Cirium Ascend Consultancy is trusted by clients across the aviation industry to provide accurate, timely, and insightful aircraft appraisals. The team provides the valuations and analysis the industry relies on to understand the market outlook, evaluate risks and identify opportunities.
Eric Tamang, Valuations Analyst, Cirium Ascend Consultancy
In the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic, international travel took a severe impact as governments worldwide initiated national lockdowns. Places such as Hong Kong were hit even harder, as it does not have a domestic market to rely on.
Based on Cirium Tracked Utilization data, the 7-day moving average of daily flights of Cathay Pacific, the de-facto carrier of Hong Kong, fell by 90% in early 2020.
In order to reduce its cash burn, Cathay Pacific axed almost 6,000 jobs in October 2021, including some 600 pilots.
They also closed all of their overseas pilot bases such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Australia and final one being the United States which closed in late 2022.
Daily Tracked Cathay Pacific Flights – 7 Day Moving Average
Source: Cirium Core, tracked utilization data filed January, 25, 2024
Now that Covid-19 has become an endemic, demand for air travel has returned, and daily tracked flights have recovered close to pre-Covid levels. However, we can observe a decline in daily tracked flights from mid-December 2023 as Cathay Pacific cancelled at least 42 flights due to pilot illness.
This chart below from Cirium’s database also shows that Cathay Pacific still has 21 aircraft in storage, about 10% of its entire fleet.
Cathay Pacific Fleet
Source: Cirium Fleets Analyzer, 25 January 2024
There are many reasons why commercial aircraft would be in storage. When we look at Cirium’s Ground Events analytics, we can see that at the time of writing this article (25th January 2024), Cathay Pacific does not have any aircraft going through heavy maintenance. However, it has 21 aircraft in storage – mainly as a result of pilot-shortages.
Cathay Pacific Maintenance Events
Source: Cirium Ground Events Analytics, 25 January 2024
In late 2023, Cathay Pacific announced a plan to hire more than 5,000 employees, including 1,500 cabin crew and more than 800 cadet pilots, in 2023 and 2024 combined. However, it is struggling to hire people and as a result has been cancelling flights since Christmas 2023.
The Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association – a union of Cathay Pacific pilots – said that the current shortage of senior pilots was a result of Cathay Pacific’s decisions in 2020, when Covid-19 hit. At the time, the airline made “deep and permanent reductions to the pay of frontline staff.”
Chinese New Year is just around the corner, falling between 10-24 February 2024.
It is a peak period for travel, and Cathay Pacific has already cut a dozen flights a day on average until the end of February. It appears further flight cancellations are most likely inevitable.
In their 2023 Interim Report, Cathay Pacific reported that they are “confident” to reach 100% capacity levels by the end of 2024. However, this is unlikely to be achieved without a successful recruitment campaign.
LONDON, UK – January 30, 2024 – Cirium Ascend Consultancy, part of the world’s most trusted source of aviation analytics company, Cirium, has once again demonstrated its unparalleled expertise in aircraft appraisal by winning the coveted ‘Appraiser of the Year’ award at the Airline Economics Aviation 100 Global Leaders Awards 2024. This remarkable achievement marks the ninth time that Cirium Ascend Consultancy has been honored with this prestigious award, reinforcing its position as a leading consultancy in the aviation industry.
The award, presented in Dublin at the Growth Frontiers conference, recognizes Cirium Ascend Consultancy’s unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation in aviation analytics and consultancy. This year’s accolade is particularly significant, as it reflects the company’s dynamic adaptation and resilience in the face of ongoing global challenges, including the evolving landscape of the post-pandemic aviation industry.
Rob Morris, Global Head of Cirium Ascend Consultancy, said: “Receiving the ‘Appraiser of the Year’ award for the ninth time is not just an honor, it’s a tribute to our team’s dedication and hard work. This recognition perfectly demonstrates our commitment to providing accurate, timely, and insightful aircraft appraisals to our clients. In a year that has been full of complexities and rapid changes, this award is a reminder that our relentless pursuit of excellence and innovation sets us apart. We have a team of 30 appraisers, nine of which are ISTAT certified.”
Over the years, Cirium Ascend Consultancy has consistently raised the bar in aviation analytics, providing invaluable insights that have shaped the strategies of key players in the industry.
The company’s comprehensive approach, combining cutting-edge technology with deep market knowledge, has been instrumental in offering precise appraisals and strategic advisory services.
The award further underscores Cirium Ascend Consultancy’s role in navigating the recovery and growth of the aviation market in 2024, amidst a rapidly evolving global landscape.
Cirium Ascend Consultancy’s contributions extend beyond appraisals, encompassing various aspects of aviation analytics such as risk management, asset tracking, and sustainability evaluations.
The firm’s innovative solutions, including CO2 emissions benchmarking and fuel consumption analysis, reflect its commitment to supporting the industry’s transition towards a more sustainable future.
This year’s award also highlights Cirium Ascend Consultancy’s significant impact on aviation finance, with their analytics playing a critical role in smarter investment decisions. The firm’s data and insights have proven invaluable for banks, insurers, lessors, and other financial institutions in managing risk and maximizing opportunities.
The 2024 ‘Appraiser of the Year’ award not only celebrates Cirium Ascend Consultancy’s achievements but also symbolizes the trust and confidence that the aviation community places in the firm. It is a recognition of their ability to deliver reliable and innovative solutions that drive the industry forward.
Get more information about Cirium Ascend Consultancy and their award-winning services, here.
About Cirium Ascend Consultancy Cirium Ascend Consultancy, a division of Cirium, offers market-leading expertise to help inform and drive successful strategies in the commercial aviation industry. With a global team of seasoned consultants and analysts, Cirium Ascend Consultancy delivers comprehensive data, expert insights, and tailored services that directly impact strategic investments and open avenues for growth in aviation.
Following the release of Cirium’s On-Time Performance Report for 2023, Delta Air Lines has once again been named the most punctual North American airline. The airline recorded an impressive 84.72% punctuality, the best among North American airlines, maintaining a successful performance from the previous year.
For the third year in a row, Cirium also presented the Atlanta-based carrier with the Platinum Award for Operational Excellence. This prestigious accolade is a testament to Delta’s unwavering commitment to punctuality and operational excellence. The Cirium Platinum Award, given to airlines that excel in on-time performance while navigating considerable operational complexities, reflects the hard work and dedication of Delta’s team.
The Cirium Platinum Award is not just about on-time performance; it also considers the airline’s network, volume of flights, and the ability to limit the impact of flight disruptions on passengers. Delta’s accomplishment in these areas, particularly during challenging times for the airline industry, speaks volumes about its operational efficiency and customer-focused approach.
An award presentation took place on January 24th and 25th during Delta LEAD 2024 Conference at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, to mark their outstanding achievements.
The LEAD 2024 Conference brought together 6,000 employees from Delta’s leadership team from across the company to discuss the airline’s objectives for 2024. This two-day conference set the tone for the year, discussing the airline’s finance, operations, people, customer experience (CX), and listening to external perspectives.
Jeremy Bowen, Cirium CEO, presented Delta’s awards to Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines along with six frontline team members representing all who make on-time performance a reality for Delta. Mike Malik, Cirium Chief Marketing Officer, Lydia Webb, Cirium Marketing Director, and Kirk Nagy, Cirium Enterprise Business Development Manager, were also in attendance.
“At Cirium we have a team that is passionate about airline operations. Many have decades of airline experience; we understand the complexity and challenge of getting people to their destinations safely and on time. Delta’s accomplishment, particularly during challenging times for the airline industry, speaks volumes about its operational efficiency and customer-focused approach.”
Jeremy Bowen, CEO of Cirium
Congratulations to the entire Delta team for their hard work and dedication, which have contributed to this amazing success. Delta’s achievement sets a high standard for operational performance in the airline industry, and it is an inspiration for others. – Jeremy Bowen.
Report highlights
Delta Air Lines Secures Cirium’s Platinum Award for Operational Excellence for Fourth Year Running
Aeromexico Recognized as the Most On-Time Airline in the Global Category
Regional Leaders Announced: Delta Air Lines, Copa Airlines, Iberia Express, Japan Airlines, and FlySafair Take Top Honors
Bogotá El Dorado International Airport Earns Cirium’s Inaugural Airport Platinum Award
Riyadh King Khalid International Airport Named Most On-Time Global Airport for 2024
About Cirium Cirium® is the world’s most trusted source of aviation analytics. The company delivers powerful data and cutting-edge analytics to empower a wide spectrum of industry players. It equips airlines, airports, travel enterprises, aircraft manufacturers, and financial entities with the clarity and intelligence they need to optimize their operations, make informed decisions, and accelerate revenue growth.
Cirium® is part of LexisNexis® Risk Solutions, a RELX business, which provides information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. The shares of RELX PLC are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX.
The airline industry has emerged from the shadows of the pandemic, showing signs of robust recovery and resilience. As we review the year 2023 and look forward to 2024, it’s clear that the sector is not just surviving but thriving in many aspects.
The 2023 On-Time Performance Review showcases the airline industry’s performance rebound. It’s a pleasure for Cirium to acknowledge the industry leaders of this resurgence.
A special congratulations to Delta Air Lines for winning the prestigious 2023 Platinum Award for the third year in a row, achieving an impressive 84.72% on-time rate.
Cirium’s on-time performance analysis, a staple in the industry for over 15 years, has been pivotal in evaluating the punctuality of airlines and airports. In 2023, the industry saw significant growth, with over 32+ million scheduled passenger flights. This increase, coupled with an upsurge in seat capacity, underscores the sector’s expansion. As we look towards 2024, Cirium remains committed to delivering comprehensive and unbiased on- time performance (OTP) data. This information, derived from an extensive array of sources including airlines, airports, and civil aviation authorities, offers a neutral, third-party perspective. Our independent board of advisors, experts in the field, guarantees the accuracy and fairness of our reports, ensuring they reflect a true picture of the industry’s performance.
In reviewing 2023, global passenger numbers made a significant comeback, narrowly surpassing pre-pandemic levels by the peak summer months. This recovery, while uneven across different regions, marked a pivotal moment for an industry that had faced unprecedented challenges. The US and Western European markets led the way, with passenger revenues in the US domestic market reaching 20% above 2019 levels by the third quarter.
This surge in demand, however, came with its own set of challenges, including increased competition and rising operational costs.
Business travel, a key segment for the industry, continued to lag behind due to ongoing cost management and a growing focus on sustainability within corporate policies. This was reflected in the major Global Distribution Systems (GDS), where agency bookings remained below pre-pandemic levels throughout 2023.
Looking ahead to 2024, the outlook remains cautiously optimistic. The recovery is expected to continue, albeit at a slightly moderated pace. While passenger numbers might end slightly lower than pre-pandemic levels, revenue growth is projected to be robust, potentially surpassing 2019 figures. However, this optimism is tempered by the need for the industry to balance supply and demand effectively, especially considering the rising input costs.
The Asia-Pacific region, particularly China, has shown a delayed but steady recovery trajectory, contributing to the global upswing in demand. This regional growth is expected to play a significant role in driving the global industry forward in 2024.
However, the industry faces new challenges and uncertainties. The lessons learned from the pandemic, combined with ongoing geopolitical tensions and environmental pressures, are shaping a new era of strategic thinking and operational efficiency in the airline industry.
How airlines navigate these factors will be crucial in determining their success in the coming year.
In conclusion, the airline industry is on a path to recovery, marked by significant strides in 2023 and a positive but cautious outlook for 2024.
The Cirium team looks forward to providing more critical aviation data in 2024. The journey ahead is laden with opportunities and challenges, as the sector adapts to a rapidly changing global landscape.
Report highlights
Delta Air Lines Secures Cirium’s Platinum Award for Operational Excellence for Fourth Year Running
Aeromexico Recognized as the Most On-Time Airline in the Global Category
Regional Leaders Announced: Delta Air Lines, Copa Airlines, Iberia Express, Japan Airlines, and FlySafair Take Top Honors
Bogotá El Dorado International Airport Earns Cirium’s Inaugural Airport Platinum Award
Riyadh King Khalid International Airport Named Most On-Time Global Airport for 2024
READ ALL OF THE LATEST UPDATES FROM ASCEND CONSULTANCY EXPERTS WHO DELIVER POWERFUL ANALYSIS, COMMENTARIES AND PROJECTIONS TO AIRLINES, AIRCRAFT BUILD AND MAINTENANCE COMPANIES, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, INSURERS AND NON-BANKING FINANCIERS. MEET THE ASCEND CONSULTANCY TEAM.
At the turn of the year, the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) market reflected the changing seasons with a gradual cooling, influenced by spiking interest rates and the rising cost of capital. Yet, in the face of these headwinds, the number of commitments and orders recorded in Cirium’s database increased to over 13,000 as of 31 December 2023, with over 3,700 secured in the past 12 months.
Data Coverage Includes:
Market Grouping
Manufacturer
Type
Comment
Regional Electric – Small
LYTE Aviation
LA-44 Skybus
Business Electric – Multi Engine
Electron
Electron 5
Business Electric – Multi Engine
Airflow
M200
Business Electric – Multi Engine
Bye Aerospace
eFlyer 800
Business Electric – Multi Engine
Eviation
Alice
Business Electric – Multi Engine
Electra
Electra eSTOL
Business Electric – Single Engine
VoltAero
Cassio 330
Business Electric – Single Engine
BETA Technologies
CX300
eVTOL – UAV/UAS
BETA Technologies
ALIA-250c
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
EHang
VT-30
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
Joby Aviation
S4
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
Manta Aircraft
ANN2
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
Wisk Aero LLC
Cora
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
Volocopter GmbH
VoloConnect
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
TCab Tech
E20 eVTOL
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
Overair Inc
Butterfly
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
Aerofugia
AE200
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
Plana
CopterPlane CP-01
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
DuFour Aerospace
Aero3
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
AutoFlight
Prosperity 1
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
BETA Technologies
ALIA-250
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
SkyDrive
SD-05
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
EHang
EH216
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
Jaunt Air Mobility
Journey
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
Volocopter GmbH
VoloCity
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
Archer Aviation
Midnight
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
Ascendance Flight Technologies
Atea
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
Odys Aviation
Odys eVTOL
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
XTI Aircraft Company
TriFan 600
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
Lilium GmbH
Lilium Jet
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd
VX4
eVTOL – Urban Air Mobility
Eve Air Mobility
Eve
Regional Electric – Small
Maeve Aerospace
Maeve 01
Regional Electric – Small
Jekta
PHA-ZE 100
Regional Electric – Small
Heart Aerospace
ES-19
Programme Cancelled
Regional Electric – Small
Aura Aero
ERA
Regional Electric – Small
Heart Aerospace
ES-30
eVTOLs – Urban Air Mobility (UAM)
The competition is heating up, with Eve Air Mobility and Vertical Aerospace‘s VX4 at the forefront. Notably, Eve has won a remarkable number of orders even without a full-scale test flight, showing strong investor confidence. At the same time, other start-ups like Archer, Jaunt Air Mobility, Ascendance Flight Technologies, Volocopter, and AutoFlight are also making waves, each with about 200 orders in the past 12 months, indicating a growing interest in these eVTOL types.
Source: Cirium Fleet Analyzer, as at 31st December 2023
The order commitment landscape presented a picture of ambition and strategy, with North America leading significantly at over 3,300 orders, driven predominantly by the USA. Asia-Pacific followed with nearly 2,300 orders, where India, China, and Japan were the top contributors. Europe’s total orders stood at around 1,700, with the UK accounting for the largest share. Latin America showed a substantial number of orders at 550, mainly from Brazil.
Source: Cirium Fleet Analyzer, as at 31st December 2023
EHang First to Achieve Type Certification
In October 2023, EHang achieved a major milestone by receiving the world’s first type certification for an unmanned eVTOL, the EH216-S, from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). EHang aims to transform the experience of aerial sightseeing. The EHang EH216 orderbook includes commitments from different general aviation and business operators across Asia, with Indonesia’s Prestige Aviation ordering 101 units, China’s Shenzhen Boling Holding Group at 95 units, Malaysia’s Aerotree Flight Services Sdn Bhd at 61 units and Japan’s AirX Inc at 50 units.
Source: Cirium Fleet Analyzer, as at 31st December 2023
Business Electric – Multi-Engine
Source: Cirium Fleet Analyzer, as at 31st December 2023
In the business electric sector, Electra’s eSTOL has received more than 1,100 order commitments, including from notable clients like the helicopter lessor Bristow Group. However, the identities of the majority of these order commitments remain undisclosed. Electra’s eSTOL completed its inaugural all-electric test flight on 11 November, followed by a hybrid-electric flight on 19 November. Unlike eVTOLs, Electra’s eSTOL requires only 1/10th the length of a traditional runway, thanks to its advanced blown lift technology. This feature enables Electra’s eSTOL to offer flights to locations that lack space for conventional runways, significantly expanding potential air travel destinations and operational flexibility.
Learn more about Cirium On-Time Performance and download The 2023 Cirium On-Time Performance Review. Learn more about about how to improve Cirium data. Subscribe to never miss a new Cirium report.
GLOBAL SUMMARY – December 2023
While the majority of airlines saw a decrease in On-Time performance during the Christmas season, North American carriers maintained their supremacy in the global rankings in December. Despite a two-point decrease from the previous month, Delta Air Lines (DL) remained as the top airline in the Global category with an impressive OTP of 89.57%. Qatar Airways (QR) rose to second place with an OTP of 87.74%, which is a slight improvement from the previous month’s 86.06% OTP. United Airlines (UA) came in third place with an OTP of 85.80%, a near 3-point decline compared to last month’s performance. American Airlines (AA) slid to fourth place with an OTP of 84.31%, a 2-point decrease from last month’s performance. American Airlines was followed closely by Iberia (IB) with On-Time Performance of 84.30%. The Madrid-based airline, saw a near 2-point improvement over the previous month’s performance.
In APAC,Thai AirAsia (FD) took the top place in the Asia-Pacific leaderboard with an OTP of 84.09%, an impressive 4-point improvement over last month’s performance. Philippine Airlines (PR) secured the second spot, which had previously been held by Vietnam Airlines, with an OTP of 83.08%, a 1-point decrease over previous month’s performance. Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines (SQ) maintained its position in third place with an OTP of 83.01%. ANA (NH) climbed to fourth place in December with an OTP of 82.59% which was a slight improvement over last month’s OTP of 81.14%. AirAsia (AK), the regional leader last month, regressed to fifth place in December with an OTP of 81.93%. This was approximately a 5-point decline in performance compared to the previous month.
In North America, Despite the hectic holiday travel season and operations, Delta Air Lines (DL) as mentioned above concluded December strongly with an impressive OTP of 89.57%. United Airlines (UA) safely secured the second place with and OTP of 85.80%, albeit a near 3-point decline over last month’s performance. American Airlines (AA) remained in third place with an OTP of 84.31%, this was a 2-point decrease compared to the previous month’s performance. Despite the drops in United Airlines and American Airlines, these are still impressive numbers by the big three. Alaska Airlines (AS) finished in fourth position with an OTP of 83.12%, while Southwest Airlines (WN) ended in fifth place with an OTP of 80.76%, a nearly 4-point decrease over last month’s performance.
In Europe,Vueling (VY) replaced Austrian (OS) as the new leader in Europe this month with an OTP of 86.04%, a minor decrease from previous month’s OTP of 86.31%. Iberia Express (I2) came in second place with an On-Time Performance of 85.73%, this was a 2-point improvement over last month’s result. Aegean Airlines (A3), a new name among the top Europe region ranking, safely secured the third spot with an OTP of 85.14%. Iberia (IB) ascended from its seventh-place last month to fourth place this month with an OTP of 84.30%, a nearly 2-point increase as compared to last month’s OTP. With a 5-point decrease from last month’s performance, Transavia France (TO), which fell to fifth place from its fourth spot with an OTP of 79.07%.
In Latin America,Copa Airlines (CM) reclaimed the top spot in the Latin America region from Azul (AD) with an OTP of 86.46%, this was a massive 4-point improvement over last month’s performance. Azul (AD) slid to second place with an OTP of 82.35%, a 2-point decrease from last month’s performance. Avianca (AV) followed Azul in third place with an OTP of 82.19%, an impressive 5-point improvement over last month’s performance. LATAM Airlines (LA) and Gol (G3) concluded the month in fourth and fifth places with OTP of 81.04% and 77.75% respectively.
In the Middle East and Africa and LCCs,Safair (FA) concluded December with an excellent OTP of 93.38%, leading both the Middle East & Africa region and the Low-Cost Carrier categories. Oman Air (WY) remained in second place this month with an OTP result of 89.15%, a 3-point decline from last month’s performance. Qatar Airways (QR) came in third place again with an OTP of 87.74%. Gulf Air (GF) secured the fourth spot with an OTP of 83.97%, this was nearly a 2-point improvement compared to last month’s OTP. Gulf Air (GF) was closely followed by Royal Jordanian (RJ) with an OTP of 83.93% for the month of December.
GLOBAL SUMMARY – November 2023
After a record-breaking Thanksgiving holiday traffic and impressive airline operations, it was no surprise that North American airlines led the global category in November. Three of the region’s biggest carriers improved their performances from the previous month and appeared in the top 5 ranking. Delta Air Lines (DL) maintained its dominance in the region with an impressive OTP of 91.29%. United Airlines (UA) followed in second place with an OTP of 88.44%. With an OTP of 86.65%, American Airlines (AA) finally joined the global leaderboard this month in third place. Qatar Airways (QR) and Azul (AD) joined their North American counterparts at #4 and #5 respectively in the Global category.
In APAC, after its fifth place ranking last month, AirAsia (AK) made a near 5-point improvement in its performance this month and soared to the top of the Asia-Pacific region leaderboard. Vietnam Airlines (VN) came in second with an OTP of 86.28%, a 3-point improvement over last month’s performance. Philippine Airlines (PR) came in third with an OTP score of 84.27%. Peach Aviation (MM) and ANA (NH) came in at #4 and #5, with an OTP of 81.25% and 81.14% respectively.
In North America, With a remarkable OTP of 91.29% and during one of the busiest travel holidays, Delta Air Lines (DL) maintained its position as the leader in the North America region in November. United Airlines (UA) secured the second spot with an OTP of 88.44%, which is a two-point improvement over the previous month’s performance. Followed closely behind in third place was American Airlines (AA), with an OTP of 86.65%. With a 6-point improvement over last month’s performance, Southwest Airlines (WN) came in at #4 this month with an OTP of 84.52% followed by Alaska Airlines (AS) with an OTP score of 84.50%.
In Europe,Austrian (OS) is the new leader in the Europe Region this month with an OTP of 87.38%. With more than 5-points improvement over last month’s performance, Vueling (VY) finally made the top 5 ranking in second place with an OTP of 86.31%. With no change in On-Time Performance this month, Norwegian Air Shuttle (DY) slipped to third place with an OTP of 86.11%. On the other hand, Transavia France (TO) and Eurowings (EW) both made near 6-point improvements in performances in November and came in #4 and #5 with OTP of 84.49% and 84.22% respectively.
In Latin America,Azul (AD) is the new leader in the Latin America region this month, with an OTP of 84.49%. Despite a 2-point decline from last month’s performance, Caribbean Airlines (BW) maintained its second-place position in the region in November with an OTP of 83.96%. Copa Airlines (CM) followed Caribbean Airlines in third place with an OTP of 82.30%; a slight decline from its performance in October. Aeromexico (AM) and Sky Airlines (H2) both made improvements this month in their performances over the previous month and came in at #4 and #5, with an OTP of 81.79% and 79.13% respectively.
In the Middle East and Africa,Oman Air’s (WY) dominance was maintained this month with an OTP of 93%. Safair (FA) also sustained its position at number two with an OTP of 90.81%. Qatar Airways (QR) moved to the third spot in the region this month with an OTP of 87.56%, while Royal Jordanian (RJ) slid to fourth place with an OTP of 84.59%.
Among the LCCs,Safair (FA) is the leader in both the MEA region and the LCC category with a notable OTP of 93.99%; a 3-point improvement over last month’s performance. Safair’s improvement in performance was an exception among its peers this month. The remaining carriers in the top 5 ranking all experienced a decline in performance compared to October. Oman Air (WY) fell to second place this month with an OTP score of 92.68%, while Qatar Airways (QR) remained in third place with an OTP of 86.06%. Saudia (SV) and Gulf Air (GF) came in at #4 and #5, with OTP of 83.45% and 82.09% respectively.
GLOBAL SUMMARY – OCTOBER 2023
Delta Air Lines (DL) took the top spot from SA Avianca (AV) this month with an outstanding OTP of 90.84%. SA Avianca (AV) followed with an OTP of 88.78%, just a slight decline from its performance last month. Qatar Airways (QR) came in third place this month with an OTP of 87.56%. United Airlines (UA), a new name in the top five ranking, secured the fourth place this month with an OTP of 86.31%. United Airlines was followed closely by Aeromexico (AM), with an OTP of 86.08%.
In APAC,ANA (NH) is the new leader in the region with an OTP of 85.08%, a two-point improvement over the previous month’s performance. JAL (JL) retained its position in second place at the same OTP rate as the previous month (83.88%). With an OTP of 83.14%, Vietnam Airlines (VN) took the third spot in the APAC region.
In North America, with an impressive OTP of 90.84%, Delta Air Lines (DL) maintained its position as the top airline this month. This score was a 4-point improvement over the previous month’s performance. United Airlines (UA) secured the second place this month with an OTP of 86.31%. Alaska Airlines (AS) followed closely in third place with an equally impressive OTP score of 86.07%.
In Europe,Norwegian Air Shuttle (DY) is the leader in the region this month with an OTP of 86.10%. Iberia Express (I2) climbed to second place with an OTP score of 85.69%, while Austrian (OS) slid to the third spot with an OTP of 85.57% this month.
In Latin America, SA Avianca (AV) maintained its dominance this month with an OTP score of 88.78%. Caribbean Airlines (BW) followed closely behind at number two with an OTP of 86.47%, almost a 3-point improvement over their September OTP performance. Aeromexico (AM) ranked third in the region this month with an OTP of 86.08%.
In the Middle East and Africa,Oman Air’s (WY) dominance was maintained this month with an OTP of 93%. Safair (FA) also sustained its position at number two with an OTP of 90.81%. Qatar Airways (QR) moved to the third spot in the region this month with an OTP of 87.56%, while Royal Jordanian (RJ) slid to fourth place with an OTP of 84.59%.
Among the LCCs, With an OTP of 90.81%, Safair (FA) is once again the leader in the Low-Cost Carrier category this month. Jetstar Japan (GK) climbed to the second spot with an incredible OTP of 86.94%, while Norwegian Air Shuttle (DY) dropped to third place with an OTP of 86.10%.
Avianca (AV) continued its dominance in the global ranking this month with an OTP of 89.88%, almost a 3-point improvement from the previous month. Qatar Airways (QR) also maintained its position in the second spot with an OTP of 87.84%, also an improvement from their performance last month. Delta Air Lines (DL) came in third place in the global ranking with an OTP of 86.40% and showed an improvement of almost 4 points over last month. Delta was followed by Azul (AD) with an OTP of 85.71%.
In APAC, Thai AirAsia (FD) earned the top spot in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, with an OTP result of 87.52%, an improvement of nearly 7 points over its performance last month. Japan Airlines (JL) showed a remarkable 13-point improvement over last month’s performance and ascended to the second place with an OTP of 83.88%. Followed closely behind was Philippine Airlines (PR) with an OTP score of 83.38%. ANA (NH) and Singapore Airlines (SQ) joined the rankings at number 4 and 5, and achieved an OTP of 83.02% and 81.34% respectively.
In North America,Delta Air Lines (DL) led North American airlines with an OTP of 86.40%. This was nearly a 4-point improvement for the airline over its performance last month. Delta was followed by Alaska Airlines (AS) with an OTP of 83.81%. United Airlines (UA) switched ranks with Alaska Airlines this month in third place, with an OTP score of 82.54%.
In Europe,Norwegian Air Shuttle (DY) led the region this month with an OTP of 87.98%. Austrian (OS) followed Norwegian Air Shuttle in the second spot with an OTP score of 85.47%. Iberia Express (I2) safely secured the third spot with an OTP of 82.95%.
In Latin America,Avianca (AV) continued its dominance in the Latin America region with an OTP of 89.88%, a 3-point improvement from its performance last month. Copa Airlines (CM) followed Avianca in the second spot, also with an OTP of 89.88%. Azul (AD) came in third place with an OTP of 85.71%.
In the Middle East and Africa,Oman Air (WY) reclaimed the top spot this month with a remarkable OTP of 94.02%. Safair (FA) slid to second place with an OTP score of 92.29%, while Royal Jordanian (RJ) came in third place with an OTP score of 90.99%.
Among the LCCs,Safair (FA) maintained the top spot in the category with an OTP of 92.29%. Norwegian Air Shuttle (DY) joined the rankings this month at number 2 with an OTP of 87.98%, followed by Thai Air Asia (FD) with an OTP of 87.52%.
Avianca (AV) returned to the top spot in the Global category this month after briefly losing it to LATAM last month, with an OTP of 86.86%. Qatar Airways (QR) moved up and followed Avianca (AV) closely in the second spot with an OTP of 85.77%. Iberia (IB) ranked third among the top performing global airlines, with an OTP of 85.76%. Azul (AD) returned as a top performer in the global category this month with an OTP of 85.37%.
In APAC, AirAsia India (I5) rose to the top rank among APAC carriers with an OTP of 86.33%. Indigo (6E) maintained its second-place spot with an OTP of 84.98%. Air New Zealand (NZ) claimed the third spot with 82.81% of its flights arriving on schedule. Garuda (GA) returned as a top performer this month in the fourth spot, with an OTP of 82.60%.
In North America,Delta Air Lines (DL) returned as the leader this month in the North American category with an OTP of 82.80%. The top spot was briefly taken by Alaska (AS) the last two months. United Air Lines (UA) followed with an OTP of 81.61% at the second spot. Alaska Airlines (AS) took the third place with an OTP of 81.52%.
In Europe,Iberia (IB) continues to lead the region with an OTP of 85.76%. Norwegian Air Shuttle (DY) climbed to second place with 84.61% of its flights arriving on time. Austrian (OS) finished third with an OTP of 81.09%. Air Europa (UX) makes its debut this year among the top performers with an OTP of 80.42%.
In Latin America,Copa Airlines (CM) continues its dominance at the top spot in the Latin America category with an impressive OTP of 89.78%. Avianca (AV) and Azul (AD) came in second and third, with 86.86% and 85.37% OTP, respectively.
In the Middle East and Africa,Safair (FA) leads the region again this month with an OTP of 93.13%. Oman Air (WY), the five-month reigning leader slid to second place with an OTP of 90.39%, followed by Etihad Airways (EY) in third place with an OTP of 87.23%.
Among the LCCs,Safair (FA) is also the new leader in the LCC category with an OTP of 93.13%. Iberia Express (I2) and Spring Airlines Japan (IJ) claimed to the 2nd and 3rd spots with OTP of 88.70% and 86.76% respectively.
LATAM Airlines (LA) switched positions with Avianca (AV) this month with an OTP of 85.30% and 84.67% respectively. Saudia (SV) took the third position among the top performing global airlines with an OTP of 83.76%.
In APAC,JAL (JL) jumped to the top spot amongst APAC airlines with an OTP of 83.39%. Indigo (6E) followed with 82.04% and ANA (NH) with 81.80% of their flights arriving on-time.
In North America,Alaska Airlines (AS) for the second month in a row led North American carriers with an OTP of 82.03% over Delta Air Lines (DL) with an OTP of 78.55%. American Airlines (AA) took the third position with an OTP of 73.01%.
In Europe,Iberia (IB) led with an OTP of 80.75%. Finnair (AY) followed closely behind with 79.82% of their flights arriving on-time. Norwegian Air Shuttle (DY) was in the 3rd position with an OTP of 76.97%.
In Latin America,Copa Airlines (CM), a consistent top performer, leads the region with an OTP of 89.74%. Azul (AD) and LATAM Airlines (LA) followed respectively with 86.48% and 85.30% OTP percentages.
In the Middle East and Africa, the top airlines matched June rankings with Oman Air (WY) continuing to lead the region with an OTP of 90.73% followed by Royal Jordanian (RJ) with an OTP of 88.58% then Safair (FA) with an OTP of 88.32%.
Among the LCCs,Solaseed Air (6J) leads the category with an OTP of 89.87%. Safair (FA) was close behind with an OTP of 88.32% followed by Iberia Express (I2) with an OTP of 87.14%.
Avianca (AV) maintained the top spot amongst global airlines with an OTP of 86.61%. Following closely behind was LATAM Airlines (LA) with an 86.54% and Qatar Airways (QR) with 85% OTP.
In APAC,ANA (NH) continues to lead the region with 84.29% OTP. Air New Zealand (NZ) jumps to the 2nd position with 83.99% and IndiGo (6E) in 3rd with an 83.78%.
In North America,Alaska Airlines (AS) unseats Delta Air Lines for the top North American airline in June with an OTP of 80.33%. Delta Air Lines (DL) followed closely behind with an 79.73% OTP and American Airlines (AA) with 74.13% OTP.
In Europe,LOT Polish Airlines (LO) returns to the lead position in Europe with 82.72% of their flights arriving on-time, followed by Norwegian Air Shuttle (DY) with 82.02% OTP and Iberia (IB) with 80.89% OTP.
In Latin America,Copa Airlines (CM) continues to dominate the region with an OTP of 89.46%. Avianca (AV) and LATAM Airlines (LA) follow closely behind with OTP of 86.61% and 86.54% respectively.
In the Middle East and Africa,Oman Air (WY) leads the region gain this month with an OTP of 93.57%. Royal Jordanian (RJ) jumps to the 2nd position with an OTP of 88.17% followed by Safair (FA) with an OTP of 87.66%.
Among the LCCs,StarFlyer (7G) jumps to the lead position in the category with an OTP of 90.82%. Solaseed Air (6J) and Hong Kong Express (UO) maintain the 2nd and 3rd positions with OTP of 89.68% and 87.74% respectively.
Avianca (AV) improved their on-time performance (OTP) by almost 3 points in May, making them the top airline globally with an OTP of 89.51%. Delta Air Lines (DL) closely followed with an OTP of 88.86%, showing a significant improvement of 5 points compared to the previous month. LATAM Airlines (LA) came in third place with an OTP of 88.23%.
In APAC,ANA (NH) led the region with an OTP of 86.04%. JAL (JL) was a close second with an OTP of 85.86% and Indigo (6E) in third with an OTP of 85.01%.
In North America,Delta Air Lines (DL) was the North American leader once again with an OTP of 88.86%. Alaska Airlines (AS) followed with an OTP of 84.69% and American Airlines (AA) with an OTP of 83.91%.
In Europe,Norwegian Air Shuttle (DY) took the lead in May with an on-time performance (OTP) of 89.25%, surpassing the previous leader LOT Polish Airlines (LO) with an OTP of 88.68%. Iberia (IB) secured the third position with an OTP of 86.63%.
In Latin America,Copa Airlines (CM) continues to lead the region with an OTP of 93.44%. Avianca (AV) and Azul (AD) follow closely behind with OTP of 89.51% and 89.03% respectively.
In the Middle East and Africa,Oman Air (WY) lead the region this month with an OTP of 95.08% followed by Safair (FA) with an OTP of 93.56% and Gulf Air (GF) with an OTP of 89.37%.
Among the LCCs,Safair (FA) continues to lead the category with an OTP of 93.56%, an improvement of just over 3 points from the previous month. Solaseed (6J) and Hong Kong Express (UO) follow with an OTP of 93.09% and 92.78% respectively.
Air New Zealand (NZ) Emerges as the Leader in the APAC Region, and LOT Polish Airlines (LO) Secures the Top Spot Among European Airlines
Iberia (IB) is the global leader in the Global Airlines category with an OTP of 87.28%, a 6pt improvement from March. Avianca (AV) follows closely behind with an OTP of 86.83% and LATAM (LA) with an OTP of 85.80%.
In APAC,Air New Zealand (NZ) is the new leader in APAC region with an OTP of 84.55%, an improvement of 6pts from March. IndiGo (6E) follows tightly behind with an OTP of 84.49%, a decline of just over 4pts from the previous month. JAL (JL) takes the the 3rd position with an OTP of 83.95%.
In North America,Delta Air Lines (DL) continues to lead all carriers in the region with an OTP of 83.29%. Delta is followed by Alaska (AS) with an OTP of 82.02% and American Airlines (AA) with an OTP of 78.95%.
In Europe,LOT Polish Airlines (LO) jumps to the top spot amongst European airlines with a strong OTP result of 89.25%. LOT Polish Airlines is followed closely by Iberia (IB) with an OTP of 87.28% and Norwegian Air Shuttle (DY) with an OTP of 87.15%.
In Latin America,Copa Airlines (CM) continues to lead the region with an OTP of 93.26%. Avianca (AV) and Azul (AD) follow closely behind with OTP of 86.83% and 86.38% respectively.
In the Middle East and Africa,Oman Air (WY) maintains the top position with an OTP of 92.58%, just edging Safair (FA) with an OTP of 92.20%. Royal Jordanian (RJ) follows with OTP of 87.74%.
Among the LCCs,Safair (FA) continues to lead the category with an OTP of 92.20%. Solaseed (6J) and Norwegian Air Shuttle (DY) follow with an OTP of 89.69% and 87.15% respectively.
New Leaders Azul and IndiGo Emerge in Global and APAC
Azul (AD) is the new leader in the Global Airlines category. Azul takes the leadership position from KLM (KL) this month with an OTP of 89.87%. This is also more than a 4pt improvement from their performance last month (84.37%). ANA (NH) follows Azul with an OTP of 87.24%, also showing a 5pt improvement from last month (82.30%).
In APAC,IndiGo (6E) is the new leader in the APAC region. IndiGo takes the lead position with an OTP of 89.02% from Thai AirAsia (FD) who had led the pack for two consecutive months. Vietnam Airlines (VN) makes a remarkable improvement to their OTP performance this month (85.00%) over last month (78.42%) to make their debut in the top 5 ranking at #4.
In North America, with an OTP of 80.93%, Delta Air Lines (DL) continues to lead the North America region. This is a slight decline from its performance last month (84.82%). Alaska (AS) follows Delta closely at #2, with an OTP of 79.57%. The North American airlines experienced a decline in performance because of the Spring break holiday traffic and with the series of bad weather systems. This is evident in the OTP performance of the top 5 performers this month.
In Europe,Austrian Airlines (OS) is once again the leader in the Europe region with an OTP of 88.66%. This is a decline from their last month’s performance (91.09%). LOT Polish (LO) follows Austrian closely with an OTP of 88.32%; an improvement from their previous month’s performance (85.62%).
In Latin America, for three consecutive months, Copa Airlines (CM) is the leader in the Latin America region. With an OTP of 92.14%, the Panama-based airline maintains its lead in the region. Azul (AD) follows Copa at #2 with an OTP of 89.87%. This is more than a 5pt improvement in their last month performance (84.37%).
In the Middle East and Africa,Oman Air (WY) takes the lead back from Safair (FA) this month with an OTP of 94.98%. Safair however follows Oman Air closely at #2 with an OTP of 93.68%; a slight decline from their performance last month (94.89%).
Among the LCCs,Safair (FA) maintains its lead in the Low-Cost category this month with an OTP of 93.68%; a slight decline from their performance last month (94.89%). StarFlyer (7G) follows Safair at #2 with an OTP of 92.28%; although a small reduction from their performance last month (92.85%).
KLM is the New Leader in the Global Airlines Category
With an OTP of 89.66%, KLM (KL) airline takes the top spot from Iberia. The airline makes a 3pt improvement from their last month’s performance (86.20%). Iberia (IB) follows closely with an OTP of 89.57%; also showing a 3pt improvement from last month (86.60%).
In APAC, Thai AirAsia (FD) is once again the leader in the APAC region with an OTP of 89.03%; a slight decline from their January performance (90.68%). IndiGO (6E) and China Southern (CZ) make their debut in the top five at #2 (87.78%) and #5 (82.99%) respectively.
In North America,Delta Air Lines (DL) maintains its lead in the North America region with an OTP of 84.82%; nearly 5pts higher than last month’s performance (79.88%). This is not an isolated incident in the region. All the top five performers showed improvement from last month and December. Southwest Airlines (WN) follows Delta at #2 with an OTP of 82.43%; a remarkable improvement from December’s performance (69.40%).
In Europe,Austrian Airlines (OS) is the new leader in the Europe region. With an impressive OTP of 91.09%, the airline takes the lead from Air Europa (UX). Like its North American counterparts, all the European top performers showed significant improvement from last month and December.
In Latin America,Copa Airlines (CM) maintains its lead in the Latin America region this month with an impressive OTP of 94.39%. Sky Airlines (H2) once again follows Copa at number 2; with an OTP of 89.02%. VivaAir (VH) makes its debut in the top five ranking this month at #4 with an OTP of 86.16%.
In the Middle East and Africa,Safair (FA) is the new leader in the Middle East & Africa region. The South African-based airlines takes the lead from Oman Air (WY) with an OTP of 94.89%. But Oman Air follows closely at #2 with an OTP of 92.88%. Ethiopian Airlines (ET) makes its debut in the top 5 ranking this month in the region at #5 with an OTP of 86.03; almost a 10pt improvement from its performance last month (75.48%).
Among the LCCs, with an OTP of 94.89, Safair (FA) also takes the lead from Solaseed this month in the Low-Cost Carriers category.
Iberia Continues to Be in Top the Leadership Spots
Iberia (IB) starts the year off with a strong performance and takes the lead with an OTP of 86.80%, almost a four-point improvement from December (82.91%). After missing in the top 10 last month, Latam Airlines (LA) appears in this month’s top 5 ranking at number 4 with an OTP of 86.19%. Aeromexico (AM) finishes at number 5 with an OTP of 85.30%; a vast improvement from last month (77.24%).
In APAC, Thai AirAsia (FD) is the leader in the APAC region this month with an OTP of 90.68%. Air China (CA) follows in second place with an OTP of 87.60%. Lucky Air (8L) and Shenzhen Airlines (ZH) make their debut in the top five and follow each other very closely at number 4 and 5 respectively; and OTP of 85.58% and 85.24%. This month no Indian airlines feature in the top ten, seasonal weather conditions playing their part in disrupting schedules.
In North America,Delta Air Lines (DL) continues to lead in North America with an OTP of 79.88%. American Airlines (AA) follows very closely at number two with an OTP of 79.76%. This is an improvement from December’s performance (76.04%) for the Texas-based airline.
In Europe, Air Europa (UX) is the new leader in the Europe region, with an OTP of 88.68%. This is a huge improvement for Air Europa who finished fourth last month with an OTP of 79.46%. Vueling (VY) returns to the top 5 ranking at number 2 with an OTP of 88.67%: nearly missing the top spot after missing for almost nine months.
In Latin America,Copa Airlines (CM) is the new leader in the Latin America region. The Panama City-based airline returns to the top spot with an impressive OTP of 90.79%. Copa is followed by Sky Airlines (H2) at number 2; with an OTP of 87.73%; an improvement in performance from last month (84.19%).
In the Middle East and Africa,Oman Air (WY) continues to lead in the MEA region; with an impressive OTP of 92.14%. Royal Jordanian (RJ) follows at number two with an OTP of 89.90%.
Among the LCCs,Solaseed Air (6J) takes the lead from Sky Airline as the leader in this category with an OTP of 92.23%; an improvement from last month (88.36%). StarFlyer (7F) and Thai AirAsia (FD) follow closely at #2 (90.71%) and #3 (90.68%) respectively.
You can find out more on Cirium’s On-Time Performance portfolio and download reports here.
Luis Felipe de Oliveria, Director General, ACI World
According to ACI World, 2024 is expected to be a milestone for global passenger traffic as it reaches 9.4 billion passengers, surpassing the year 2019 that welcomed 9.2 billion passengers (102.5% of the 2019 level).
Upside factors include the consolidation of the reopening of the Chinese market and surge in domestic travel, supply chain disruptions gradually subsiding, and inflation slowing down.
While downside risks remain present, we continue to witness the dedicated efforts and commitment of ACI airport members and partners—such as their on-time performance—and we are filled with optimism about the industry’s future.
The airport categories in the On-Time Performance Review are based on the current level of flight activity. American airports reached great results with Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport (MSP) leading in the Global and Large airport categories. American Airports – Salt Lake City International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport take fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth place respectively in the Global category. Indian airports strengthen their on-time performance and continue last year’s trend – Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and Kempegowda International Airport leap to second and third place in both the Global and Large Airport categories.
Japanese airports continue to prove their on-time performance lead with Osaka International Airport holding first position in the Medium Airport category, while Chubu Centrair International Airport takes second position in the Small Airport category.
Latin American airports make significant headway in all airport categories; Mariscal Sucre International Airport leads in the Small Airport category and Jose Joaquin de Olmedo Airport achieve third place; Tocumen International Airport, Jorge Chavez International Airport, and Brasilia International Airport secure second, third and fourth in the Medium airports category; and El Dorado International Airport the fourth in the Global and Large airports categories–all participating in the top 5 of their respective groups.
Their stellar performance could not be better timed: Latin America and the Caribbean is in fact forecasted by ACI World to be the first region to surpass its 2019 level, reaching 707 million passengers, or 102.9% of the 2019 level by the end of 2023.
It is clear that airlines’ performance is attached to airport results and vice versa, showing once more the joint efforts to build efficiency with benefits for passengers and the whole aviation ecosystem. Congratulations to the top airports in each of the categories for their exceptional on-time performance as we continue to build a sustainable aviation ecosystem fit to welcome current and future travellers with efficiency, performance, and an exceptional passenger experience. We can only operate successfully and reach new heights as an ecosystem when all aviation stakeholders come together around the needs of passengers and communities worldwide.
The forecast shows that between 2023-2042, 45,200 new passenger aircraft will be delivered at an estimated value of $3.2 trillion.
Freight capacity is forecast to grow 4.1% annually compared with 2022.
Airbus and Boeing remain the two dominant commercial aircraft OEMs, between them delivering an estimated 89% of aircraft through to 2042.
LONDON, JANUARY 11, 2024 – Cirium, the world’s most trusted source of aviation analytics, has today published its 2023 Fleet Forecast, through the Cirium Ascend Consultancy, revealing that annual passenger aircraft deliveries are set to exceed $100 billion in 2024.
The forecast, which enters its eleventh year of publication, also predicts that freight capacity will grow 4.1% annually compared with 2022, and that 3,590 freighter aircraft will be supplied over the next 20 years, including 1,060 new build aircraft and 2,530 conversions from passenger aircraft.
Airbus and Boeing will continue to dominate the commercial aircraft manufacturing space, with a combined delivery projection of 89% of all aircraft through to 2042.
Figure 1 Forecast deliveries 2023-2042
Rob Morris, Head of Consultancy, at Cirium Ascend Consultancy, said: “With global traffic almost back to 2019 levels, the increased levels of order activity in 2023 shows that the airline industry’s new growth cycle is gaining momentum. The 2023 Cirium Fleet Forecast predicts new deliveries will total $3.2 trillion over the next 20 years.
The CFF capacity modelling gives an independent view of future demand for aircraft and questions such as: are higher single-aisle production volumes justified? What will be shares between A321neo and 737-10, A350-1000 and 777-9, A350F and 777-8F? Airbus and Boeing are forecast to take almost 90% of the market but when could they introduce new programmes and what market share will new Chinese programmes take?”
From a regional perspective, Asia will continue to lead the way, with China forecast to have the highest passenger capacity growth rate at over 8%.
This will make it the largest single country in the region for deliveries, with a 19% share of global deliveries, ahead of all other Asia-Pacific countries with a combined share of 24%.
North American airlines follow with 20% and Europe with 18%. Middle East airlines will take 7% of deliveries, but the share rises to 11% in value terms due to the rich mix of higher value twin-aisle deliveries.
Figure 2 Forecast new deliveries 2023-2042 by airline region
The Cirium Fleet Forecast adopts a scenario-based approach that favours examining the most up to date information available, combined with expert commentary and analysis. This year’s forecast is based on the recently adjusted version of Ascend’s 2022 Recovery Scenario 7, which is detailed in the full Fleet Forecast report.
About Cirium Cirium® is the world’s most trusted source of aviation analytics. The company delivers powerful data and cutting-edge analytics to empower a wide spectrum of industry players. It equips airlines, airports, travel enterprises, aircraft manufacturers, and financial entities with the clarity and intelligence they need to optimize their operations, make informed decisions, and accelerate revenue growth.
Cirium® is part of LexisNexis® Risk Solutions, a RELX business, which provides information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. The shares of RELX PLC are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX.
Delta Air Lines celebrates its third consecutive year as Cirium’s Platinum Award winner for global operational excellence.
Avianca Airlines emerges as the global leader in punctuality.
Delta Air Lines also comes out on top in North America, with Iberia Express leading in Europe, Copa in Latin America, ANA in Asia Pacific, and Oman Air in the Middle East and Africa. Safair triumphs as the leading low-cost carrier.
Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport stands out as the top global airport performer in 2023.
LONDON, JANUARY 2, 2024 – In an industry synonymous with operational complexity, Cirium, the world’s most trusted source of aviation analytics, today announces its much-anticipated 2023 On-Time Performance Review that celebrates operating excellence. This year’s winners, hailing from every corner of the globe, have not only risen to the occasion but have set new benchmarks in operational performance and punctuality.
Delta Air Lines has been honored with the Cirium Platinum Award for the third year running, a demonstration of its commitment to operational performance and minimizing passenger disruption.
Along with Delta winning the Cirium Platinum Award, the airline also topped the rankings for being the most on-time airline in North America. The coveted position of the most on-time Global airline went to Avianca Airlines, based in Bogota, Colombia. The winners in the other regions are ANA for Asia Pacific, Oman Air for the Middle East and Africa, Copa in Latin America, and Iberia Express in Europe. Safair was the leading low-cost carrier and Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport was the top airport performer globally. More in-depth results are available below and download the 2023 On-Time Performance Review for the full results.
An on-time flight is defined as a flight that arrives within 15 minutes of the scheduled gate arrival. For an airport, it is defined as departing within 15 minutes of its scheduled departure.
Their relentless pursuit of efficiency and punctuality is commendable as we venture into 2024, a year brimming with promise for the aviation sector.
Jeremy Bowen, CEO of Cirium, remarks, “It’s incredible to witness Delta Air Lines winning its third consecutive Platinum Award and topping the North American Category. Other airline and airport winners steered through the year’s operational hurdles with exceptional performance. Their relentless pursuit of efficiency and punctuality is commendable as we venture into 2024, a year brimming with promise for the aviation sector.”
Now in its 15th year, the Cirium On-Time Performance program continues to meticulously monitor global airline operational performance. Our extensive and unbiased data, derived from over 600 real-time information sources, is essential for industry stakeholders. Our data encompasses airlines, airports, global distribution systems, civil aviation authorities, and more, ensuring a comprehensive and neutral perspective.
The company’s data and analytics are based on the widest and deepest pool of information collected and curated from more than 600 sources of real-time flight information.
Cirium is continuing to lead the way, worldwide, in monitoring aviation on-time performance in the New Year, as the industry adjusts to post-pandemic norms. The company’s data and analytics are designed to provide industry stakeholders with a neutral, third-party perspective, based on the widest and deepest pool of information collected and curated from more than 600 sources of real-time flight information.
These include the airlines themselves, airports, global distribution systems, positional data, civil aviation authorities, air navigation service providers, proprietary data partnerships and the internet. Cirium’s on-time performance data is backed by a completely independent board of advisors, comprised of industry experts with an unbiased view of the aviation sector. The board’s oversight ensures accuracy and proper representation of all the information the company presents.
About Cirium Cirium® is the world’s most trusted source of aviation analytics. The company delivers powerful data and cutting-edge analytics to empower a wide spectrum of industry players. It equips airlines, airports, travel enterprises, aircraft manufacturers, and financial entities with the clarity and intelligence they need to optimize their operations, make informed decisions, and accelerate revenue growth.
Cirium® is part of LexisNexis® Risk Solutions, a RELX business, which provides information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. The shares of RELX PLC are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX.
Azul Airlines has been the fastest growing airline in Brazil since they commenced operations in December 2008 and currently have the largest airline network in the country in terms of cities served, with service to more than 100 destinations, and 792 daily flights. Azul leverages Cirium data to help improve operations and to deliver superior customer experience to their millions of customers worldwide.
Learn more in our Q&A below.
Q: Last year, Azul not only won Cirium’s on-time performance in the Latin America region (Mainline and Network), but had a historical win, as the first Latin America airline to win the Global Mainline category in Cirium’s 14 years of reporting. What do you think is behind this historic achievement and remarkable performance for Azul?
Jeremy Bowen, Cirium Chief Executive Officer; John Rodgerson, Chief Executive Officer of Azul Airlines; Mike Malik, Cirium Chief Marketing Officer
A: “I could not be more proud of our operation and our crewmembers, which led Azul to be not only the most on-time airline in the world, but also the airline with one of the highest customer satisfaction metrics. Demand for Azul’s products and services has never been stronger, and we remain optimistic about the opportunities ahead of us in the second half of the year, seasonally our strongest period.
At Azul, we have the most passionate Crewmembers who are obsessed with Customer service. And this service always starts with a punctual airline operation. We have a complex operation flying to over 160 cities around the world, with many different types of aircraft, which makes this achievement even more impressive. This is truly a team effort and I am proud to be part of this team”. Says John Rodgerson, CEO of Azul.
“I could not be more proud of our operations and our crewmembers, which led Azul to be not only the most on-time airline in the world, but also the airline with one of the highest customer satisfaction metrics.”
John Rodgerson, Chief Executive Officer, Azul Airlines
Q: How has the Cirium’s data helped Azul to conduct operations differently and efficiently?
A: With Cirium’s data, Azul achieved a better level of real-time operation tracking.
It allows us to keep track of operational information from other Airlines (national and international), identifying possible gaps and opportunities of improvement. When the performance of several companies at the same airport declines, for example, this could be a problem at the airport and not necessarily a gap in a company process.
Cirium’s data encourages Azul to always get better and maintain our leadership with a high level of service and operational performance. Always focused on our customer centric culture with a great and safe on-time performance.
Q: What were the critical organizational and operational changes Azul made during the pandemic?
A: During the pandemic, we promoted several transformations in the customer experience based on new customer needs. One of the leading behavioral changes we identified was social distancing at boarding time. It made customers much more sensitive to the company when boarding the aircraft, becoming a crucial factor in choosing an airline. That way, we created the “Tapete Azul | Blue Carpet”, a disruptive technology applied during boarding time.
The system provides safer, more organized, and agile boarding. We also successfully created touchless solutions, which resulted in more security for our customers, such as: self-service adoption at check-in and self-drop baggage.
Q: How have you tried to foster a culture based on data-driven decision making?
A: We created an environment based on data to support decisions and analyses. We always bring together all the stakeholders involved in a subject (creating concepts, indicators, very visual dashboards…) to monitor our results. It’s very important to have data teams united thinking and working together.
“We have a team focused on analyzing operational data, which feeds the company with various indicators and dashboards (historical and in real time). Such information are essential to evaluate and improve the company’s performance. This team investigate the past and monitor the present in order to be prepared for the future.”
Daniel Tkacz, Operational Vice President, Azul Airlines
Q: How valuable do you think a partnership with Cirium will contribute to the future success of Azul?
A: Currently in the world, those who have data can assemble information and especially with Cirium products we can have strategic decisions and follow-ups, and the sharing of this information generates healthy competition between companies in the sector and makes Azul always want to improve. It’s a win-win relationship.
See the full version of the Cirium and Azul Airlines Q&A
Technology can bring the promise of efficiency, cost savings and improved services. In a networked system, like aviation, common data formats that are recognized across an industry are critical. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) Standard Schedules Information Manual (SSIM) format is one such format that enables airlines to easily access and work with global schedules data.
As Cirium is a leading provider of Schedules data, in this article we will take a comprehensive look at IATA SSIM format and how airlines use it. For Cirium customers, SSIM is the foundation for profitable routes, efficient networks and a great traveler experience.
What is the IATA SSIM Format?
IATA SSIM is a standard format that airlines use to exchange flight schedules that enable itinerary creation, and other schedule-related functions with GDSs (global distribution systems) and other aviation stakeholders. The SSIM format includes structured data elements such as flight numbers, departure and arrival times, airport codes, aircraft types, and other information. These elements are defined in a specific order that forms a structural hierarchy. The SSIM format is flexible and can accommodate variations in flight schedules depending on flight frequency, days of operation, aircraft equipment, and seasonal variations.
How is the IATA SSIM Format Used?
SSIM is a critical cog in how airlines communicate and exchange data. Airlines use the SSIM format to exchange schedule and route data with GDSs and other stakeholders. GDSs use this data to sell airline tickets, update flight schedules, and manage airline inventory. The SSIM format is also used to update airport and air traffic control systems with the latest flight information.
Airline operations teams use the SSIM format to develop and manage flight schedules, monitor route performance, and analyze trends in the aviation industry.
In addition, airlines also use the SSIM format to share codeshare and interline agreements with other airlines.
Benefits of Using the IATA SSIM Format
The SSIM format offers several benefits to airlines, GDSs, and other stakeholders. First, it ensures standardized and consistent data across all airlines and systems, which reduces errors and increases automation. Secondly, it supports automated data synchronization between airlines and GDSs, which reduces the time and resources required for manual data entry. Finally, the SSIM format allows for faster and more accurate updates to flight schedules, which enhances reliability and improves customer satisfaction.
Challenges of Using the IATA SSIM Format
Despite its benefits, the SSIM format also poses some challenges for airlines. One of the biggest challenges is the high level of expertise required to develop and manage SSIM data. For example, it is a fixed-position (non-delimited) text file, harping back to mainframe days, with various record types, requiring special ETL tooling making it difficult to properly ingest and parse. Additionally for most analytics purposes, the SSIM is not turnkey, in that it uses summarization to reflect ranges of flight operations across time periods. And, there can be certain levels of data overlap within SSIM that may need to be deduplicated or otherwise interpreted properly for analytics. This can result in higher training and staffing costs for airlines. Finally, there is the need for frequent updates to the data due to changes in flight schedules or route changes, which can take longer than expected to implement.
Cirium is keenly aware of these challenges and has worked tirelessly with airlines around the globe to ingest, process, correct and normalize schedule data. Our team of experts support airlines and their stakeholders around the globe to help customers unlock the full potential of SSIM and schedule data more broadly.
Future of the IATA SSIM Format
The aviation industry is constantly evolving, and so is the SSIM format. IATA is constantly evaluating changes and enhancements of the SSIM format that will improve data structure and ensure better integration across airlines, GDS systems and other stakeholders. Future enhancements should hopefully offer greater flexibility and reduce the need for manual data entry. With the rise of automation and artificial intelligence in the aviation industry, the SSIM format is likely to become even more important in the years to come.
Overall, the SSIM format is a critical tool that airlines use to manage their flight schedules, exchange route data with GDSs, and ensure consistent and reliable service for their customers.
As the aviation industry continues to evolve, the SSIM format will play a critical role in facilitating automation, enhancing efficiency, and providing reliable service to millions of passengers worldwide. Cirium is committed to the industry and supporting our customers around the globe. Learn more about Cirium schedules data.
If you would like to learn more about Cirium SSIM, other schedule data options or how schedule data can be fused and enriched with Cirium broader data portfolio that powers the aviation industry, please schedule time with one of our experts.
Cirium’s CO2 emissions calculations, commended by American Airlines and Virgin Atlantic for accuracy, are now available in Cirium Sky
The Cirium Sky, aviation data warehouse, provides secure cloud access to Cirium’s comprehensive datasets
Cirium Sky democratizes data and unifies it in one place enabling it to drive operational efficiencies and faster decision making
The air travel industry now has easy access to the most accurate carbon emissions data from the aviation analytics firm, Cirium, through its new aviation data warehouse, Cirium Sky.
Jeremy Bowen, CEO at Cirium said: “We developed Cirium Sky to offer a single-source solution to the market, where businesses can access Cirium’s extensive data warehouse in the cloud, at any time or place.
The level of precision and accuracy of Cirium’s CO2 emissions calculations for flights far exceeds estimates available today and accessing this data via Cirium Sky enables our clients to fulfill their sustainability objectives faster and more cost effectively.”
Cirium Sky enables our clients to fulfill their sustainability objectives faster and more cost effectively.
Jeremy Bowen
As the aviation industry rebuilds from the impact of the pandemic, the need for businesses to report on their Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) footprint has increasingly taken center stage.
Reducing aviation’s emissions will require for airlines, airports, Air Service Navigation Providers (ANSPs), aircraft financiers and manufacturers, and travel companies to use accurate data which considers many variables that can impact a flight’s emissions, including but not limited to, aircraft and engine specifications, airline schedules and actual flight operations.
Andrew O’Connor, VP of Journey and Sustainability at Cirium said: “We have seen a lack of consistency in the flight emissions reporting so far, which has driven less consensus on agreed metrics to be used to measure emissions effectively.
The Cirium team is on a mission to establish the standard for accurate carbon emissions data and are focused on historical and predicted fuel burn and emissions per aircraft, the flight and the cabin seat class. These building blocks are core to almost all aviation sustainability use cases.”
These building blocks are core to almost all aviation sustainability use cases.
Andrew O’Connor
Cirium Sky leverages the latest technology to democratize data and unify it in one place to enable businesses to identify operational inefficiencies, lower costs, reduce financial risks, and identify new service opportunities.
With the availability of comprehensive historical and predicted aircraft fuel burn and CO2 emissions data, Cirium Sky offers the most complete and deepest range of aviation datasets in the industry, including global schedules and connections, flight status, air traffic management, weather, global aircraft fleet, and fares and passenger traffic
The accuracy of Cirium’s data and analytics is supported by strong data partnerships with over 900 airlines, airports worldwide, ADS-B satellite tracking, Global Distribution Systems (GDS) and more.
About Cirium Cirium® is the world’s most trusted source of aviation analytics. The company delivers powerful data and cutting-edge analytics to empower a wide spectrum of industry players. It equips airlines, airports, travel enterprises, aircraft manufacturers, and financial entities with the clarity and intelligence they need to optimize their operations, make informed decisions, and accelerate revenue growth.
Cirium® is part of LexisNexis® Risk Solutions, a RELX business, which provides information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. The shares of RELX PLC are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX.
System Wide Information Management (SWIM) is a global Air Traffic Management (ATM) industry initiative to harmonize the exchange of aeronautical, weather and flight information for airspace users like airlines, airports, and other stakeholders. Where implemented, SWIM is essential to providing the most efficient and safe use of airspace, managing air traffic around weather, and increasing common situational awareness on the ground. Through effective exchange of flight-related information, airspace users and controllers have access to the most current information that may be affecting their area of responsibility in real-time. SWIM helps improve decision-making and streamline information-sharing for improved planning and execution.
The benefits of SWIM to enable better and faster decisions through information sharing and enhanced situational awareness are unquestionable and overall SWIM implementations enable the ATM systems around the globe to accommodate the growing aviation demand enabling safe and efficient air travel.
However, airlines and other aviation stakeholders face challenges in their attempts to fully realize the power of SWIM due to;
The increasing complexity of the data in terms of volume and breadth, with estimates of annual global aircraft data production reaching 98 million terabytes by the year 2026
The difficulty in integrating legacy SWIM technologies which have been in existence for almost 20-years is challenging
The costs in time and infrastructure necessary to ingest, normalize and model the data into a usable format.
Ultimately, understanding how SWIM fits into an organizations’ digital-transformation strategy is an important, foundational strategic element. Combining SWIM data into their business intelligence initiatives can bring a much needed 360-degree view of flights that benefits an airline’s operation, safety, forecasting, customer satisfaction and more.
At Cirium we are focused on making SWIM more accessible and easier to integrate into an airline or other aviation stakeholders’ digital initiatives. While real-time situational awareness is the primary benefit of SWIM, that data is packed with tremendous historical insights. Solutions such as Cirium Sky, a managed data warehouse for airlines, make SWIM more accessible and fuses that data with comprehensive schedule and related flight information such as flight status, fleet information, weather and more. With all this fully contextualized data available in near real-time and historically with modern interfaces, aviation stakeholders can better integrate SWIM throughout their organization.
SWIM in Action
Traffic Management Initiatives (TMIs) are one core components of SWIM and are programs that ATC may use to balance demand and capacity to ensure the safety and efficiency of a national airspace. These initiatives can take a few forms; ground stops, ground delays, airspace/airport closures – depending on the need and situation. Some TMIs are used to manage excess demand at a congested airport. Other TMIs are used to manage traffic issues in the enroute environment. While TMIs apply to the day of operation to make tactical decisions related to flights, a great deal can be learned from post-flight analysis to identify patterns which can aid in the creation of better plans/schedules or inform prediction models to drive more accurate ETA/ETDs and manage disruptions more proactively.
Here is a simple example of how Cirium Sky can deliver insights to Airline Operation Analysts on the impact of ground stops (a TMI in which aircraft that are instructed to remain on the ground at their origination airports due to a constraint at their destination airport) or Ground Delay Program (a TMI that delays aircraft at their departure airport to reconcile demand with capacity at their arrival airport). Flights are assigned departure times, which in turn regulate their arrival time at the impacted airport.
In our example, Lisa is a post-operations analyst for a major US airline. She is tasked with analyzing the impact of several TMIs in the US for the month of September 2021. Leveraging a simple dashboard, she created and powered by Cirium Sky, she can view the TMIs issued across the US for the month representing 18 ground delays and ground stops, directly impacting 1,060 flights across 74 operating carriers – resulting in 37,794 delay minutes.
Lisa notices TMI activity issued for Las Vegas (McCarran International Airport) and wants to analyze what occurred. By clicking on LAS she can see that during this period there were two TMI issues for WIND conditions impacting a total of 304 flights across 31 operating carriers resulting in 10,262 minutes of total delay with an average delay of 48.18 minutes per impacted flight.
Further, by leveraging the available SWIM data via Cirium Sky, Lisa identifies affected routes, a breakdown of the flights impacted by operating airline, delay minutes by airline and a breakdown of disruption type.
Additionally, she can visualize the disruption impact direction (arrival or departures) and disruption outcomes for the impacted flights including cancellations or diversions.
Finally, Lisa can drill down into flight detail. She notices that 16 impacted flights resulted in diversions and can easily see the detail of those 16 flights.
The results of her analysis can inform the airline’s planning and operations efforts and prepare teams to better handle similar situations in the future.
As you can see from this single use-case, it becomes clear how SWIM data combined with schedule, flight, and fleet data fits into an airline’s digital transformation strategy. SWIM data provides important contextual data that helps analysts fully understand where and when TMIs are likely to happen, how they impact operations, and helps to improve their ability to anticipate and adapt to them.
SWIM provides much more information and insights beyond TMIs, with data spanning air traffic flow management, clearance times, taxi-times, runway utilization and more can provide an organization the ability to drive more efficiency, maximize utilization, create more resilient flight schedules to minimize the impact of disruptions while delivering high on-time performance.
Cirium is committed to help the aviation industry achieve its digital transformation goals. Please contact one our representatives to discuss how Cirium can facilitate your digital transformation.
