20 Most Punctual Airports in the World

05.01.2024 - 18:33 / cntraveler.com

Few things in life can be as frustrating as a delayed flight, and savvy travelers know that some major airports are more notorious for delays than others. Fortunately, there are still hubs around the world that operate efficiently, with few disruptions to flight schedules—and those airports are certainly worth knowing.

Each year, air travel data firm Cirium compiles a list of the most on-time airports in the world based on flight departure data. These 20 global hubs have the lowest rates of flight delays, which makes for a smoother travel experience. If one of these hubs is in the vicinity of an upcoming trip of yours, it could be worth opt for one of them to avoid the headache of delays in another.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul airport (MSP) had the lowest rate of flight delays in the world in 2023 and ranked number one on Cirium’s list. The Minnesota hub operated a total of 289,817 flights last year, 84.44% of which departed on time. With those statistics, it’s not hard to see why MSP consistently wins top awards for passenger satisfaction from Airports Council International. (It also regularly ranks as one of Traveler readers’ favorite airports in the US, repeatedly nabbing a spot in the top 10 of our Readers’ Choice Awards for the best airports in America.)

In fact, US airports took 13 of the top 20 spots on Cirium's list for the lowest percentage of delays around the globe. Four other US facilities, in addition to MSP, made it into the top 10: Salt Lake City International came in fifth place with 83.99% of flights departing on time; Detroit Metropolitan came in sixth place with an on-time departure rate of 83.09%; Seattle-Tacoma’s rate of 82.97% of on-time flights earned it the seventh spot; and Philadelphia International ranked number eight with 82.75% of its flights leaving on time.

All 20 airports on the list managed to keep the number of delays low despite challenges this year, like a nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers and FAA funding complications. Airlines also improved their on-time performances last year, especially compared to 2022 when many carriers saw major delays as they continued to adjust to post-pandemic travel demand.

“​​It is clear that airlines’ performance is attached to airport results and vice versa,” Luis Felipe de Oliveria, world director general of the Airports Council International, wrote in the report.

Throughout 2024, these considerations could be more important as a record-breaking number of people take to the skies, putting more pressure on the air travel system. “2024 is expected to be a milestone for global passenger traffic,” de Oliveria said in the report. Global passenger numbers are expected to reach 9.4 billion fliers this year, according to de