Cirium, the aviation analytics leader, today released its April 2025 On-Time Performance (OTP) report, spotlighting the global airlines and airports setting the gold standard in operational punctuality. With over 3 million flights analyzed monthly using rigorous data validation, Cirium’s OTP rankings remain the aviation industry’s most trusted benchmark for performance excellence.

SAS Tops Global Airline Rankings

Scandinavian carrier SAS (SK) led the global airline rankings with an impressive 88.32% on-time arrival rate, followed closely by Aeromexico (87.95%) and Saudia (87.34%). Notably, Qatar Airways and Avianca rounded out the top five with OTP rates above 86%, reflecting operational consistency in a high-volume international environment.

Top 5 Global Airlines – April 2025
1. SAS – 88.32%
2. Aeromexico – 87.95%
3. Saudia – 87.34%
4. Qatar Airways – 87.18%
5. Avianca – 86.95%

Regional Highlights: Asia-Pacific & North America

In the Asia-Pacific region, Philippine Airlines took the top spot with 86.07%, a significant improvement from previous months. Meanwhile, Spirit Airlines led North America with 83.25%, edging out giants like Delta and Alaska Airlines.

Cirium also awarded a new “Most Improved OTP” recognition, celebrating airlines that have shown remarkable year-over-year performance increases, underscoring the industry’s commitment to operational reliability.

Airports Driving Departure Precision

On the airport side, Riyadh King Khalid International Airport (RUH) achieved the highest on-time departure rate among large hubs at 91.17%, while Panama City Tocumen International Airport (PTY) led medium airports with a 95.51% OTP. Among smaller facilities, El Salvador International Airport (SAL) stood out with 93.57%.

Top Airports by Size – April 2025
• Large: Riyadh (RUH) – 91.17%
• Medium: Panama City (PTY) – 95.51%
• Small: El Salvador (SAL) – 93.57%

Flight Cancellations & Industry Trends

Globally, the total number of cancellations remained stable, with Asia-Pacific reporting the highest at 19,133 cancellations, while Middle East & Africa maintained the lowest disruption with just 1,960 flights cancelled. Cirium’s continued advancements in data granularity and machine learning through its EmeraldSky and On-Time AI Assistant platforms aim to help stakeholders reduce disruptions and optimize future planning.

Why Cirium’s Rankings Matter

With a methodology rooted in transparency, multi-source verification, and strict inclusion criteria, Cirium’s OTP program remains a key tool for airlines and airports to evaluate and refine their performance metrics. Each report is backed by millions of data points sourced from over 2,000 systems worldwide.

“As air travel rebounds globally, punctuality is no longer just a metric—it’s a key pillar of customer trust and brand strength,” said Jeremy Bowen, CEO of Cirium. “Our OTP program helps the industry identify leaders and inspire continuous improvement across the board.”

For more details, visit: www.cirium.com