Japan Airlines Is The Most Punctual, Followed By Garuda Indonesia, Which Outperforms South Korean Airlines

Garuda Indonesia aircraft. (Photo: Doc. Garuda Indonesia)

JAKARTA - A challenging time for air travel, causing a change in the ranking of airlines that are considered the most punctual. Japan Airlines Co and Tokyo Haneda Airport rose to the top spot for punctuality.

Citing the Japan Times, Saturday, June 12, other airlines that fall into this category include Hawaiian Airlines Inc., Red Wings ZAO, and Avianca Holdings SA, according to Cirium data in its first monthly "Timely Performance Report" since February 2020.

In Asia Pacific, Japan Airlines rose to be the first for on-time arrivals in May from 10 in the previous report, followed by compatriot ANA Holdings Inc, and then Air New Zealand Ltd, Garuda Indonesia, and Korean Air Lines Co.

In North America, Hawaiian Airlines continued to occupy the top spot and Air Canada rose to second from outside the top 10. Southwest Airlines Co fell from second to ninth, despite operating the most flights at 89,297.

Moscow-based Red Wings leads in Europe, followed by Vueling Airlines SA, Iberia, KLM, and Aeroflot, according to Cirium. Avianca was the most punctual airline in Latin America, ahead of Azul SA and Gol in second and third place. Haneda Airport achieved an on-time departure score of 96.86 percent.

Another spot in the top five for on-time hubs was taken by Sheremetyevo International, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, and Philadelphia International.

Of the 20 airports ranked, Miami International is at the bottom with a score of 83.14 percent. The top 20 airports collectively handled more than half a million flights in May, down just 4 percent from February 2020, while their on-time performance increased by three points, Cirium said.

Aviation analytics companies said they revived the report when air travel returned. with 117 percent more flights completed in May than the same month last year, driven primarily by domestic services.

The ranking uses a series of measurements, including if departures and arrivals are early or on time, arrivals are within 15 minutes of schedule, and flights operate within scheduled blocks of time from gate to gate. At Point Operators had 117 percent more flights in May than the same month last year.

"When flights have returned, it's a level playing field to analyze the on-time performance of airlines and airports again, a positive sign for the industry," Cirium Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Bowen said in a statement.

"While the factors causing delays in congested airspace, taxi lines, or connecting passengers do not exist in 2020, they are likely to return slowly in 2021 and into 2022," he added.