A new report has revealed which of the world’s airlines and airports had the fewest delays in 2025.
The review by Cirium found that Aeromexico was the most reliable carrier, while Santiago Airport in Chile had the highest on-time departure rate.
Which is the world’s most reliable airline?
For the second consecutive year, Aeromexico has claimed the top spot in Cirium’s global ranking of on-time performance, which compares the top 10 per cent of passenger airlines by capacity.
The airline had 90.02 per cent of its nearly 189,000 flights depart or arrive within 15 minutes of schedule, with each month holding close to or above the 90 per cent mark.
“Aeromexico’s achievement reflects an organisation that has turned operational reliability into a meaningful and enduring strength,” Cirium wrote in its report.
Saudia came in second place, with an 86.53 per cent punctuality rate. Third was SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) with 86.09 per cent.
This low-cost carrier is Europe’s most on-time airline
In the European regional ranking, Spanish carrier Iberia Express claimed the top position for the third year running with an on-time performance of 88.94 per cent across 37,119 flights.
Cirium said that this year’s recognition is particularly significant given the challenging landscape for European aviation over the last 12 months.
“Iberia Express’s performance stands out against a backdrop of notable disruptions, including a major power outage that affected air travel across the Iberian Peninsula and a global software issue impacting the Airbus A320 family - aircraft that comprise the entirety of the airline’s fleet,” the report stated.
SAS came in second place and Austrian Airlines came in third.
For the Asia Pacific region, Philippine Airlines ranked first with an 83.12 per cent on-time arrival rate. In North America, Delta Airlines took the top spot with an 80.90 per cent score.
In Latin America, Copa Airlines’ 90.75 per cent performance earned it first position, while FlySafair topped the ranking for Middle East & Africa with 91.06 per cent.
Which is the world’s most punctual airport?
Cirium also analysed data from airports around the world to find out which have the least delays and cancellations.
In the large airports ranking, Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) took the top spot. It is Chile’s largest and busiest aviation hub, serving as the country’s primary gateway to the world.
SCL has recently undergone significant modernisation, including the opening of its new 248,400 m² international Terminal 2, more than doubling the airport’s annual passenger capacity from 16 million to 38 million.
Amid this rapid growth, SCL also managed to improve its on-time performance to 87.04 per cent in 2025, up 4.2 per cent from the previous year.
In this category, the highest ranking European airport was Oslo Gardermoen, taking fifth place with a punctuality score of 86.00 per cent.
For medium airports, Panama City Tocumen International came in first, while Helsinki-Vantaa was the best performing European airport in 18th place.
In the small airports ranking, José Joaquín de Olmedo International, serving Guayaquil in Ecuador, placed first, while Stravanger (also known as Sola) in Norway took fourth place.
