Delta Named Most Punctual Airline in 2025, But There's a Catch

A new study from Cirium has determined the most punctual American airline—with one caveat.

According to Cirum’s On-Time Performance Review 2025 study, Delta Air Lines is the most punctual U.S. airline, with 80.9 percent of its 1.8 million flights arriving on time throughout the previous year. Cirium defines “on time” arrivals as “the percentage of flights departing or arriving within 15 minutes” of the posted time. This is Delta’s fifth year in a row claiming the top title, so its inclusion is hardly surprising.