Top airlines for on-time arrivals in 2023

Delta, Alaska, American, United, Southwest ranked highest among major US carriers

Delta Air Lines is being crowned the most on-time North American carrier again in 2023, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

The report, published Tuesday, said Delta flights arrived within 15 minutes of their scheduled gate arrival time 84.72% of the time during the year.

The Atlanta-based carrier has received the No. 1 position among North American airlines in 2022, 2021, 2019 and 2018, according to Cirium. 

A Delta Air Lines Airbus A220-100 aircraft

Delta Air Lines Airbus A220-100 aircraft as seen on final approach at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on Nov. 14, 2019. (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Its high rate of punctuality in 2023 helped it win its third back-to-back Cirium Platinum Award. That award commemorates the airline’s "commitment to operational performance and minimizing passenger disruption," Cirium said. 

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
DAL DELTA AIR LINES INC. 63.41 -0.41 -0.64%

Delta Air Lines

TSA TO TEST OUR NEW SELF-SERVICE SCREEN PROCESS

Alaska Airlines came in second among North American airlines, operating on-time arrivals for flights 82.25% of the time, the report said. 

Alaska Airlines plane in San Francisco

An Alaska Airlines plane takes off from San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco on June 21, 2023. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Other carriers in the top five for North America included American Airlines, with an 80.61% on-time arrival rate; United Airlines with an 80.04% rate; and Southwest Airlines with a 76.26% rate, according to Cirium.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
ALK ALASKA AIR GROUP INC. 53.16 +0.56 +1.06%
AAL AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC. 14.61 +0.09 +0.62%
UAL UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS INC. 97.44 +0.61 +0.63%
LUV SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. 33.00 +0.64 +1.98%

Globally, the Colombia-based Avianca Airlines came out on top. Delta was fourth.

KEEP MORE CASH IN THE NEW YEAR: 6 WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON WINTER VACATIONS OR GETAWAYS

Cirium’s report also looked at the punctuality of airports.

Minnesota's Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport placed first globally and among large airports in 2023, according to the aviation analytics company. It saw flights depart no later than 15 minutes after they were scheduled to do so 84.44% of the time.

Minneapolis St Paul International Airport

Few passengers made short lines ahead of an impending snowstorm forecasted to hit the Twin Cities later in the day, on Feb. 22, 2023, at MSP Airport Terminal 1. (Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune via Getty Images / Getty Images)

In 2022, more than 31.24 million travelers used the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, according to its website. The airport has nearly 120 gates and serves over 160 non-stop markets.

US PASSPORT PROCESSING TIMES BACK TO PRE-PANDEMIC NORMS, STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS

Cirium dubbed the Osaka International Airport in Japan as the most on-time medium-sized airport and Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Ecuador as the most punctual among small airports. 

Carriers around the world scheduled over 32 million flights last year, according to Cirium.