Global flight cancellations experienced a significant surge of 31% in May, with the Asia-Pacific region bearing the brunt, accounting for over half (53%) of the total disruptions, according to the latest analysis from Cirium, the global leader in aviation analytics.
North America also faced substantial challenges, contributing nearly a quarter (23%) of all cancellations. This was largely attributed to severe weather conditions that impacted air travel during the busy Memorial Day travel season.
Despite the widespread disruptions, Cirium’s data for May highlights several airlines and airports that demonstrated exceptional operational performance, maintaining high on-time rates across various categories:
Airlines’ On-Time Performance (OTP) Highlights:
- Global Airline: SAS continued its strong performance, maintaining its position as the global leader with an impressive OTP of 89.72%.
- North America: Air Canada emerged as the regional leader for the first time, achieving an OTP of 79.06%. Its Canadian counterpart, WestJet, also sustained its presence in the top 5.
- Asia-Pacific: Virgin Australia ascended to the new regional leadership position. Thai AirAsia showed significant improvement, boosting its OTP by nearly 10 points to secure a spot in the top 5.
- Europe: SAS solidified its dominance by securing the top spot in the region. Other major carriers, including Turkish Airlines and British Airways, also achieved top rankings.
- Latin America: Copa Airlines continued its remarkable consistency, leading the region for the third consecutive month this year with an outstanding OTP of 93.49%.
- Middle East & Africa: Safair reclaimed the top position in the region with a robust OTP of 95.22%, with Airlink also joining the top 5 rankings.
Airports On-Time Performance (OTP) Highlights:
- Large Airports Category: Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL) is the new leader in this category. Honolulu International Airport (HNL) also made it into the top 5 rankings, with an OTP of 89.29%.
- Medium Airports Category: Tocumen International Airport (PTY) in Panama demonstrated consistent excellence, remaining the undisputed category leader with an OTP of 94.86%. Johannesburg O.R. Tambo (JNB) and Dammam King Fahd (DMM) both improved their OTP scores to enter the top 5 rankings.
- Small Airports Category: Ellison Onizuka Kona Intl Airport (KOA) on Hawaii Island secured its place as the new category leader with an OTP of 92.98%.
These insights from Cirium underscore the dynamic nature of global aviation, where operational efficiency remains paramount amidst evolving challenges.
