A testament to Delta’s commitment to punctuality and operational excellence, the airline has earned Cirium’s Platinum Award for the third year in a row. This award, which is given to airlines that show exemplary on-time performance while navigating complex operations – all while limiting the impact of disruption to its customers – is made possible by the care and dedication of Delta people.
“When Delta people put us at the top of the industry for on-time performance, they position us to fully deliver the welcoming, elevated and caring service our brand is known for,” said Delta COO Mike Spanos. “Thanks to all 100,000 Delta colleagues for the outstanding performance in 2023 and for carrying it forward into the new year.”
Overall, Delta delivered industry-leading reliability in the fourth quarter of 2023. Delta’s network system Completion Factor, on-time arrival rate (A0) and on-time departure rate (D0) for the fourth quarter all improved markedly compared to the Q4 2022*.
In addition to winning the Cirium Platinum Award, Delta topped the rankings for being the most on-time airline in North America. In 2023, Cirium tracked 1,635,486 Delta flights, 84.72% of which arrived on time, which is up from 83.63% the previous year.
Delta’s on-time performance far exceeded North American industry benchmarks. Of the more than 8 million flights tracked by Cirium in 2023, 74.45% arrived on time. Delta’s on-time arrival percentage was 2.47% higher than its nearest North American competitor.
Additionally, Delta came in above global benchmarks, with 83.67% on-time arrivals across nearly 6 million tracked flights from all global top performers. Cirium defines an on-time flight as one that arrives within 15 minutes of its scheduled gate arrival.
“It’s incredible to witness Delta Air Lines winning its third consecutive Platinum Award and topping the North American Category,” said Cirium CEO Jeremy Bown. “Their relentless pursuit of efficiency and punctuality is commendable as we venture into 2024, a year brimming with promise for the aviation sector.”
*Based on FlightStats data for Oct. 1 – Dec. 31, 2023 vs. the same period in 2022 for flights scheduled (CF) and systemwide flights flown for A0/D0, including regional carriers.
