Summary
- Japan Airlines leads in on-time arrivals at 88.17%, with an impressive 10% improvement.
- All Nippon Airways and AirAsia followed closely in the ranks.
- Vietnam Airlines and Peach make up the rest of the top 5.
The numbers are out, and across the Asia-Pacific region, just one carrier has reigned supreme, with the most on-time arrivals across its network.
According to Cirium, an aviation analytics company, Tokyo-based Japan Airlines (also known as JAL) has taken the crown, operating 88.17% of its flights on time, representing an almost 10% improvement on this time last month (78.40%).
Japan Airlines, the flag carrier of Japan, is headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, and its main hubs are Tokyo’s two main airports, Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND).
Photo: PAUL ATKINSON | Shutterstock
JAL faced stiff competition, with its closest rivals, All Nippon Airways (ANA), AirAsia, Peach Airlines, and Vietnam Airlines, all featuring in the top five. Let’s dig into the numbers.
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The rankings have been revealed in Cirium’s annual on-time performance report for last year.
5
Vietnam Airlines
On time arrivals: 81.85%
Vietnam Airlines, the nation’s national carrier, is headquartered in the Long Biên district of Hanoi, Vietnam. According to ch-aviation, the carrier is home to 97 aircraft, including the Airbus A321-200, A321-200neo, A350-900, the Boeing 787-9 and -10, and the ATR72-500. Its two main operating bases are Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) and Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN).
Photo: Vytautas Kielaitis | Shutterstock
Vietnam’s April performance
Regarding Cirium’s performance record for Vietnam in April, the carrier operated 81.85% of flights on time across 85.49% of flights tracked. The data looked at 11,108 flights, and 99.83% of services were fully completed. The Vietnamese carrier caters to its local population of over 100 million and operates domestic, short-haul, and long-haul international services.
4
Peach Aviation
On time arrivals: 84.19%
Operating as ‘Peach,’ this is one of Japan’s low-cost carriers, based out of Osaka’s Kansai International Airport (KIX). Starting operations 13 years ago as A&F Aviation, the carrier has grown to be a strong player in domestic and short-haul international operations to and from Japan.
It operates from three bases, including Osaka, Tokyo Narita (NRT), and Naha International (OKA), on the island of Okinawa. According to ch-Aviation, it operates a fleet of 36 Airbus A320 family aircraft (A320, A320neo, A321neo, and A321neo long-range).
Peach’s April performance
Across Peach’s 4,649 analyzed flights, the carrier came in fourth place in Asia-Pacific for on-time performance, with 84.19% of all flights arriving on time. Of this, 98.16% of flights were tracked, and the airline completed 99.53% of all scheduled flights. Peach’s international network reaches as far as Shanghai (Pudong), Hong Kong, Seoul (Incheon), Kaohsiung, Taipei (Taoyuan), and Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi).
3
AirAsia
On time arrivals: 85.48%
Asia’s most prolific ultra-low-cost carrier, AirAsia’s Malaysian operation carries the IATA code AK and is the only AirAsia business unit in the top five.
Operating from its main hub at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL), Terminal 2, it also has operating bases at Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, and Penang. According to ch-Aviation, it is home to a fleet of 104 aircraft, all Airbus, predominantly all Airbus A320 or A320neo, and is the largest airline in Malaysia by fleet size.
AirAsia April performance
Transporting passengers to and from Malaysia across the Asian continent, the ULCC operated 14,443 flights in April, with 85.48% of services arriving on time. 99.35% of these flights were analyzed, and the carrier recorded a completion rate of 98.90% of all scheduled flights. This airline is the major sponsor of Malaysia’s and Singapore’s national football teams, Jamshedpur FC and Queens Park Rangers.
2
All Nippon Airways
On time arrivals: 87.21%
One of Japan’s two leading international carriers, All Nippon Airways (ANA), is a Star Alliance member and home to a fleet of over 240 aircraft, including 16 aircraft types (including cargo). It has two main hubs, Tokyo Haneda and Tokyo Narita; it also operates secondary hubs at Osaka–Itami and Osaka–Kansai. Its focus cities are Fukuoka, Nagoya–Centrair, Naha, and Sapporo–Chitose. ANA is the parent company of another carrier in this analysis, Peach Aviation.
Photo: Minh K Tran | Shutterstock
All Nippon Airways April performance
Operating 24,198 flights across April, the airline scored second place by Cirium for on-time performance, achieving 87.21% of all flights arriving on time. Cirium analyzed 100% of all scheduled flights, which had a completion rate of 99.28%. In the coming years, ANA will introduce two new aircraft types to its fleet: the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 777-9.
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1
Japan Airlines
On time arrivals: 88.17%
Japan Airlines, the flag carrier of Japan, operates to 220 destinations in 35 countries worldwide and is a prominent member of the Oneworld Alliance. The airline operates bases at Tokyo Haneda and Tokyo Narita and secondary hubs at Osaka Itami and Osaka Kansai, with focus cities doubling down on Fukuoka, Nagoya Centrair, Naha, and Sapporo Chitose. The airline is home to a fleet of 193 aircraft and includes the Airbus A350-1000.
Japan Airlines April performance
The flag carrier came out on top, with 88.17% of all flights arriving on time. Of the 25,588 flights analyzed, 99.16% were completed, an astounding result. Cirium’s analysis was made across 99.99% of all scheduled services. The airline operates to 91 domestic and international destinations. It has many subsidiaries or is the majority shareholder of JAL Cargo, J-Air, Japan Air Commuter, Japan Transocean Air, Jetstar Japan, Hokkaido Air System, Ryukyu Air Commuter, Spring Airlines Japan, Zipair Tokyo.