Study Finds Most 'On-Time' Airline in the United States

There are a lot of things to consider when booking a flight such as comfort, cost, and the number of layovers. However, the most important thing might just be the simplest: reliability. The fact is, when you book a flight, you simply want to make sure that everything goes according to plan and you make it to your destination on time.

Unfortunately, reliability isn't always easy to find. However, a recent survey has found the airline that is the most "on-time," and it's actually the fifth time in a row that this airline has taken that honor.

Delta Named Most 'On-Time' Airline

For the fifth year in a row, Delta Air Lines has been named the most "on-time" airline in North America and the United States, according to a survey conducted by Cirium, an aviation analytics company.

According to Cirium analytics, 80.9% of all Delta flights had on-time arrivals during 2025, which topped second-place Alaska Airlines to take the top spot on the list for a fifth year in a row. This came while Delta also had 1.8 million flights, which is the second-most for a carrier in North America, behind American Airlines that ran 2.25 million flights in 2025.

"Every day, Delta people keep safety at the forefront while remaining steadfastly focused on on-time performance," John Laughter, E.V.P and chief of operations for Delta said in a statement. "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."

This number is particularly impressive when you consider the inclement weather and the government shutdown that Delta was forced to contend with throughout 2025.

Full Results

1. Delta Air Lines — 80.9% across 1.8 million flights
2. Alaska Airlines — 79.2% across 453,000 flights
3. Spirit Airlines — 78.83% across 218,000 flights
4. United Airlines — 78.77% across 1.7 million flights
5. Southwest Airlines — 77.04% across 1.4 million flights
6. American Airlines — 76.43% across 2.2 million flights
7. JetBlue — 74.66% across 313,000 flights
8. WestJet — 73.58% across 205,000 flights
9. Air Canada — 73.26% across 383,000 flights
10. Frontier Airlines — 72.14% across 208,000 flights

World Rankings

While Delta topped the list in North America and the United States, it was nowhere near the top when it comes to the world rankings. However, Delta was the only U.S.-based carrier to make the global top 10 list.

1. Aeromexico
2. Saudia
3. SAS
4. Azul
5. Qatar Airways
6. Iberia
7. LATAM Airlines
8. Avianca
9. Turkish Airlines
10. Delta Air Lines

Clearly, Delta continued to offer reliability to its customers in 2025. We'll have to see if this continues next year.