Fresh off securing a spot among the world’s top 15 most valuable airline brands, Qantas has added another feather to its cap, ranking as the second most punctual major airline (more than 20,000 flights) globally in April.
According to aviation analytics firm OAG, Qantas achieved an on-time performance (OTP) rate of 87.8 per cent, good enough for second position just behind SAS Scandinavian Airlines, which topped the rankings with a 89.1 per cent OTP.
The flying kangaroo’s result is an improvement on the already impressive top 10 (ninth) position it achieved in the same index in March 2026, when it reached 83.7 per cent. Following the top two were British Airways (85.8%), Alaska Airlines (85.2%) and All Nippon Airways (84.5%).
Rounding out the top 10 most punctual carriers for the month were KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, easyJet (the top low-cost carrier), Azul Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Avianca.
Middle Eastern carriers were excluded due to the ongoing disruptions in the region.
Meanwhile, Virgin Australia finished the month in 12th place in the large airline category (10,000-20,000 flights) with an OTP of 84.2 per cent, while Jetstar placed 24th with 75.84 per cent. Air New Zealand finished among the top 15 large airlines with a 82.3 per cent OTP.
Local leader
In March, the Qantas Group (Qantas and QantasLink) recorded 80.1 per cent for on-time domestic arrivals, beating rival airlines to the top spot, according to the latest Department of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development (BITRE) data.
The Virgin Australia network (Virgin Australia and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines) recorded a 77.7 per cent on-time arrival rate for the month.
Among individual carriers, Hinterland led with 84.3 per cent, followed by QantasLink (82%), Virgin Australia (77.8%), Qantas (76.5%), Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (73.2%), Jetstar (72.7%) and Skytrans Australia (69.8%).
While Rex may have ranked last for on-time arrivals (66.9%), it’s telling a different story on customer satisfaction, taking out 2025 Domestic/Regional Airline of the Year at the Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards.
Last week, the Qantas Group announced it would extend changes on domestic and international routes for Qantas and Jetstar, trimming Trans-Tasman capacity while reshaping parts of their European schedules. Read more about that here.
KARRYON UNPACKS: Qantas’ punctuality surge is more than bragging rights – it signals operational strength. For travel advisors, improved reliability should mean fewer disruptions, more satisfied clients and greater confidence when selling the flying kangaroo.
