IN Cirium’s latest assessment of global airlines’ on-time performance for 2023, South Africa’s Safair and Kenya Airways have emerged as leaders in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. According to Cirium’s criteria, measuring punctuality within 14 minutes and 59 seconds of the scheduled arrival time, Safair secured the second position with an impressive on-time arrival rate of 92.36 percent. Meanwhile, Kenya Airways claimed the tenth spot with a commendable 71.86 percent on-time arrival rate.
Oman Air (WY) claimed the top spot in the MEA rankings with an outstanding on-time arrival rate of 92.53 percent, while Safair and Oman were the only airlines surpassing a remarkable 90 percent on-time arrival rate in the report.
Other MEA region winners include Royal Jordanian, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Saudia, Middle East Airlines, Emirates, and Kuwait Airways. These rankings not only considered punctuality but also factored in the complexity of operations and the airlines’ capacity to benefit passengers and airports, as highlighted by Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen.
Avianca Airlines of Colombia took the title of the world’s most punctual global airline with an 85.73 percent on-time arrival rate, drawing data from over 600 different sources.
In a separate report by Skytrax, both Safair and Kenya Airways were recognised among the 10 best-performing airlines in Africa for 2023. Safair, established in October 2014, boasts a 50-year legacy through its parent company. Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, the low-cost airline operates a fleet of 22 aircraft. Kenya Airways, representing Kenya since 1977, operates a fleet of over 40 aircraft, providing safe and comfortable journeys for passengers.
Key information regarding the top-performing African airlines for punctuality in 2023:
Safair (South Africa)
- On-time ranking: 2
- On-time arrival: 92.36 percent
- Tracked flight: 88.81 percent
- Completion factor: 99.91 percent
- Total flights: 55,444
Kenya Airways (Kenya)
- On-time ranking: 10
- On-time arrival: 71.86 percent
- Tracked flight: 86.13 percent
- Completion Factor: 98.09 percent
- Total flights: 41,905