This Was the Most Punctual Airline of 2022

Brazilian carrier Azul Airlines was the most on-time airline for 2022 in a year that saw widespread cancellations and delays as the world recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Azul Airlines had an on-time arrival rate of 88.93 percent, according to analytics company Cirium, which released its 2022 On-Time Performance Review this week. That was followed by All Nippon Airways and JAL, which had on-time rates of 88.61 percent and 88 percent, respectively. 

LATAM Airlines took the No. 4 spot with an on-time rate of 86.31 percent. Delta Air Lines, which came in at No. 5 with an on-time rate of 83.63 percent, flew the most flights of the top five at more than 1 million. 

“Ramping back up operations so quickly after an enforced slowdown is not easy to do and the top-ranked airlines and airports in Cirium’s 2022 On-Time Performance Review deserve their recognition for this well-orchestrated achievement,” Jeremy Bowen, the Cirium CEO, said in a statement. 

Beyond Delta in the United States, United Airlines took the No. 8 spot with an 80.46 percent on-time rate, while American Airlines came in at No. 10 with an on-time rate of 78.29 percent. JetBlue had a much lower on-time rate compared to other U.S. carriers at only 66.35 percent.

When it came to airports, Tokyo’s Haneda Airport was the most punctual with a 90.33 percent on-time rate, servicing a total of 373,264 flights. In the U.S., the honor went to Salt Lake City International Airport, which had an on-time rate of 83.87 percent while seeing 226,545 total flights. That was followed by Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

The end-of-year data follows a tumultuous one in which airlines saw a spike in cancellations and delays caused by a combination of air traffic control problems and staffing shortages both in the U.S. and around the world. As a result, several airlines cut back on summer and fall schedules in an effort to keep up and bounce back, and some airports instituted a passenger cap to minimize issues.