When it comes to on-time flights, the best bet for travelers is Delta Air Lines.
New performance rankings from aviation analytics firm Cirium put the Atlanta-based carrier atop the pack for arrivals for the third year in a row, making it to the intended destination on time 84.72% of the time last year. That’s the best performance in North America and fourth best in the world (coming in just one percentage point below the top global performer).
Southwest Airlines, whose 2022 holiday season meltdown loomed over the carrier most of last year, was ranked fifth among North American carriers in 2023, an improvement over its sixth place ranking the previous year. The airline saw 76.26% of its flights land on time, reports Cirium, better than the industry average of 74.45%.
At the bottom of the pack was Air Canada, which was only on time at a 63.17% clip.
One of the biggest issues faced by all airlines was short staffing as consumer demand exploded. Cirium analysts credit North American carriers for navigating this as smoothly as possible, but say it will continue to be a challenge in 2024.
“In 2023, North American airlines underwent a remarkable transformation. They skillfully navigated the dynamic market landscape and elevated their operations in the face of increasing air travel demand,” said James Hetzel, product marketing director for Cirium in the report. “As we look ahead to 2024, we anticipate sustained operational excellence as challenges arising from labor shortages and airport infrastructure are gradually addressed and resolved.”
Here’s how the top five carriers ranked:
- Delta Air Lines – On-time arrival: 84.72%
- Alaska Airlines – On-time arrival: 82.25%
- American Airlines – On-time arrival: 80.61%
- United Airlines – On-time arrival: 80.04%
- Southwest Airlines – On-time arrival: 76.26%
Airlines aren’t the only factor in on-time arrivals, of course. Some airports are better than others when it comes to organizing incoming and outgoing flights (while others face meteorological hurdles).
Minneapolis–St. Paul was not only the North American leader, but also topped global rankings for large airports with on-time departures for 84.44% of its outgoing flights.
Salt Lake City, Washington D.C.’s Reagan National Airport, Detroit, and Seattle rounded out the top five in North America among large airports. Portland topped medium airports in the U.S. And Boise was the best small airport in North America for on-time departures.