📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

These Are the Most — and Least — On-Time Airlines of 2023, According to a New Report In July 2023, ticket-selling airlines reported an on-time arrival rate of 69.6%.

By Amanda Breen

Key Takeaways

  • Delta Air Lines took the top title with 84.72% on-time arrival across 1,635,486 total flights.
  • Air Canada came in at the bottom with 63.17% on-time arrival across 376,451 total flights.
entrepreneur daily

These days, air travel can feel more chaotic than ever before, between exorbitant prices, lengthy waits, unruly passengers, and more.

Sometimes, people can regain control of their airport experience with travel hacks, like bringing a collapsible water bottle to save on expensive purchases and veering right at TSA when most passengers go left.

Related: These Are the Most Hated Airlines in the U.S., According to a New Report

But, generally speaking, the on-time arrival and departure of the aircraft itself is completely out of their hands — left up to the airport or carrier to navigate.

And it's not always smooth: In July 2023, ticket-selling airlines reported an on-time arrival rate of 69.6%, decreasing from both the rate of 71.3% in June 2023 and the rate of 74.9% in July 2022, per the Bureau of Transportation.

But which ones do the best job? Aviation analytics firm Cirium examined more than 600 real-time information sources spanning airlines, airports, global distribution systems, civil aviation authorities, and more to find out.

Related: These Are the Top 10 'Mega Airports' in North America, According to a New Report

Cirium defines an "on-time" flight as one that arrives within 15 minutes of the scheduled gate arrival and an "on-time" departure as one that leaves within 15 minutes of the scheduled takeoff.

According to the report, Delta clinched the top spot for the most on-time airline in North America and took the Cirium Platinum Award, which honors a "commitment to operational performance and minimizing passenger disruption," for the third year in a row.

Image Credit: AaronP/Bauer-Griffin | Getty Images

Here's the full list of the most on-time airlines and airports in North America in 2023, revealed by the research:

1. Delta Air Lines: 84.72% on-time arrival; 1,635,486 total flights

2. Alaska Airlines: 82.25% on-time arrival; 404,925 total flights

3. American Airlines: 80.61% on-time arrival; 1,998,844 total flights

4. United Airlines: 80.04% on-time arrival; 1,513,432 total flights

5. Southwest Airlines: 76.26% on-time arrival; 1,459,926 total flights

6. Spirit Airlines: 71.16% on-time arrival; 298,600 total flights

7. WestJet: 69.29% on-time arrival; 182,296 total flights

8. Frontier Airlines: 68.68% on-time arrival; 191,369 total flights

9. JetBlue Airways: 68.33% on-time arrival; 350,731 total flights

10. Air Canada: 63.17% on-time arrival; 376,451 total flights

Amanda Breen

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior Features Writer

Amanda Breen is a senior features writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate of Barnard College and received an MFA in writing at Columbia University, where she was a news fellow for the School of the Arts.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

These Coworkers-Turned-Friends Started a Side Hustle on Amazon — Now It's a 'Full Hustle' Earning Over $20 Million a Year: 'Jump in With Both Feet'

Achal Patel and Russell Gong met at a large consulting firm and "bonded over a shared vision to create a mission-led company."

Business News

These Are the 10 Most Profitable Cities for Airbnb Hosts, According to a New Report

Here's where Airbnb property owners and hosts are making the most money.

Side Hustle

How to Turn Your Hobby Into a Successful Business

A hobby, interest or charity project can turn into a money-making business if you know the right steps to take.

Productivity

Want to Be More Productive? Here's How Google Executives Structure Their Schedules

These five tactics from inside Google will help you focus and protect your time.

Starting a Business

This Couple Turned Their Startup Into a $150 Million Food Delivery Company. Here's What They Did Early On to Make It Happen.

Selling only online to your customers has many perks. But the founders of Little Spoon want you to know four things if you want to see accelerated growth.