U.S. airlines largely on-time in September 2024

As tipped by View from the Wing, U.S. airlines saw a significant improvement in on-time performance in September, with Delta leading with nearly 88% of its flights on schedule, according to Cirium data. United Airlines followed closely, with Southwest and American Airlines rounding out the top four. Even JetBlue achieved over 80% on-time arrivals with a low cancellation rate of just 0.4%.

Globally, Delta ranked fourth, trailing Aeromexico, Saudia, and Avianca, while Qatar Airways took fifth place. Notably, Delta’s three “core” hubs, as opposed to coastal—Minneapolis, Detroit, and Salt Lake City—ranked among the top five global airports for on-time performance. Other US airports including Washington Dulles, Austin, LAX, and Philadelphia also performed well, landing in the top ten.

The reduction in flight cancelations by U.S. airlines, down two-thirds from August, contributed to the strong operational performance. Despite this improvement, external factors like weather and infrastructure still play a significant role in on-time arrivals, and October may present more challenges for airlines.