WestJet led North American airlines in on-time performance in October, according to respected aviation firm Cirium. And with Air Canada ranking third in the region, it was the first time in months that two Canadian carriers ranked among the top three (Delta was second).
It should be noted that at 84.66% on time arrivals, WestJet also ranked fifth globally, while Air Canada posted an 82.14% on time arrivals.
Both Canadian carriers also improved substantially since August, up approximately 14% and 8% respectively.
The rankings show a sign of “growing operational consistency,” for the Canadian carriers, according to Cirium, in spite of greater operational strain overall in North America, with flight cancellations rising by about 12.6% month over month.
The unwelcome uptick reflects ongoing air traffic management constraints, staffing pressures, and localized weather variability that continued to test network resilience across the U.S. and Canada, said the analytic firms.
Global data
Cirium’s October 2025 On-Time Performance (OTP) Report covered more than 370,000 flights with 99.8% global coverage. The data indicated a 26% reduction in global cancellations compared with September, reflecting improved operational stability across the commercial aviation network. The results also highlighted distinct regional dynamics shaping airline performance worldwide.
Asia-Pacific carriers led the recovery, cutting flight cancellations by 43% as airlines across Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines strengthened network performance and capacity.
Notably, the world’s top-performing airports in October – Harbin Taiping and Changchun Longjia in China, and Kaohsiung International in Taiwan – were all located in the region, underscoring its continued operational gains and steady recovery momentum.
Top-performing airlines and airports in October 2025:
- Global airline leader: Aeromexico – 91.76% on-time arrivals
- Regional airline leaders: Philippine Airlines (Asia-Pacific, 86.37%), WestJet (North America, 84.66%), SAS (Europe, 84.43%), Aeromexico (Latin America, 91.76%), Royal Jordanian (Middle East & Africa, 95.51%)
- Top performing Airports: Harbin Taiping International (Asia-Pacific, 95.74%), Changchun Longjia International (Asia-Pacific, 95.91%), and Kaohsiung International (Asia-Pacific, 94.22%).
“October’s results highlight meaningful progress in operational reliability worldwide, even as regional trends continue to diverge,” said Mike Malik, Chief Marketing Officer at Cirium. “Asia-Pacific remains on an upward trajectory, with airlines and major Chinese airports steadily improving on-time performance. In North America, Canadian carriers stood out once again—proving that disciplined operations and data-driven decision-making can sustain reliability, even under pressure.”
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