Aeromexico Tops Cirium’s 2024 On-Time Performance Rankings

Aeromexico has been crowned the world’s most on-time airline in 2024, according to Cirium‘s annual On-Time Performance Review. The Mexican carrier achieved an impressive on-time arrival rate of 86.7%, surpassing global competitors and marking a significant improvement from its previous performance.

Cirium, a leading aviation analytics company, defines an on-time flight as one that arrives within 15 minutes of its scheduled gate arrival time. Aeromexico’s rise to the top was described as “unprecedented” by Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen, who highlighted the airline’s 9% improvement in on-time performance compared to the previous year.

Bowen attributed Aeromexico’s success to its strong company culture, investment in new equipment, and effective collaboration with its hub at Mexico City International Airport, which also ranked fourth globally for on-time departures. “When both an airline and its hub score well, that’s because they are working effectively as a team,” Bowen said.

Saudia, formerly known as Saudi Arabian Airlines, secured second place with an on-time arrival rate of 86.35%, while Delta Air Lines claimed third place with 83.46%. Delta also received Cirium’s Platinum Award for operational excellence for the fourth consecutive year, recognizing its ability to maintain high performance across a complex network of over 1.7 million flights in 2024.

Despite these successes, the aviation industry faced challenges in 2024, including severe weather events and a major IT outage caused by a CrowdStrike software update. These disruptions contributed to a 0.5% decline in overall on-time performance compared to 2023.

Cirium’s report also highlighted regional winners, including Safair in South Africa (93.82%), Copa Airlines in Panama (88.22%), and Iberia Express in Europe (84.69%). In the airport categories, King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia was named the most on-time global airport, with 86.65% of flights departing on time.

Now in its 16th year, Cirium’s On-Time Performance Review remains a definitive benchmark for airline and airport operational excellence. The report is powered by data from over 600 real-time feeds, including airlines, airports, and civil aviation authorities, and is guided by an independent advisory board of industry experts.