Air India has been ranked fourth in Cirium’s On-Time Performance Report for June 2026, making it the only Indian airline to feature in the global top five.
Air India has become the only Indian airline to make it into the global top five for on-time performance, ranking fourth in the on-time performance report released by aviation analytics firm Cirium in June 2026.
The Indian airline ranked fourth. The airline recorded an on-time arrival rate of 86.85% across 15,135 flights during the month, placing it among the best performing airlines in the world in terms of schedule reliability. It also recorded an on-time departure rate of 86.23 percent and a completion factor of 99.7 percent, indicating that almost all scheduled flights are operating as planned.
Saudi Arabian Airlines topped the global rankings with an on-time arrival rate of 92.38%, followed by South Korean Airlines with a rate of 88.56%. Mexico’s Aeromexico took third place with its on-time arrival performance of 86.94%, narrowly ahead of Air India.
Air India said the rating reflects its efforts to improve operational efficiency across its network.
The rating reflects Air India’s “sustained investments in operational flexibility, improving network planning, and enhancing execution across its domestic and international operations,” a statement issued by the airlines said.
Here are the top 10 global performers for June, according to Cirium’s report
| Rank | Airline company | Arrive on time | Tracked flights | Achievement factor | Total trips |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia (SV) | 92.38% | 99.93% | 99.68% | 13,350 |
| 2 | Korean Air (KE) | 88.56% | 99.88% | 99.83% | 10,722 |
| 3 | Aeromexico (AM) | 86.94% | 100.00% | 99.78% | 14,793 |
| 4 | Air India (AI) | 86.85% | 99.87% | 99.70% | 15,135 |
| 5 | Singapore Airlines (SQ) | 86.74% | 99.95% | 99.86% | 10,418 |
| 6 | WestJet (WS) | 86.40% | 99.98% | 99.43% | 16,779 |
| 7 | Emirates Airlines (EK) | 84.36% | 99.84% | 99.71% | 12,616 |
| 8 | Turkish Airlines (TK) | 84.26% | 99.96% | 99.69% | 35,249 |
| 9 | SAS (SK) | 83.39% | 99.96% | 98.00% | 22,946 |
| 10 | Qatar Airways (QR) | 83.04% | 99.92% | 99.54% | 13,338 |
Measures to improve punctuality
In its response to the report, the airline attributed its strong performance to operational changes implemented over time to improve reliability and consistency for passengers.
“Air India has introduced a range of measures to enhance schedule reliability and deliver a more consistent travel experience to its customers. These include improving departure accuracy, streamlining aircraft onboarding processes, enhancing real-time network monitoring, and enabling faster operational decisions across the airline,” the airline statement added.
Air India said it has also strengthened emergency planning and cross-functional coordination to better manage disruptions caused by factors such as adverse weather, airspace restrictions, airport congestion and technical issues.
The airline indicated that these steps have so far helped reduce the impact of the disruptions.
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