U.S. Airlines Ranked From Best To Worst For On-Time Arrivals

Key Takeaways

This article was originally published by Visual Capitalist.

Airline punctuality is more than a matter of convenience—it can affect connections, business trips, and even consumer trust. In the first half of 2025, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics tracked the on-time performance of U.S. airlines, with the data visualized by USAFacts.

Below is a ranking of 21 major carriers from best to worst for on-time arrivals, with an on-time arrival being defined as a flight that landed within 15 minutes of its scheduled time.

Here is the full data, as compiled from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics:

Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air top the list, both with over 80% on-time arrivals. On the other end, PSA Airlines lags significantly behind with just 65.7%. Most major carriers, including Southwest, United, Delta, and American, fall within the 73–79% range.

Why Flights Get Delayed

Understanding why flights are delayed helps put these rankings into context. According to both the BTS and ITILITE, there are five primary causes for delays:

• Weather-related delays: Poor conditions at either departure or arrival airports.
• Air carrier delays: Maintenance issues, crew availability, or baggage loading problems.
• National Aviation System delays: Air traffic control or heavy airport congestion.
• Security delays: TSA or other security hold-ups.
• Late-arriving aircraft: When the inbound flight is delayed, affecting the outbound schedule.

Many regional airlines—like PSA, Air Wisconsin, and United Express—tend to rank lower because they operate under tighter schedules and have fewer resources for disruptions.

How Airline Rankings Compare to Customer Experience

On-time performance is just one part of the travel experience. In a recent Visual Capitalist breakdown of consumer-ranked airlines, Delta, Alaska, and Southwest were standouts for customer satisfaction—aligning closely with their punctuality scores.

That said, some airlines like Spirit and Frontier, while improving their on-time metrics, still struggle with overall service reputation. This shows that punctuality is only part of the equation when travelers choose who to fly with.