The 5 most on-time airlines in North America
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- Aviation data provider Cirium has announced the top airlines for on-time performance in 2023.
- Delta Air Lines led the pack in North America and came fourth among all global airlines.
- The airline also received Cirium's "platinum award" for its "operational excellence."
Aviation data provider Cirium has unveiled the world's top airlines for on-time performance, naming Colombia's Avianca Airlines as the most punctual global carrier of 2023.
Delta Air Lines was the only airline from the US to make the top five with an on-time arrival rate of 84.72%. The airline also led the pack in all of North America, and it received Cirium's "platinum award" for its all-around "operational excellence."
Cirium defines "on-time" as arriving within 14 minutes and 59 seconds of the plane's scheduled arrival time. The airlines on the list must all meet specific capacity and network requirements to be considered "global."
"We firmly believe that a straight ranking without these considerations would not be useful, and that's due to the very different sizes and operating models of the world's airlines," Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen told media during a December press conference.
Delta was also the top North American carrier in 2022. But it performed better this year, achieving an 83.63% on-time arrival rate in 2022, according to Cirium data. The carrier also jumped a spot in 2023 after coming in fifth last year among global carriers.
Except for Delta, none of the airlines on Cirium's North American top five list performed better than the top five global carriers, according to Cirium.
However, almost every airline improved its on-time arrival rate compared to last year, and each one maintained a top-five spot though the order was shuffled.
Take a closer look at the best airlines in North America for on-time performance in 2023.
5. Southwest Airlines
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On-time arrival rate in 2023: 76.26%
On-time arrival rate in 2022: 74.06%
Ranking in 2022: 5
4. United Airlines
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On-time arrival rate in 2023: 80.04%
On-time arrival rate in 2022: 80.46%
Ranking in 2022: 2
3. American Airlines
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On-time arrival rate in 2023: 80.61%
On-time arrival rate in 2022: 78.29%
Ranking in 2022: 4
2. Alaska Airlines
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On-time arrival rate in 2023: 82.25%
On-time arrival rate in 2022: 80.36%
Ranking in 2022: 3
1. Delta Air Lines
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On-time arrival rate in 2023: 84.60%
On-time arrival rate in 2022: 83.63%
Ranking in 2022: 1