New government data reveals Australia’s airlines closed out 2025 with punctuality that was steady rather than standout. The same can’t be said for every air route.
According to the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics’ (BITRE) review for December 2025, across all reporting airlines, 73.8 per cent of flights arrived on time, while 74.5 per cent departed punctually.
While these numbers were broadly in line with last year’s results, they lagged behind the long-term averages of 80.5% for on-time arrivals and 81.6% for on-time departures.
However, the cancellation rate of 1.9 per cent for the month was an improvement on the long-term average of 2.2%.
Of the major airlines, Qantas was the most punctual, with a 75.2% on-time arrival rate. Virgin Australia followed closely behind with an average of 73.5%, while Jetstar recorded 68.3%.
Of the smaller and regional operators, Queensland-based Hinterland topped the table for punctuality, recording 85.3 per cent on-time arrivals, while at the other end, Virgin Australia Regional Airlines recorded the lowest on-time performance of 58%. In between were QantasLink (76.8%), Rex Airlines (72.4%) and SmartLynx Australia (69%).
On-time departures followed a similar pecking order, with Hinterland (89.8%) departing most on time and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (57.3%) again departing most tardily.
When it comes to highest cancellation rates, QantasLink led with a 3% score, followed by Rex (2.3%), Jetstar (1.9%), SmartLynx (1.8%), Hinterland at (1.7%), Qantas (1.4%), Virgin Australia (0.9%) and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines at (0%).
Best and worst routes
Route data again highlighted how performance can vary. Of the 59 routes reported on, Adelaide to the Gold Coast (88.5%) led for on-time arrivals, while Perth to Darwin (91.2%) topped departures.
When it comes to the worst-performing route, Hamilton Island to Sydney recorded the weakest results on both measures, with an on-time arrival and departure rate of 50.7%.
Cancellations, meanwhile, remained relatively contained overall, though some regional routes experienced higher disruption – like Brisbane to Gladstone and its return sector, which recorded the highest cancellation rates (5.8%) for the month.
Airport data told a similar story. Taking into account reported routes, Karratha led for on-time arrivals (88.1%), while Emerald topped departures (89.1%).
Conversely, Launceston (61.6%) and Hamilton Island (63.3%) recorded the lowest results, respectively.
Total industry on-time performance for December 2025
| Reporting Carriers | Sectors Scheduled | Arrivals On Time % | Departures On Time % | Cancellations % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hinterland | 1,521 | 85.3 | 89.8 | 1.7 |
| Jetstar | 9,046 | 68.3 | 66.2 | 1.9 |
| Qantas – all QF designated services | 18,956 | 76.2 | 77.3 | 2.4 |
| Rex Airlines | 4,092 | 72.4 | 75.6 | 2.3 |
| SmartLynx Australia | 394 | 69.0 | 69.0 | 1.8 |
| Virgin Australia – all VA designated services | 12,884 | 73.4 | 74.3 | 0.8 |
| All carriers | 46,893 | 73.8 | 74.5 | 1.9 |
| Individual operating entities | ||||
| Qantas | 6,667 | 75.2 | 78.5 | 1.4 |
| QantasLink | 12,289 | 76.8 | 76.6 | 3.0 |
| Virgin Australia | 12,734 | 73.5 | 74.5 | 0.9 |
| Virgin Australia Regional Airlines | 150 | 58.0 | 57.3 | 0.0 |
KARRYON UNPACKS: December’s data shows Australia’s major airlines finishing 2025 in a pretty tight pack, reminding travel advisors that punctuality gaps are often slim, seasonal and route-led, so managing client expectations matters alongside airline choice decisions.
