Often, the airport you fly from or the airline you fly with is based purely on which is the most convenient or offering the cheapest ticket, but still, it’s always handy to know which ones offer particularly smooth-running service.
Handily, Cirium has published a report called the ‘On-Time Performance Review of 2025’ which highlights 12 airports and airlines that performed excellently in terms of punctuality.
When it comes to hubs, Istanbul Airport stole the show. Cirium defines punctuality as the percentage of flights that depart or arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled time, and despite this enormous airport handling a staggering 84 million passengers journeying to 330 destinations every year, 80.72 percent of flights operated within that efficient little window.
The most on-time airports, according to Cirium
- Platinum Winner: Istanbul Airport (IST)
- Large: Santiago Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL)
- Medium: Panama City Tocumen International Airport (PTY)
- Small: Guayaquil Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport (GYE)
Onto the most on-time airlines, Cirium found that Qatar Airways not only was the most efficient, but had actually improved on its already impressive 2024 score of 82.83 percent, this year delivering punctuality on 84.42 percent of its flights. It also came second place in Skytrax’s recent ranking of the world’s best long-haul airlines – clearly a Qatar Airways flight is the place to be.
The most on-time airlines, according to Cirium
- Platinum Winner: Qatar Airways
- Global Airline: Aeroméxico
- Asia Pacific: Philippine Airlines
- North America: Delta Air Lines
- Europe: Iberia Express
- Middle East & Africa: FlySafair
- Most Improved Airline: Virgin Atlantic
Read more on Cirium’s report on the official website, and have a look at all the most exciting new flight routes launching this year.
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