Iberia Express and Iberia were the most punctual airlines in Europe in 2024, ranking first and second respectively, according to Cirium’s On-time Performance Report, the most relevant annual punctuality report in the industry.
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Iberia Express was the most punctual airline in Europe with an arrival punctuality rate of 84.69%, which also makes it the most punctual low-cost airline in the world in 2024.
Iberia is the second most punctual airline in Europe, with a total of 183,268 flights and 81.58% of flights arriving on time at their destinations, and, for another year, it is in the top 10 most punctual airlines worldwide, in eighth position.
These figures are particularly noteworthy given the complex challenges faced by aviation this year, such as regulations in European airspace, congestion at some of the airports served by both airlines, labour disputes at some air traffic control centres and the global shortage of spare parts.
Iberia was among the most punctual airlines in Europe and in the top 10 worldwide for the last nine years. Iberia Express was the most punctual low-cost airline in the world for five consecutive years, between 2014 and 2018; the most punctual low-cost airline in Europe in 2019 and 2022, and the most punctual airline in Europe in 2023. In the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, two of the most important markets for Iberia Express, departure punctuality has been above 90% in both archipelagos.
In its report, Cirium congratulated Iberia Express and highlighted the fact that “it continues to be one of the most reliable airlines in Europe. This achievement underlines Iberia Express’ dedication to punctuality and reflects its spirit of operational excellence. This airline continues to demonstrate that affordability can coexist with punctuality. As a leader in European aviation, Iberia Express combines high expectations with exceptional service, positioning itself as a benchmark in the sector.”
Record operations and fleet utilization
Iberia Express achieved a high rate of punctuality despite having progressively increased both its number of flights and the use of its fleet, which remained at 25 aircraft.
For the first time, Iberia Express exceeded 43,000 annual flights with a fleet utilization of 11 hours, a level that brings it closer to ultra-low-cost airlines. Iberia Express is achieving the same efficiency, but with the added difficulty of its hybrid business model, which ensures connectivity with the departure and arrival banks of Iberia flights to continue feeding the group’s network.