Delta Named America’s Most On-Time Airline for Fifth Straight Year

When booking a flight, travelers weigh many factors—price, comfort, route options, and layovers—but reliability often matters most. Getting to a destination on time can define the entire travel experience, yet consistent punctuality remains a challenge across the airline industry.

A new industry study highlights which U.S. carrier performs best on this crucial metric. According to the latest data, one airline has once again emerged as the most reliable in the country, marking its fifth consecutive year at the top.

For the fifth year in a row, Delta Air Lines has been named the most on-time airline in both the United States and North America. The ranking comes from a survey conducted by Cirium, a leading provider of aviation performance data and analytics.

Cirium’s analysis shows that 80.9% of Delta’s flights arrived on time during 2025, narrowly outperforming second-place Alaska Airlines. The achievement is particularly notable given the scale of Delta’s operation. In 2025, the airline operated approximately 1.8 million flights, the second-highest total in North America, behind only American Airlines, which operated about 2.25 million flights during the year.

“Every day, Delta people keep safety at the forefront while remaining steadfastly focused on on-time performance,” said John Laughter, Delta’s executive vice president and chief of operations. “Earning top marks for North American operators for five years running is a testament to the industry-leading teamwork of Delta people and a direct result of their dedication to our customers and each other.”

Delta’s performance stands out even more given the operational challenges of 2025. Airlines across the U.S. faced significant disruptions from severe weather events, air traffic control constraints, and the effects of a government shutdown that strained parts of the aviation system. Despite these headwinds, Delta managed to maintain a consistently high level of punctuality across its network. Full results:

Delta Air Lines — 80.9% across 1.8 million flights
Alaska Airlines — 79.2% across 453,000 flights
Spirit Airlines — 78.83% across 218,000 flights
United Airlines — 78.77% across 1.7 million flights
Southwest Airlines — 77.04% across 1.4 million flights
American Airlines — 76.43% across 2.2 million flights
JetBlue — 74.66% across 313,000 flights
WestJet — 73.58% across 205,000 flights
Air Canada — 73.26% across 383,000 flights
Frontier Airlines — 72.14% across 208,000 flights

On the global stage, Delta did not claim the top overall ranking, but it achieved another distinction: it was the only U.S.-based airline to place within Cirium’s global top 10 for on-time performance. That result underscores the gap that often exists between domestic carriers and some international operators when it comes to punctuality.

Clearly, Delta continued to offer reliability to its customers in 2025. We’ll have to see if this continues next year. For travelers, the findings reinforce Delta’s reputation as a reliable choice, particularly for those who prioritize arriving on time. In an industry where delays are often unavoidable, sustained operational consistency has become a powerful differentiator—and one that Delta continues to leverage year after year.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, yahoo.com, Cirium