Leading travel industry data platform OAG has revealed the world’s most punctual airports – and one nation’s hubs stand well and truly above all others.
In a country where trains and usually even buses run on time almost to the second (could you imagine that?), it might come as little surprise that the majority of the world’s most punctual airports are located in Japan.
In OAG’s Punctuality League 2023 index for most on-time air travel hubs, Japanese airports nabbed the top three spots and nine of the top 12 in the world.
Leading the way among all airports was Osaka International, which earned a 2022 on-time performance (OTP) rating of 91.45 per cent, followed by Matsuyama (91.44), Miyazaki (91.34) and Nagoya Chubu Centrair airports (90.78).
When it comes to the top mega airports of the world, Tokyo Haneda took the number one spot with an OTP rating of 88.06.
In the Asia Pacific region, Japan’s airports occupied the top nine spots.
Among the leading non-Japanese hubs, South Africa’s Durban King Shaka International (89.73 per cent) finished in fifth place overall, while Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International (80.08) and Mexico City International (72.73) followed Haneda as the second and third-best performing mega hubs respectively.
Japan vs Japan
In more good news for Japanese aviation, OAG revealed that All Nippon Airways (ANA) was the most punctual mega airline in the world, with an OTP score of 88.79, followed by Japan Airlines (88.07).
“Global on-time performance is reaching levels last seen before the pandemic as carriers work to ease operational pressures and delays,” OAG chief analyst John Grant said.
“Confidence in the travel recovery is growing with airlines placing new aircraft orders, new routes being announced and labor challenges seemingly subsiding.”
Perhaps Japan’s airlines could offer some advice to Aussie carriers.
