World’s Most Punctual Airlines Revealed

Airline delays suck. There’s nothing more annoying than arriving to the airport on-time, only to find that your flight has been delayed, leaving time to kill in the airport. Some carriers have a reputation for being delayed, while others have a more impressive record for punctuality. 

In its annual Punctuality League, UK flight information company OAG listed the in-time performance for airlines and airports, as well as the top busiest routes in 2017. The league is based on 57 million flight records using full-year data from 2017 to create a ranking of the best on-time performance (OTP) for the world’s largest airlines and airports.

The most punctual “Mega airlines”

Of the “mega airlines” – the world’s Top 20 largest airlines globally in terms of scheduled flights – Japan Airlines came top with an on-time performance of 85.27%. Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways came in a close second with an OTP of 83.81%, solidifying Japan’s reputation for being a punctual nation.

Several US carriers made it onto the list – Delta Air Lines ranks highest in third place with a score of 82.76%. United Airlines came in 7th place and American Airlines came in 9th place.

British Airways also makes it onto the list in 10th place, with an on-time performance of 78.55%. Budget carrier easyJet falls in 15th place with a score of 74.82%.

1. Japan Airlines – 85.27%
2. All Nippon – 83.81%
3. Delta Air Lines – 82.76%
4. IndiGo – 81.22%
5. Alaska Airlines – 81.06%
6. SAS – 80.90%
7. United Airlines – 79.86%
8. LATAM Airlines Group – 79.39%
9. American Airlines – 78.9%
10. Southwest/British Airways tied – 78.55%
11. Lufthansa – 76.90%
12. Air France – 76.44%
13. Turkish Airlines – 76.35%
14. easyJet – 74.82%
15. JetBlue – 71.74%
16. Air Canada – 67.32%
17. China Southern Airlines – 64.19%
18. China Eastern Airlines – 61.80%
19. Air China – 60.14%

The most punctual of all airlines

OPG also created a general list of all airlines, with airBaltic coming out on top as the most punctual carrier in the world, boasting an impressive score of 90.01%. In second place was Hong Kong Airlines, while Hawaiian Airlines came in a close third. 

Busiest International Routes

The busiest route in the world is the Hong Kong to Taipei route, which has a total of 29,494 frequencies operated by EVA Airways, China Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines and Cathay Dragon. In second place is Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, with a total of 29,383 frequencies. 

Several of the world’s busiest routes fly via Heathrow. Dublin to Heathrow has 14,556 frequencies, falling in 9th place, while London Heathrow to JFK has 14,218 frequencies, falling in 12th place. 

1. Hong Kong to Taipei – 29,494 frequencies
2. Kuala Lumpur to Singapore – 29,383 frequencies
3. Jakarta to Singapore – 26,872 frequencies
4. Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur – 20,890 frequencies
5. Hong Kong to Shanghai – 20,818 frequencies
6. New York La Guardia to Toronto – 17,116 frequencies
7. Hong Kong to Seoul Incheon – 16,366 frequencies
8. Beijing to Hong Kong – 14,592 frequencies
9. Dublin to London Heathrow – 14,556 frequencies
10. Bangkok to Singapore – 14,455 frequencies
11. Bangkok to Hong Kong – 14,406 frequencies
12. London Heathrow to JFK – 14,218 frequencies
13. Hong Kong to Singapore – 14,162 frequencies
14. Chicago O’Hare to Toronto – 13,595 frequencies
15. Dubai to Kuwait – 13,297 frequencies
16. Hong Kong to Manila – 13,270 frequencies
17. Amsterdam to London Heathrow – 13,220 frequencies
18. Frankfurt to London Heathrow – 13,208 frequencies
19. Cairo to Jeddah – 12896 frequencies
20. Stockholm Arlanda to Oslo – 12,804