Delta Named Most Punctual Airline in 2025, But There's a Catch

A new study from Cirium has determined the most punctual American airline—with one caveat.

According to Cirum’s On-Time Performance Review 2025 study, Delta Air Lines is the most punctual U.S. airline, with 80.9 percent of its 1.8 million flights arriving on time throughout the previous year. Cirium defines “on time” arrivals as “the percentage of flights departing or arriving within 15 minutes” of the posted time. This is Delta’s fifth year in a row claiming the top title, so its inclusion is hardly surprising. Delta is the only American airline to be included in Cirium’s Top 10 Global Airlines winners.

“Earning top marks for North American operators for five years running is a testament to the industry-leading teamwork of Delta people and a direct result of their dedication to our customers and each other,” the airline said in a statement issued Jan. 6.

But It's Less Punctual Than It Was in 2024

But there’s one significant caveat. While Delta came out as the most punctual airline in North America, its “on-time arrival rate was down more than two percentage points” from 2024. The report also noted that the 43-day government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, “significantly eroded North American on-time performance in 2025” due to schedule reductions, airline staffing shortages, and air traffic control staffing shortages.

“In all, the FAA said flight-delay minutes due to equipment issues were about 300 percent higher in 2025 than the average of 2010–2024,” Cirium added. 

As a result of the shutdown, Cirium’s Most On-Time Airports category was filled with international venues. However, two American airports did pop up on the list, albeit further down. Honolulu International Airport landed in fourth place in the Large Airports category, while Portland International Airport came in sixth for Medium Airports.

Few American Airports Ranked on the 'Best-of' List

Cirium’s 2025 Platinum Award for Operational Excellence went to Istanbul Airport, which “broke a European record” with 81 departures in a single hour last year. Istanbul Airport also became Europe’s “first airport to implement triple independent parallel runway operations,” the study reports, declaring it a “major infrastructure milestone.” Qatar Airways was awarded the 2025 Platinum Performance Award due to its “schedule execution, daily operational control, and recovery capability over a full year.”

“Maintaining consistent on-time performance requires sophisticated network planning, operational coordination, and the ability to recover quickly when irregularities occur,” said Cirium’s CEO, Jeremy Bowen. “These results reflect the operational discipline that defines aviation’s top performers.”