Cirium, an aviation analytics company, determines on-time performance in terms of the percentage of completed flights that arrived or departed at the gate within 15 minutes of the scheduled time. The company uses this metric to determine the top on-time performing airlines in a specific period.
Simple Flying explores the on-time performance of the top airlines in Europe in April. Overall, there has been a slight increase (1.7%) in flight cancelations for European airlines compared to the previous month. For the purpose of this article, the on-time arrival percentage is considered as a differentiating metric.
| Total Flights | 15,287 |
|---|---|
| Tracked flights | 15,249 (99.75%) |
| Completion factor | 99.26% |
| On-time arrival | 86.91% |
At the bottom of our list is Iberia, with an on-time arrival performance of 86.91% in April. Out of 15,287 total flights, 99.75% (15,249 flights) were tracked. The airline had a completion factor of 99.26% for the arrival performance. In March, Iberia was in eighth place in the European category with an OTP of 85.17%. Ascending three places in April, the airline exhibits a near 2-point improvement.
Photo: Kamilpetran | Shutterstock
Iberia is a subsidiary of the International Airlines Group (IAG). It operates a fleet of 90 Airbus-only (narrowbody and widebody) aircraft and serves over 130 destinations worldwide.
With the FAA mandating Airbus’ compliance with special conditions for the A321XLR, can Iberia launch its flights to the US in time?
| Total Flights | 19,340 |
|---|---|
| Tracked flights | 19,319 (99.89%) |
| Completion factor | 99.00% |
| On-time arrival | 87.18% |
Ranking number four is Vueling (VY), with an on-time arrival performance of 87.18% in April. Of 19,340 total flights, 99.75% (19.31%) were tracked. The airline had a completion factor of 99.0% for the arrival performance. The Spanish low-cost carrier is the largest in the country in terms of fleet size and number of destinations served. The airline serves over 120 destinations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Photo: Ivan Berrocal | Shutterstock
Notably, the airline’s main hub, Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN), saw a four-point drop in its on-time performance of 75.24% compared to the previous month’s OTP of 79.02%. The overall change in performance from several airlines must have impacted the airport’s performance. The airline operates a fleet of 125 Airbus A320 and A320neo family aircraft, with an additional 13 (neos) on order.
Vueling is the second-largest airline in Spain.
| Total Flights | 8,393 |
|---|---|
| Tracked flights | 8,368 (99.70%) |
| Completion factor | 99.51% |
| On-time arrival | 87.26% |
Coming in third is LOT Polish Airlines, with an on-time arrival performance of 87.26% in April. Out of 8,393 total flights, 99.7% (8,368 flights) were tracked. The airline had a completion factor of 99.51% for the arrival performance. The airline’s April performance is 2 points below what was recorded in March when it scored an 89.15% OTP.
Photo: Oleksandr Naumenko | Shutterstock
Poland’s flag carrier is one of the world’s oldest airlines. It services 145 destinations across Europe, North America, and Asia. The airline operates a modern fleet of 75 aircraft, including Boeing 737 MAX 8 and Embraer E195-2 in the single-aisle category and Airbus A330-900 and Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 in the widebody category.
The airline will double the number of 737 MAX aircraft it operates in the next few years.
| Total Flights | 10,154 |
|---|---|
| Tracked flights | 10,153 (99.99%) |
| Completion factor | 98.26% |
| On-time arrival | 88.40% |
The runner-up for April’s OTP is Austrian Airlines (OS), with an on-time arrival performance of 88.40%. A total of 10,153 (99.99%) were tracked, with a recorded completion factor of 98.26% for the arrival performance. While the numbers are impressive, Austrian’s performance decreased by nearly two points, having a 90.37% OTP in March.
Photo: Austrian Airlines
The Austrian flag carrier flies to over 120 destinations worldwide using a 67 single-aisle and widebody aircraft fleet. The subsidiary of Lufthansa has its headquarters and primary hub at Vienna International Airport (VIE). Coincidently, the airport also declined in terms of its OTP for April, securing 82.12% compared to the previous month’s performance of 85.17%.
Some lesser-known pieces of information about Austria’s main airline.
| Total Flights | 3,689 |
|---|---|
| Tracked flights | 3,686 (99.92%) |
| Completion factor | 99.81% |
| On-time arrival | 89.89% |
Topping our list of European airlines with the highest on-time performance is Iberia Expresses (12), with an OTP of 89.89% in April. Out of 3,689 total flights, 99.92% (3,686 flights) were tracked. The airline had a completion factor of 99.81% for the arrival performance. The airline had a near 6-point improvement over the previous month when it recorded 84.01% OTP.
Photo: Iberia Express.
The airline topped the regional category in 2023 with the best on-time performance. Iberia Express’ major hub, Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD), concluded the month with an improved performance of 80.86%, compared to the previous month’s OTP of 79.40%. The airline operates a fleet of 14 Airbus A320-200 and 12 A321neo aircraft to 22 destinations, primarily across Europe.
While Iberia and Iberia Express offer passengers the same experience, Iberia Express was created to compete with low-cost carriers.
What are your thoughts on the top European airlines that performed best on time in April? Did you travel with any of these airlines during the month? Share your experience in the comments section.
