Saudia tops June punctuality charts amid global travel disruptions

In regional terms across Asia-Pacific, Thai AirAsia led with 87.71% of its flights arriving on time. In North America, Air Canada had the highest on-time arrival rate at 77.15%. Icelandair was Europe's most punctual airline with an OTP rate of 85.77%, while GOL led Latin America with an 89.09% punctuality rate.

Cirium’s methodology varies by region and airline category: "For major airlines by region, the eligibility thresholds differ: 25% in Asia-Pacific, 30% in Europe and Latin America, 20% in the Middle East & Africa, and 15% in North America."

Riyadh King Khalid International Airport topped large airport rankings with a departure punctuality rate of 90.41%. Santiago Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport followed closely behind.

June saw significant disruptions in air travel due to geopolitical tensions leading to temporary airspace closures over Iran, Israel, Syria, and parts of Jordan. This resulted in a nearly 200% increase in flight cancellations for the Middle East and Africa region from May to June.

The press release provides insights into Saudia's operations: "Saudia Airline Type Full Service Carrier Hub(s) Dammam Airport, Jeddah Airport, Riyadh Airport Year Founded 1945 Alliance SkyTeam CEO Ibrahim Alkoshy IATA/ICAO Code SV/SVA."

Overall, despite challenges posed by geopolitical issues and weather conditions impacting other regions such as North America with increased cancellations due to severe weather events like thunderstorms and flash flooding; Saudia's performance stands out globally for its consistent punctuality record amidst these disruptions.