Analytics company Cirium has named South African budget airline FlySafair the world’s most on-time low-cost carrier.
Cirium noted in its On-Time Performance Review 2023: Airlines & Airports annual report that the airline had led the charge among all low-cost carriers globally last year, with 92,36% of its 55 444 flight operations arriving on time. In second place was Brazilian carrier Azul (AD), which operated 310 972 flights with an on-time performance (OTP) arrival of 85,51%, while Hong Kong Express (UD) achieved an OTP arrival of 85,23% on 23 761 flights.
With delays costing the industry an estimated US$1 billion (R18,75 billion) each year, OTP is key in the sustainability of the aviation industry.
“On-time performance directly correlates with customer satisfaction and efficient aircraft utilisation, which are the core strengths of low-cost airlines… Timeliness is crucial for a business model that relies on maximising aircraft utilisation and minimising costly flight delays that have a direct impact on operating costs,” says Cirium in its report.
