These airlines had the most on-time flights in 2023

Delta Air Lines is being crowned the most on-time North American carrier again in 2023, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

The report, published Tuesday, said Delta flights arrived within 15 minutes of their scheduled gate arrival time 84.72% of the time during the year.

The Atlanta-based carrier has received the No. 1 position among North American airlines in 2022, 2021, 2019 and 2018, according to Cirium.

Its high rate of punctuality in 2023 helped it win its third back-to-back Cirium Platinum Award. That award commemorates the airline’s “commitment to operational performance and minimizing passenger disruption,” Cirium said. 

Alaska Airlines came in second among North American airlines, operating on-time arrivals for flights 82.25% of the time, the report said. 

Other carriers in the top five for North America included American Airlines, with an 80.61% on-time arrival rate; United Airlines with an 80.04% rate; and Southwest Airlines with a 76.26% rate, according to Cirium.

Globally, the Colombia-based Avianca Airlines came out on top. Delta was fourth.

Cirium’s report also looked at the punctuality of airports.

Minnesota’s Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport placed first globally and among large airports in 2023, according to the aviation analytics company. It saw flights depart no later than 15 minutes after they were scheduled to do so 84.44% of the time.

In 2022, more than 31.24 million travelers used the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, according to its website. The airport has nearly 120 gates and serves over 160 non-stop markets.

Cirium dubbed the Osaka International Airport in Japan as the most on-time medium-sized airport and Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Ecuador as the most punctual among small airports.

Carriers around the world scheduled over 32 million flights last year, according to Cirium.