Aeromexico Tops Global On-Time Arrival Rankings for 2024
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Loading... - Pauline Roussel
- 03 Jan 2025
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Mexican airline Aeromexico has achieved the best record for on-time arrivals in 2024, according to an annual ranking released by aviation-data provider Cirium. The report indicates that nearly 87% of Aeromexico flights arrived within 15 minutes of their scheduled time, a widely recognized measure of on-time performance among airlines.
Following Aeromexico, Saudia, the flagship carrier of Saudi Arabia, secured the second position with an on-time performance rate of just over 86%. Cirium has been evaluating airlines for timeliness for 16 years, and CEO Jeremy Bowen noted that 2024 posed significant challenges for the aviation industry due to severe weather patterns and a major technology outage during the summer. He commended the top-performing airlines for successfully getting most passengers to their destinations on time despite these difficulties.
Among U.S. carriers, Delta Air Lines ranked highest, achieving an on-time rate of more than 83%, placing it third worldwide. Other notable U.S. airlines included United Airlines, with an on-time performance of nearly 81%, and Alaska Airlines, which recorded just over 79%.
In contrast, Canadian carriers such as WestJet, Air Canada, and budget airline Frontier finished at the bottom of the rankings among U.S. and Canadian airlines, with on-time ratings below 72%.
Other regional winners highlighted in the Cirium report included Japan Airlines, low-cost Spanish carrier Iberia Express, Panama’s Copa Airlines, and South African low-cost airline FlySafair.
Cirium also identified King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as the best airport for on-time departures in 2024, with nearly 87% of flights taking off within 15 minutes of their scheduled time. Following Riyadh, Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru, and Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport had impressive departure records, both exceeding 84%.
Despite facing significant disruptions in July due to a computer outage linked to a faulty upgrade from cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike, Delta managed to maintain its top position among U.S. airlines. The outage resulted in thousands of flight cancellations and is estimated to have cost Delta around $500 million. Delta has since filed a lawsuit against CrowdStrike, which has defended its actions by noting that other airlines recovered from the outage more swiftly.
Overall, the 2024 rankings reflect the resilience of airlines in navigating a challenging operational landscape while striving to deliver timely service to passengers.
