Cirium: World’s Most On-time Airlines and Airports of 2024

Photo source: Cirium

Aeromexico, Mexico’s national carrier, and Riyadh King Khalid International Airport were recognized as the most on-time global airline and airport of 2024, according to aviation analytics company Cirium.

In its 16th year, the On-Time Performance (OTP) Review provided a comprehensive and objective analysis of the industry, drawing data from over 600 real-time sources, including airlines, airports, global distribution systems, and civil aviation authorities.

Based on the data, Aeromexico achieved an impressive OTP rate of 86.70 percent. In September, the airline recorded a notable OTP of 91.13 percent, a nearly 5 percent improvement from August’s 86.54 percent.

Saudia ranked second with an OTP of 86.35 percent, followed by Delta Air Lines in third with 83.46 percent, highlighting its continued operational reliability. The airline was also recognized as the most punctual in North America for the fourth consecutive year, earning Cirium’s Platinum Award for global operational excellence.

LATAM Airlines claimed fourth place with an OTP of 82.89 percent, while Qatar Airways rounded out the top five with 82.83 percent.

Leading European airlines

Cirium’s annual review also acknowledged the operational excellence of airlines across the world, with five regional awards.

Iberia Express emerged as both the most on-time airline in Europe and the most on-time low-cost airline globally, achieving an OTP of 84.69 percent. Iberia ranked second in Europe with 81.58 percent, followed by SAS at 81.40 percent and Vueling at 81.20 percent.

Norwegian Air Shuttle, last year’s top-performing airline, dropped to last place with an OTP of 79.23 percent.

Top performing global airports of 2024

In the Airport categories, Riyadh King Khalid International Airport earned the title of the most punctual global airport with 86.65 percent of flights departing on schedule.

Lima Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM) secured second place in on-time performance with 84.57 percent, followed by Mexico City Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX), Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), and Santiago Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL).

“2024 was a difficult year for airlines, facing a large-scale IT outage, and unseasonable and severe weather patterns. Despite these challenges, these airlines and airports worked tirelessly to ensure their customers had a smooth journey and reached their destination on time,” said Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen upon the reveal of the winners.