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 that was released on 2 January.
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.
An on-time flight is defined as a flight that arrives within 15 minutes of the scheduled gate arrival. For an airport, it is defined as departing within 15 minutes of its scheduled departure.
Now in its 17th year, the Cirium On-Time Performance Review analyses 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.
Aeromexico Holds Global Lead
Aeromexico secured the global airline title, holding off strong competition from Saudia in second place with and SAS with in third. The margin between first and third place was 3.93 percentage points, reflecting rising operational standards across the industry.
Regional Champions Crowned
North America
Delta Air Lines won for the fifth consecutive year with 80.90% on-time performance, followed by Alaska Airlines, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines in the top 5.
Europe
Iberia Express (International Airlines Group) defended its title for the third consecutive year with 88.94% performance, followed by Iberia and SAS.
Asia-Pacific
Philippine Airlines claimed the regional title for the first time with 83.12% on-time performance. Air New Zealand is in second placed, All Nippon Airways in third, Singapore Airlines in fourth and Japan Airlines in fifth.
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, followed by Aeomexico and Gol.
Middle East and Africa
Safair topped the regional rankings with 91.06% on-time performance, followed by Royal Jordanian and flyadeal.
Qatar Airways Wins Airline Platinum Award
Qatar Airways captured Cirium’s Platinum Award, recognising 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.
Virgin Atlantic Claims Inaugural ‘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 74.02% in 2024 to 83.45% in 2025 – a 9.44 percentage point increase year-over-year.
The new award recognises airlines that have achieved meaningful operational scale (minimum 70% baseline performance) while delivering substantial improvements, ensuring the honor reflects genuine operational excellence, rather than recovery from poor prior performance.
Strong Global Airport Performance in 2025
Santiago Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport 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.
The Platinum Awards for both airlines and airports consider operational complexity, network scale, passenger impact during disruptions, and consistency throughout the year.
Charts courtesy of Cirium.
Top Photo Credit: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.com
