Kate Boyer, Air New Zealand airports general manager, said the improved showing partly reflected a new scheduling strategy across the airline\u2019s regional network.<\/p>\n
She also said the airline had been rethinking schedules to better reflect the realities of operating at different airports.<\/p>\n
Boyer said a better understanding of aircraft turn times – how long an aircraft was on the ground before its next flight – was also important.<\/p>\n
She said the airline recognised turn times could vary greatly depending on the airport, how busy it was, and specific gates being used.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, at Auckland Airport we know some gates require extra time for aircraft tugs to meet the aircraft, so we have allowed for that in the schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said the airline aimed to be in the top five globally for on-time arrivals.<\/p>\n
Worldwide, Aeromexico was most punctual, with Saudia second, and third place going to SAS (Scandinavian Airlines), headquartered in Sweden.<\/p>\n
Aeromexico achieved more than 90% on-time arrival rates in the latest Cirium rankings. Photo \/ Jose Pablo Domingo, Unsplash<\/p>\n
Azul Brazilian Airlines and Qatar Airways rounded out the top five.<\/p>\n
In this context, on-time was defined as the percentage of flights departing or arriving within 15 minutes of schedule.<\/p>\n
Aeromexico flights arrived on time 90.02% of the time last year, up from 86.7% last year. <\/p>\n
\u201cAeromexico\u2019s achievement reflects an organisation that has turned operational reliability into a meaningful and enduring strength,\u201d Cirium chief marketing officer Mike Malik said.<\/p>\n
Aeromexico\u2019s fleet comprised 787-9 and 787-8 Dreamliners<\/a>, Boeing 737 MAX and 737-80 aircraft, and the Embraer 190, a narrowbody twinjet.<\/p>\n Of airlines operating in New Zealand, Qatar Airways, Latam from Chile, and Delta Air Lines all made the global top 10.<\/p>\n Cirium said on-time performance was a critical performance indicator. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a foundational metric that impacts brand reputation, operational efficiency, and financial health.”<\/p>\n In Cirium\u2019s airports category, Santiago\u2019s Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Chile was the top performer, with 87.04% on-time departures. <\/p>\n \u201cTheir performance reflects commitment to building world-class infrastructure<\/a> that handles rapid growth without sacrificing efficiency,\u201c said Cirium chief executive Jeremy Bowen.<\/p>\n He said airlines in 2025 had to operate under increased pressures.<\/p>\n Bowen said those included serious air traffic control staffing shortages in North America and airspace closures in the Middle East.<\/p>\n Some of those closures were due to last year\u2019s Israel-Iran war<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSupply chain bottlenecks grounded new-generation aircraft for engine inspections just as demand surged,\u201d Bowen added.<\/p>\n Cirium top-rated airlines, on-time performance:<\/p>\n Global: Aeromexico (Mexico)Most improved: Virgin Atlantic (UK)Asia-Pacific: Philippine Airlines (Philippines) North America: Delta (USA)Europe: Iberia Express (Spain)Africa and Middle East: Safair (South Africa)Latin America: Copa Airlines (Panama)Platinum winner: Qatar Airways (Qatar)<\/p>\n Airports, on-time performance: <\/p>\n Large: Santiago Arturo Merino Benitez (Chile)Medium: Panama City Tocumen (Panama)Small: Guayaquil Jose Joaquin de Olmedo (Ecuador)Platinum winner: Istanbul Airport (Turkey)<\/p>\n