Air Canada and WestJet Struggle to Deliver Punctual Flights, Reports Show
Canada’s two largest airlines, Air Canada and WestJet, continue to lag behind their North American competitors in on-time performance, according to the latest aviation reports.
In October, Air Canada ranked ninth while WestJet placed seventh among the 10 largest airlines in Canada and the United States, as per Cirium’s monthly On-Time Performance Report. Both airlines operate many flights out of Toronto Pearson Airport in Mississauga, adding to their significance in the Canadian aviation landscape.
The October figures show that Air Canada landed 80.45% of its 31,884 flights on time, meaning nearly 20% were late. WestJet, meanwhile, performed slightly better, with 83.32% of its 15,715 flights arriving on schedule, leaving just under 17% delayed.
Consistent Poor Rankings for Canadian Carriers
The disappointing October rankings follow similar performances in previous months. In September, Air Canada held the same ninth position, while WestJet ranked sixth. August marked a low point for both airlines, with Air Canada in last place and WestJet in ninth.
The October data highlights that a flight is considered late if it arrives 15 minutes or more past its scheduled time. By comparison, U.S.-based Delta Air Lines led the October rankings, with 90.53% of its 149,254 flights landing on time. United Airlines (88.13%) and American Airlines (86.17%) followed in second and third place, respectively.
North American Trends
Across North America, airlines operated 753,172 flights in October, with an overall on-time performance rate of 84.45%, an improvement from September’s 82.14% of 719,984 flights. Denver-based Frontier Airlines ranked last in October with a 76.06% on-time performance, slightly trailing Air Canada.
Delta Air Lines has dominated the rankings this year, taking the top spot in October, September, and August after briefly slipping to third in July. It had previously led for 10 consecutive months.
The Need for Improvement
While Air Canada and WestJet have shown some improvement since their dismal August performance, their persistent presence in the bottom half of the rankings underscores a pressing need to enhance punctuality and reliability for Canadian travelers.