The UK carrier recorded a major operational turnaround, improving its on-time arrival rate from 74.02 per cent in 2024 to 83.45 per cent in 2025. The 9.44 percentage point increase was the largest year-on-year improvement among global airlines and earned Virgin Atlantic the inaugural “Most Improved” award.
Cirium said the new accolade was designed to recognise meaningful performance gains built on a solid operational base, rather than recovery from exceptional disruption.
At the top of the global rankings, Aeromexico retained its title as the world’s most on-time airline for the second consecutive year. The Mexican flag carrier achieved a 90.02 per cent on-time arrival rate across 188,859 flights operating in 23 countries. It is only the second airline to secure back-to-back wins since Cirium launched the programme in 2009.
Saudia finished second with an on-time performance of 86.53 per cent, followed closely by SAS on 86.09 per cent. Cirium said the narrow gap between the leading airlines highlights how competitive operational reliability has become across the industry.
Regional champions were also recognised. Delta Air Lines topped the North American rankings for the fifth year in a row with an 80.90 per cent on-time rate. Iberia Express defended its European crown for a third consecutive year, posting an 88.94 per cent performance. Philippine Airlines claimed its first Asia-Pacific title with 83.12 per cent, while Copa Airlines continued its long-standing dominance in Latin America, securing its 11th regional win with a 90.75 per cent score. Safair led the Middle East and Africa region with an industry-leading 91.06 per cent on-time performance.
Qatar Airways received Cirium’s Airline Platinum Award for operational excellence, achieving an 84.42 per cent on-time rate across more than 198,000 flights spanning six continents.
Airports were also recognised, with Santiago Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport winning the Large Airport category after 87.04 per cent of flights departed on time. Istanbul Airport received the Airport Platinum Award for maintaining reliability amid growth and operational complexity.
Cirium chief executive Jeremy Bowen said: "Maintaining consistent on-time performance requires sophisticated planning, tight coordination, and the ability to recover quickly from disruption. These results highlight the operational discipline that separates aviation’s top performers from the rest of the industry."
