Cirium, the global aviation analytics leader, today released its analysis of global airline performance for September, highlighting significant operational achievements amidst a challenging month marked by a sharp increase in global flight cancellations.
Despite major operational setbacks in key international markets, several airlines delivered exceptional reliability, with Aeromexico securing the top spot as the world’s leading airline in September, achieving an On-Time Performance (OTP) of 91.80%.
A Challenging Month for Global Operations The September data revealed a dramatic split in global flight reliability, as overall global flight cancellations increased by 11% compared to the previous month, signaling continued strain on the international air travel infrastructure.
Regional Performance Highlights:
- Middle East & Africa: Royal Jordanian maintained its dominant position as the regional leader, recording the highest OTP across all sectors at 95.39%.
- Asia-Pacific: Philippine Airlines (PAL) maintained its strong regional lead with a notable OTP of 90.47%. South Korea’s T’way Air made an impressive debut in the top ranks with an OTP of 80.03%.
- Latin America: Global leader Aeromexico also led the Latin America region, improving its OTP by over four points.
- North America: Delta Air Lines held its position as the regional leader with an 87.50% OTP. The report also highlighted WestJet’s major operational turnaround, which boosted its OTP by 14 percentage points to re-enter the top ranks.
- Europe: Icelandair became the region’s new leader after significantly boosting its OTP by over six points.
Airport Efficiency Recognized Airport operational reliability was also a key theme, with diverse performers leading their respective categories:
- Large Airports: Honolulu International Airport led the large airports with a 90.32% OTP.
- Medium Airports: Tocumen International Airport stood out with a 93.45% OTP.
- Small Airports: Kaohsiung International Airport demonstrated exceptional punctuality, leading the small airports category with a 95.06% OTP.
“September’s data confirms that while certain carriers like Aeromexico and Royal Jordanian are setting a world-class standard for punctuality, the overall global aviation network remains under pressure,” said a simulated Cirium Analyst. “The 11% jump in cancellations underscores the persistent need for operational resilience, making the achievements of the top-performing airlines and airports all the more remarkable.”
