Most punctual African airlines in 2023

Business Insider Africa presents the top most punctual African airlines in 2023
South Africa's Safair had an impressive on-time arrival rate of 92.36%.
The list is courtesy of Cirium.

Safair claimed the second spot on the list with an impressive on-time arrival rate of 92.36%, while Kenya Airways secured the tenth position with a commendable 71.86% on-time arrival rate.

Cirium defines "on-time" as arriving within 14 minutes and 59 seconds of the airline's scheduled arrival time. The carriers also have to meet specific capacity and network requirements to be considered a "global" airline.

In the MEA rankings was Oman Air (WY), claiming the top spot with an outstanding on-time arrival rate of 92.53%. Commendably, Oman and Safair were the only airlines in the report to secure an on-time arrival rate of more than 90%.

Cirium's other 2023 winners in the MEA region include Royal Jordanian with an on-time arrival rate of 87.51%, Qatar Airways at 85.11%, Etihad Airways achieving 82.90%, Saudia with 89.21%, Middle East Airlines at 79.15%, Emirates at 78.48%, and Kuwait Airways with a rate of 73.18%.

Cirium not only based its winner on punctuality but also the "complexity of its operations and capacity to provide more benefit to passengers and airports," Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen stated.

Avianca Airlines of Colombia earned the title of the world's most punctual global airline, boasting an on-time arrival rate of 85.73%. The data used for the evaluation is sourced from over 600 different sources.

What you should know about the most on-time African airlines of 2023:

Both Safair from South Africa and Kenya Airways were among the 10 best-performing airlines in Africa in 2023, according to a separate report by Skytrax.

Safair (South Africa)

On-time ranking: 2
On-time arrival: 92.36%
Tracked flight: 88.81%
Completion factor: 99.91%
Total flights 55,444

FlySafair via Google Images

FlySafair took flight in October 2014, yet its parent company, Safair, boasts a remarkable 50-year legacy. This low-cost South African airline is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company boasts a fleet of 22 aircraft, comprising five B734 classics and the remaining as B738 NGs.

Kenya Airways (Kenya)

On-time ranking: 10
On-time arrival: 71.86%
Tracked flight: 86.13%
Completion Factor: 98.09%
Total flights: 41, 905

Kenya Airways Google

Kenya Airways, also known by its IATA code KQ, has been proudly representing Kenya since its establishment in 1977. The airline boasts a fleet of more than 40 aircraft, including Boeing and Embraer jets, ensuring safe and comfortable journeys for its passengers.