports
- Santiago Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Chile wins the Large Airport category, with 87.04% of flights departing on time.
- Panama’s Tocumen International Airport won the Medium Airport category with 93.34% 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% 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.
No Canadian facilities made the top 10 in any of the airport categories.
Jeremy Bowen, Cirium CEO, said: “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.”
“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% 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.”
Criteria
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.
Cirium’s full 2025 On-Time Performance Review is available at www.cirium.com/on-time-performance
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