Saudia tops June punctuality charts amid global travel disruptions

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Saudia tops June punctuality charts amid global travel disruptions

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Saudia | Official Website

By Sky Industry News

Jul 12, 2025

Aviation analytics firm Cirium has released its June 2025 On-Time Performance (OTP) report, which analyzes global punctuality trends among airlines and airports. According to the report, Saudia emerged as the most punctual airline worldwide for June, achieving an on-time arrival rate of 91.33%.

The methodology used by Cirium considers flights arriving within 15 minutes of their scheduled time. The report is based on global flight tracking data and includes airlines that meet specific operational and data criteria. June experienced disruptions in global air travel due to geopolitical tensions and weather-related delays, resulting in a 20% increase in worldwide flight cancellations.

"According to the report, Saudi Arabia’s flag carrier, which ranked the second most punctual global airline in May, operated more than 16,000 tracked flights last month, with 91.33% arriving on time," states Cirium's report. Aeromexico was noted as the second most punctual airline globally.

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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.