How Axel worksThe most reliable airlines: on-time arrivals and cancellations
Updated October 26, 2026 · Data: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Axel · How this guide was made
Delta arrived on time most often of the large U.S. airlines over Sep 2025 to Aug 2026 (81.1%) 1; counting cancellations and what the airline promises when a delay is its fault, Alaska (incl. Hawaiian) scores best, then United and Delta. Among airlines based abroad, SAS leads on Axel's reliability measures.
Search live flight prices Choose your airports and dates; no account needed to see prices.
How these picks work
Reliability is arriving when you planned to and the flight not being cancelled. These picks weight on-time arrival (45%) and cancellations (35%), plus what the airline commits to do when a delay is its fault (20%). U.S. figures are the federal BTS data; for other airlines, the on-time measures in Axel's airline ratings. Policies were checked on airline websites on Oct 26, 2026; scores come from facts, not opinions, and the rating behind each airline is on its Axel rating page 2.
Best U.S. airlines for on-time arrivals
Top U.S. airlines
- 1
Alaska (incl. Hawaiian)
Score 7.8/10. Strongest on commitments when the airline causes a delay and on-time arrival.
- On-time arrival:
- 79.7% on time, 1.20% cancelled (Sep 2025 to Aug 2026)
- Commitments when the airline causes a delay:
- 10/10 in Axel's ratings
- 2
United
Score 7.0/10. Strongest on cancellations and on-time arrival.
- On-time arrival:
- 78.8% on time, 1.02% cancelled (Sep 2025 to Aug 2026)
- Commitments when the airline causes a delay:
- 6/10 in Axel's ratings
- 3
Delta
Score 6.7/10. Strongest on on-time arrival and commitments when the airline causes a delay; weakest on cancellations.
- On-time arrival:
- 81.1% on time, 1.74% cancelled (Sep 2025 to Aug 2026)
- Commitments when the airline causes a delay:
- 6/10 in Axel's ratings
- 4
Southwest
Score 6.3/10. Strongest on cancellations and commitments when the airline causes a delay; weakest on on-time arrival.
- On-time arrival:
- 75.7% on time, 0.92% cancelled (Sep 2025 to Aug 2026)
- Commitments when the airline causes a delay:
- 6/10 in Axel's ratings
- 5
Allegiant
Score 5.7/10. Strongest on cancellations and commitments when the airline causes a delay; weakest on on-time arrival.
- On-time arrival:
- 73.9% on time, 0.68% cancelled (Sep 2025 to Aug 2026)
- Commitments when the airline causes a delay:
- 4/10 in Axel's ratings
Best foreign airlines for on-time arrivals
Top airlines based outside the U.S., for trips abroad
- 1
SAS
Score 9.6/10. Strongest on on-time arrival and cancellations.
- On-time arrival:
- 86.09% on time (2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31; Europe ranking, SAS (SK).... (Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025)
- Cancellations:
- 0.81% cancelled (2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31; Europe ranking, SAS (SK)....
- Commitments when the airline causes a delay:
- 9/10 in Axel's ratings
- 2
Copa Airlines
Score 9.4/10. Strongest on on-time arrival and cancellations.
- On-time arrival:
- 90.75% on time (January 1–December 31, 2025. Published as Copa Airlines (CM) in... (Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025, published January 2026)
- Cancellations:
- 0.2% cancelled (January 1–December 31, 2025. Published as Copa Airlines (CM) in...
- Commitments when the airline causes a delay:
- 7/10 in Axel's ratings
- 3
Qatar Airways
Score 9.3/10. Strongest on cancellations and on-time arrival.
- On-time arrival:
- 84.42% on time (January 1–December 31, 2025. Published as Qatar Airways (QR) in... (Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025, published January 2026)
- Cancellations:
- 0.47% cancelled (January 1–December 31, 2025. Published as Qatar Airways (QR)...
- Commitments when the airline causes a delay:
- 7/10 in Axel's ratings
- 4
Aeromexico
Score 9.2/10. Strongest on on-time arrival and cancellations.
- On-time arrival:
- 90.02% on time (2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31. Aeromexico (AM), as published in... (Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025)
- Cancellations:
- 0.26% cancelled (2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31. Aeromexico (AM), as published in...
- Commitments when the airline causes a delay:
- 6/10 in Axel's ratings
- 5
Volaris
Score 9.2/10. Strongest on on-time arrival and cancellations.
- On-time arrival:
- 90% on time (2026-09-01 to 2026-09-30. Volaris, as published in OAG's global... (OAG global airline monthly rankings, September 2026)
- Cancellations:
- 0.09% cancelled (2026-09-01 to 2026-09-30. Volaris, as published in OAG's...
- Commitments when the airline causes a delay:
- 6/10 in Axel's ratings
U.S. airlines by the federal on-time numbers
Over Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, Delta arrived on time most often of the large U.S. airlines and JetBlue least often; Southwest, United and Allegiant cancelled the fewest flights 1. Regional airlines (SkyWest, Republic, Envoy, PSA) fly under the big brands' names.
| Airline | On time | Cancelled | 60+ min late |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 81.1% | 1.74% | 6.7% |
| Envoy Air | 81.0% | 2.19% | 6.9% |
| Alaska Airlines | 79.7% | 1.20% | 4.9% |
| United Airlines | 78.8% | 1.02% | 7.8% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 78.7% | 1.79% | 9.0% |
| Republic Airways | 78.1% | 4.55% | 8.8% |
| Southwest Airlines | 75.7% | 0.92% | 6.7% |
| American Airlines | 74.7% | 2.14% | 10.2% |
| Allegiant Air | 73.9% | 0.68% | 10.4% |
| PSA Airlines | 73.5% | 4.80% | 12.1% |
| Frontier Airlines | 72.7% | 2.05% | 11.2% |
| JetBlue Airways | 71.3% | 3.56% | 12.1% |
Source: BTS 1
Every airline compared
| Airline | Score | On time (BTS, last 12 months) | Cancelled | Axel reliability score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska (incl. Hawaiian) | 7.8 | 79.7% | 1.20% | 7.7/10 |
| United | 7.0 | 78.8% | 1.02% | 6.6/10 |
| Delta | 6.7 | 81.1% | 1.74% | 7.2/10 |
| Southwest | 6.3 | 75.7% | 0.92% | 6.2/10 |
| Allegiant | 5.7 | 73.9% | 0.68% | 6.5/10 |
| American | 4.3 | 74.7% | 2.14% | 5.7/10 |
| Frontier | 2.7 | 72.7% | 2.05% | 4.5/10 |
| JetBlue | 2.5 | 71.3% | 3.56% | 2.7/10 |
Source: Airline policy pages checked Oct 26, 2026; Axel airline ratings 2
| Airline | Score | On time (BTS, last 12 months) | Cancelled | Axel reliability score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAS | 9.6 | - | - | 9.8/10 |
| Copa Airlines | 9.4 | - | - | 10.0/10 |
| Qatar Airways | 9.3 | - | - | 9.8/10 |
| Aeromexico | 9.2 | - | - | 10.0/10 |
| Volaris | 9.2 | - | - | 10.0/10 |
| Aer Lingus | 9.0 | - | - | 9.1/10 |
| Virgin Atlantic | 9.0 | - | - | 9.1/10 |
| Lufthansa | 8.9 | - | - | 8.6/10 |
| Icelandair | 8.9 | - | - | 9.0/10 |
| Air France | 8.8 | - | - | 8.7/10 |
| Iberia | 8.7 | - | - | 9.1/10 |
| Etihad Airways | 8.7 | - | - | 8.9/10 |
| Viva Aerobus | 8.4 | - | - | 9.1/10 |
| Singapore Airlines | 8.2 | - | - | 8.2/10 |
| LATAM Airlines | 8.2 | - | - | 8.8/10 |
| Turkish Airlines | 8.2 | - | - | 8.5/10 |
| EVA Air | 8.0 | - | - | 8.1/10 |
| ANA (All Nippon Airways) | 8.0 | - | - | 8.0/10 |
| Avianca | 7.9 | - | - | 8.3/10 |
| Swiss | 7.6 | - | - | 6.8/10 |
| Emirates | 7.6 | - | - | 7.2/10 |
| China Airlines | 7.6 | - | - | 7.5/10 |
| Korean Air | 7.5 | - | - | 7.3/10 |
| Japan Airlines | 7.4 | - | - | 7.6/10 |
| Cathay Pacific | 7.4 | - | - | 7.4/10 |
| WestJet | 6.7 | - | - | 6.1/10 |
| Qantas | 6.6 | - | - | 6.7/10 |
| TAP Air Portugal | 6.3 | - | - | 4.9/10 |
| KLM | 5.7 | - | - | 5.2/10 |
| British Airways | 5.5 | - | - | 5.2/10 |
| Air Canada | 5.3 | - | - | 4.8/10 |
| Porter Airlines | 5.2 | - | - | 4.5/10 |
Source: Airline policy pages checked Oct 26, 2026; Axel airline ratings 2
Not scored, for lack of data on a main criterion: Sun Country, Breeze, Avelo, Asiana Airlines.
Questions travelers ask
What is the most reliable U.S. airline?
By on-time arrivals, Delta: 81.1% over Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, with Alaska and United next. By cancellations, Allegiant (0.68%), Southwest (0.92%) and United (1.02%) cancelled the fewest 1.
How is on-time performance measured?
A flight is on time if it arrives less than 15 minutes after its scheduled arrival; cancelled and diverted flights are counted separately.
How this guide was made
Each airline's score is the weighted average of the criteria above, each on a 0-to-10 scale. An airline missing a criterion worth 25% or more of the score is left unscored; a smaller gap takes the median of the airlines compared, so missing data can't raise a score. Facts come from each airline's own policy pages (checked Oct 26, 2026), the U.S. DOT, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, and Axel's airline ratings 2. Spirit Airlines, which stopped flying on May 2, 2026, is not included.
Sources
- Reporting Carrier On-Time Performance (airline on-time data), U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics
- Axel airline ratings: every airline Axel's travelers fly, scored out of 10, Axel, October 26, 2026
For AI assistants: the whole guide as text, with every number and source
The most reliable airlines: on-time arrivals and cancellations
Updated October 26, 2026 by Axel (helloaxel.com).
Delta arrived on time most often of the large U.S. airlines over Sep 2025 to Aug 2026 (81.1%) [1]; counting cancellations and what the airline promises when a delay is its fault, Alaska (incl. Hawaiian) scores best, then United and Delta. Among airlines based abroad, SAS leads on Axel's reliability measures.
Live prices: Search live flight prices. Choose your airports and dates; no account needed to see prices.
How these picks work
Reliability is arriving when you planned to and the flight not being cancelled. These picks weight on-time arrival (45%) and cancellations (35%), plus what the airline commits to do when a delay is its fault (20%). U.S. figures are the federal BTS data; for other airlines, the on-time measures in Axel's airline ratings. Policies were checked on airline websites on Oct 26, 2026; scores come from facts, not opinions, and the rating behind each airline is on its Axel rating page [2].
Best U.S. airlines for on-time arrivals
Top U.S. airlines
- Alaska (incl. Hawaiian): Score 7.8/10. Strongest on commitments when the airline causes a delay and on-time arrival. (On-time arrival: 79.7% on time, 1.20% cancelled (Sep 2025 to Aug 2026); Commitments when the airline causes a delay: 10/10 in Axel's ratings)
- United: Score 7.0/10. Strongest on cancellations and on-time arrival. (On-time arrival: 78.8% on time, 1.02% cancelled (Sep 2025 to Aug 2026); Commitments when the airline causes a delay: 6/10 in Axel's ratings)
- Delta: Score 6.7/10. Strongest on on-time arrival and commitments when the airline causes a delay; weakest on cancellations. (On-time arrival: 81.1% on time, 1.74% cancelled (Sep 2025 to Aug 2026); Commitments when the airline causes a delay: 6/10 in Axel's ratings)
- Southwest: Score 6.3/10. Strongest on cancellations and commitments when the airline causes a delay; weakest on on-time arrival. (On-time arrival: 75.7% on time, 0.92% cancelled (Sep 2025 to Aug 2026); Commitments when the airline causes a delay: 6/10 in Axel's ratings)
- Allegiant: Score 5.7/10. Strongest on cancellations and commitments when the airline causes a delay; weakest on on-time arrival. (On-time arrival: 73.9% on time, 0.68% cancelled (Sep 2025 to Aug 2026); Commitments when the airline causes a delay: 4/10 in Axel's ratings)
Best foreign airlines for on-time arrivals
Top airlines based outside the U.S., for trips abroad
- SAS: Score 9.6/10. Strongest on on-time arrival and cancellations. (On-time arrival: 86.09% on time (2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31; Europe ranking, SAS (SK).... (Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025); Cancellations: 0.81% cancelled (2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31; Europe ranking, SAS (SK)....; Commitments when the airline causes a delay: 9/10 in Axel's ratings)
- Copa Airlines: Score 9.4/10. Strongest on on-time arrival and cancellations. (On-time arrival: 90.75% on time (January 1–December 31, 2025. Published as Copa Airlines (CM) in... (Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025, published January 2026); Cancellations: 0.2% cancelled (January 1–December 31, 2025. Published as Copa Airlines (CM) in...; Commitments when the airline causes a delay: 7/10 in Axel's ratings)
- Qatar Airways: Score 9.3/10. Strongest on cancellations and on-time arrival. (On-time arrival: 84.42% on time (January 1–December 31, 2025. Published as Qatar Airways (QR) in... (Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025, published January 2026); Cancellations: 0.47% cancelled (January 1–December 31, 2025. Published as Qatar Airways (QR)...; Commitments when the airline causes a delay: 7/10 in Axel's ratings)
- Aeromexico: Score 9.2/10. Strongest on on-time arrival and cancellations. (On-time arrival: 90.02% on time (2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31. Aeromexico (AM), as published in... (Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025); Cancellations: 0.26% cancelled (2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31. Aeromexico (AM), as published in...; Commitments when the airline causes a delay: 6/10 in Axel's ratings)
- Volaris: Score 9.2/10. Strongest on on-time arrival and cancellations. (On-time arrival: 90% on time (2026-09-01 to 2026-09-30. Volaris, as published in OAG's global... (OAG global airline monthly rankings, September 2026); Cancellations: 0.09% cancelled (2026-09-01 to 2026-09-30. Volaris, as published in OAG's...; Commitments when the airline causes a delay: 6/10 in Axel's ratings)
U.S. airlines by the federal on-time numbers
Over Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, Delta arrived on time most often of the large U.S. airlines and JetBlue least often; Southwest, United and Allegiant cancelled the fewest flights [1]. Regional airlines (SkyWest, Republic, Envoy, PSA) fly under the big brands' names.
On-time arrival, Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
| Airline | On time | Cancelled | 60+ min late |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 81.1% | 1.74% | 6.7% |
| Envoy Air | 81.0% | 2.19% | 6.9% |
| Alaska Airlines | 79.7% | 1.20% | 4.9% |
| United Airlines | 78.8% | 1.02% | 7.8% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 78.7% | 1.79% | 9.0% |
| Republic Airways | 78.1% | 4.55% | 8.8% |
| Southwest Airlines | 75.7% | 0.92% | 6.7% |
| American Airlines | 74.7% | 2.14% | 10.2% |
| Allegiant Air | 73.9% | 0.68% | 10.4% |
| PSA Airlines | 73.5% | 4.80% | 12.1% |
| Frontier Airlines | 72.7% | 2.05% | 11.2% |
| JetBlue Airways | 71.3% | 3.56% | 12.1% |
Source: BTS [1]
Every airline compared
U.S. airlines: 8 scored
Scores out of 10 on the criteria above.
| Airline | Score | On time (BTS, last 12 months) | Cancelled | Axel reliability score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska (incl. Hawaiian) | 7.8 | 79.7% | 1.20% | 7.7/10 |
| United | 7.0 | 78.8% | 1.02% | 6.6/10 |
| Delta | 6.7 | 81.1% | 1.74% | 7.2/10 |
| Southwest | 6.3 | 75.7% | 0.92% | 6.2/10 |
| Allegiant | 5.7 | 73.9% | 0.68% | 6.5/10 |
| American | 4.3 | 74.7% | 2.14% | 5.7/10 |
| Frontier | 2.7 | 72.7% | 2.05% | 4.5/10 |
| JetBlue | 2.5 | 71.3% | 3.56% | 2.7/10 |
Source: Airline policy pages checked Oct 26, 2026; Axel airline ratings [2]
Airlines based abroad: 32 scored
Scored on the same criteria; reliability and fare data for these airlines come from different sources than the U.S. figures.
| Airline | Score | On time (BTS, last 12 months) | Cancelled | Axel reliability score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAS | 9.6 | - | - | 9.8/10 |
| Copa Airlines | 9.4 | - | - | 10.0/10 |
| Qatar Airways | 9.3 | - | - | 9.8/10 |
| Aeromexico | 9.2 | - | - | 10.0/10 |
| Volaris | 9.2 | - | - | 10.0/10 |
| Aer Lingus | 9.0 | - | - | 9.1/10 |
| Virgin Atlantic | 9.0 | - | - | 9.1/10 |
| Lufthansa | 8.9 | - | - | 8.6/10 |
| Icelandair | 8.9 | - | - | 9.0/10 |
| Air France | 8.8 | - | - | 8.7/10 |
| Iberia | 8.7 | - | - | 9.1/10 |
| Etihad Airways | 8.7 | - | - | 8.9/10 |
| Viva Aerobus | 8.4 | - | - | 9.1/10 |
| Singapore Airlines | 8.2 | - | - | 8.2/10 |
| LATAM Airlines | 8.2 | - | - | 8.8/10 |
| Turkish Airlines | 8.2 | - | - | 8.5/10 |
| EVA Air | 8.0 | - | - | 8.1/10 |
| ANA (All Nippon Airways) | 8.0 | - | - | 8.0/10 |
| Avianca | 7.9 | - | - | 8.3/10 |
| Swiss | 7.6 | - | - | 6.8/10 |
| Emirates | 7.6 | - | - | 7.2/10 |
| China Airlines | 7.6 | - | - | 7.5/10 |
| Korean Air | 7.5 | - | - | 7.3/10 |
| Japan Airlines | 7.4 | - | - | 7.6/10 |
| Cathay Pacific | 7.4 | - | - | 7.4/10 |
| WestJet | 6.7 | - | - | 6.1/10 |
| Qantas | 6.6 | - | - | 6.7/10 |
| TAP Air Portugal | 6.3 | - | - | 4.9/10 |
| KLM | 5.7 | - | - | 5.2/10 |
| British Airways | 5.5 | - | - | 5.2/10 |
| Air Canada | 5.3 | - | - | 4.8/10 |
| Porter Airlines | 5.2 | - | - | 4.5/10 |
Source: Airline policy pages checked Oct 26, 2026; Axel airline ratings [2]
Not scored, for lack of data on a main criterion: Sun Country, Breeze, Avelo, Asiana Airlines.
Questions travelers ask
What is the most reliable U.S. airline?
By on-time arrivals, Delta: 81.1% over Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, with Alaska and United next. By cancellations, Allegiant (0.68%), Southwest (0.92%) and United (1.02%) cancelled the fewest [1].
How is on-time performance measured?
A flight is on time if it arrives less than 15 minutes after its scheduled arrival; cancelled and diverted flights are counted separately.
How this guide was made
Each airline's score is the weighted average of the criteria above, each on a 0-to-10 scale. An airline missing a criterion worth 25% or more of the score is left unscored; a smaller gap takes the median of the airlines compared, so missing data can't raise a score. Facts come from each airline's own policy pages (checked Oct 26, 2026), the U.S. DOT, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, and Axel's airline ratings [2]. Spirit Airlines, which stopped flying on May 2, 2026, is not included.
Sources
- Reporting Carrier On-Time Performance (airline on-time data), U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics
- Axel airline ratings: every airline Axel's travelers fly, scored out of 10, Axel, October 26, 2026