World’s Most On-Time Airlines and Airports of 2025

LONDON, UK – Precision and operational excellence took centre stage today as Cirium, the global leader in aviation analytics, released its highly anticipated 2025 On-Time Performance (OTP) Review. In a year defined by surging passenger demand and complex airspace constraints, Aeromexico has emerged as the world’s most punctual global airline for the second consecutive year. At the same time, Santiago Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) claimed the title for the most on-time large airport.

The report, which analyses data from over 600 real-time sources, is considered the industry’s gold standard for measuring schedule reliability. An "on-time" flight is defined as arriving or departing within 14 minutes and 59 seconds of its scheduled time.

Aeromexico’s Historic Repeat

For the second year running, Aeromexico secured the #1 spot in the Global Airline category, delivering a staggering 90.02% on-time arrival rate across 188,859 flights. This achievement makes the Mexican flag carrier only the second airline in the program’s 17-year history to secure back-to-back global wins.

Close on its heels were Saudia and SAS (Scandinavian Airlines), which took second and third place, respectively. Notably, the gap between the top performers has narrowed, signalling an industry-wide push toward operational tightening.

Top 5 Most On-Time Global Airlines (2025)

Delta and Philippine Airlines Shine

Regionally, the 2025 report highlighted several "dynasties" and new champions:

North America: Delta Air Lines extended its dominance, winning the regional title for the fifth consecutive year with an 80.90% OTP.

Asia-Pacific: In a major upset, Philippine Airlines (PAL) claimed the top spot for the first time in its history with an 83.12% OTP, reflecting a successful multi-year operational overhaul.

Europe: Iberia Express continued its reign as Europe’s punctuality king for the third year running (88.94%).

Latin America: Copa Airlines maintained its legendary status, securing its 11th category win with 90.75% OTP.

Middle East & Africa: South Africa’s Safair led the region—and the world in raw percentage—with an incredible 91.06% OTP.

The World’s Most Punctual Airports

Airports faced significant hurdles in 2025, from infrastructure upgrades to fluctuating weather patterns. Despite these, Santiago Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) in Chile led the Large Airport category with 87.04% of flights departing on time.

2025 Airport Winners by Category

Large Airport: Santiago (SCL) — 87.04%

Medium Airport: Panama City Tocumen (PTY) — 93.34% (The highest across all categories)

Small Airport: Guayaquil (GYE) — 91.47%

Platinum and Most Improved Awards

Qatar Airways was honoured with the Cirium Platinum Award for the third time, a prize that evaluates not just punctuality, but also operational complexity and the ability to minimise passenger impact during disruptions.

In a newly introduced category for 2025, Virgin Atlantic was named the "Most Improved Airline." The UK-based carrier jumped from a 74.01% OTP in 2024 to 83.45% in 2025, a nearly 10-point gain that Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen described as "unprecedented for a carrier of its scale."

"Maintaining punctuality in today’s environment requires a delicate balance of technology, crew coordination, and resilient hub management," said Bowen. "The 2025 winners have demonstrated that even amidst global challenges, operational excellence remains achievable."