WestJet’s On-Time Performance Among Global Leaders in September

Canada’s second-biggest airline ranked among the global leaders in on-time performance last month, aviation industry numbers show.

Calgary-based WestJet landed 84.49% of its 17,355 September flights on time, according to the latest data from Cirium Aviation Analytics. 

That mark placed WS sixth among major airlines from around the world and third among the leading carriers in the U.S. and Canada.

Cirium defines an on-time flight as one that lands no more than 14 minutes beyond its scheduled arrival time.

WestJet’s September mark of nearly 85% was a big step up from August, when it landed 70.39% of its 19,779 flights on time. That figure placed the carrier 10th and last on the North American list in August.

WestJet trailed only Delta Air Lines (87.5%) and Alaska Airlines (84.59%) in the latest U.S./Canada rankings. United Airlines placed fourth while Florida-based Spirit Airlines was fifth.

Meanwhile, Air Canada, the country’s flagship carrier, ranked eighth in North America on the September list (81.07% per cent of 32,875 flights were on time) after also placing eighth in August (73.56 per cent of 35,583 flights).

Of 722,504 total flights in September operated by the 10 largest airlines in Canada and the U.S. combined, 82.89 per cent arrived on time upon completion of their journey, the numbers show. That compares with 783,696 flights in August that turned in a collective on-time mark of 75.83 per cent.