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Qantas was the most on-time airline in Australia last year, but remained well below the head of the pack worldwide.
The Flying Kangaroo saw 73.93 per cent of its flights arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled time in 2024, compared to 73.4 per cent for Jetstar and 72.7 per cent for Virgin Australia, while 98.36 per cent of its flights were completed, according to data from global analyst Cirium.
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This placed Qantas tenth in the Asia-Pacific region, behind trans-Tasman rival Air New Zealand, which placed fourth at 77.58 per cent on-time arrivals. Asian giants JAL, ANA and Singapore Airlines filled out the top three, while others in the top 10 for the region included Thai AirAsia in fifth, as well as ninth-place finisher Cathay Pacific.
The world leader for on-time arrivals last year, Mexican carrier Aeromexico, achieved an on-time rate of 86.7 per cent in 2024, which Cirium’s chief marketing officer Mike Malik attributed to its investments in fleet modernization and new technologies.
“Over the past year, the airline has expanded its fleet to 113 aircraft, with 16 more on order – one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient in the industry – with an average age of just 7.1 years,” he said.
“Key acquisitions, including the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9 and 787 Dreamliners, have bolstered operational capacity while maintaining high standards for performance and environmental sustainability.
“Additionally, Aeromexico’s adoption of advanced scheduling systems and AI-powered tools has further enhanced its operational agility. These technologies have enabled proactive management of potential disruptions, including weather-related challenges, ensuring the airline remains its edge in on-time performance and reliability.”
Qantas, by contrast, has an average fleet age of around 15 years, relying heavily on older 737-800s and Airbus A330s, which collectively make up more than half of its fleet. It has so far received four new A220-300s to replace its now-retired QantasLink 717s, with the first of its domestic A321XLRs also set to arrive this year.
“Older aircraft do present a problem because older aircraft are less reliable,” Malik told The Australian Financial Review.
“As aircraft deteriorate, engine performance and airframe performance deteriorates. The newer the aircraft, the more reliable it is.”
Qantas says it is continuing to improve its operational performance, being the most reliable major domestic airline for November last year despite weather challenges.
