Aviation analytics firm Cirium has announced the results of its annual On-Time Performance Review, and South Africa’s low-cost carrier FlySafair has emerged as the most punctual airline in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region for 2025.
Based on Cirium’s extensive and independently verified data - sourced from more than 600 real-time global information feeds - FlySafair achieved an impressive 91.06% on-time arrival rate across 62,805 scheduled flights during 2025. This performance secured the airline the top position in the regional rankings, reinforcing its reputation for operational reliability and efficiency.
Another strong South African performer, Airlink, ranked fifth in the MEA region. The privately owned regional airline recorded an 84.47% on-time departure rate across 84,361 flights in 2025, underlining its consistency across an extensive domestic and regional network.
South African Airways (SAA), South Africa’s state-owned flag carrier, was placed eighth in the regional rankings. SAA achieved an on-time performance score of 81.26%, based on 24,461 flights operated during the year—marking continued operational stabilisation following its post-business-rescue recovery.
Cirium defines an on-time arrival as a flight reaching the gate within 14 minutes and 59 seconds of its scheduled arrival time. Airport punctuality is measured using the same 14:59-minute threshold for scheduled departures.
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