Virgin Atlantic ranked most punctual airline in UK market

Virgin Atlantic is ranked as the most punctual airline in the UK market, according to new figures from aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Its annual On-Time Performance report showed that the airline topped the table with a 74.01% on-time arrival record.

Budget carrier Wizz Air UK came in second place (70.54%), followed by another low-cost airline, easyJet, in third place (68.43%). British Airways was in fourth (67.83%).

The top airline globally was Aeromexico (86.7%), while the most punctual European carrier was Iberia Express (84.69%).

In North America, Delta Air Lines was number one (83.46%) while Japan Airlines (80.90%) was top in Asia Pacific.

Copa Airlines (88.22%) topped the table in Latin America, while South African airline Safair (93.82%) was number one for the Middle East & Africa.

Commenting on why no UK airports or airlines were among the regional or global top-three winners, Mike Malik, chief marketing officer at Cirium, said: “We all know UK is very congested. It has an unfair problem with congestion and the air traffic.

“The bigger airlines in the UK show up lower on the list, and it’s mainly due to Heathrow and that area.”

He also highlighted Delta’s performance as “significant” as it operates operates more than 1.6 million flights a year.

“That is a phenomenal number, and to keep that up…is an incredible feat,” he said.

Furthermore, Delta bounced back from the problems caused by the Crowdstrike IT meltdown in July.

“This award and the OTP numbers are measured over 365 days, not the five days where a specific carrier had an issue – but their recovery was superb, because the month after that whole issue occurred, they were at 91% OTP [on-time performance] for August,” he said.

Commenting on why the top airlines perform so well, he said: “When the management is razor sharp, focused on performance, they tend to do well.

“People like Delta, they are very focused and they reward their employees based on the airline’s performance.

“Everybody from the frontline worker to the management team is incentivised to perform well.”

And commenting on the airport results, he added: “It takes a good airline to make a good airport and vice versa.”

Delta Air Lines also topped the table for Cirium’s Platinum Award for global operational excellence – for the fourth consecutive year.

The Platinum award considers the complexity of the carrier’s network, volume of flights and the ability to limit the impact of flight disruptions on passengers over the entire year.

This year, Cirium also presented its first annual Platinum Award to a global airport, with El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia receiving the honour.

The Airport Platinum Award considers a broader range of factors including the impact of delays on passengers, the duration of disruptions, operational complexity and the airport’s appeal, with a particular focus on growth.

Jeremy Bowen, Cirium chief executive, said: “2024 was a difficult year for airlines, facing a large-scale IT outage, and unseasonable and severe weather patterns.

“Despite these challenges, these airlines and airports have worked tirelessly to ensure their customers have a smooth journey and reach their destination on-time.”

Global Airlines:
Aeromexico 1 86.70%
Saudia 86.35%
Delta Air Lines 83.46%

Europe:
Iberia Express 84.69%
Iberia 81.58%
SAS 81.40%

North America :
Delta Air Lines 83.46%
United Airlines 80.93%
Alaska Airlines 79.25%

Asia Pacific:
JAL 80.90%
ANA 80.62%
Singapore Airlines 78.67%

Latin America:
Copa Airlines 88.22%
Aeromexico 86.70%
Caribbean Airlines 85.47%

Middle East & Africa:
Safair 93.82%
Oman Air 90.27%
Royal Air Jordanian 87.02%

Low-Cost Carriers:
Iberia Express 84.69%
Gol 84.09%
Azul Airlines 82.42%

Global Airports:
Riyadh King Khalid International Airport 86.65%
Lima Jorge Chavez International Airport 84.57%
Mexico City Benito Juarez Intl Airport 3 84.04%

Large Airports:
Riyadh King Khalid International Airport 86.58%
Honolulu International Airport 85.45%
Lima Jorge Chavez International Airport 84.57%

Medium Airports:
Panama Tocumen International Airport 90.34%
Brasilia International Airport 88.19%
Osaka Itami International Airport 88.18%

Small Airports:
Guayaquil Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport 91.38%
Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport 90.05%
Cape Town International Airport 89.39%