Alaska Airlines emerged as the most punctual carrier in North America for July, despite significant disruptions caused by the CrowdStrike IT outage. The Seattle-based airline recorded an on-time performance rate of 77.51 percent, according to data from aviation analytics company Cirium shared with Travel + Leisure. This represents a slight decrease from June’s 77.79 percent.
United Airlines and Delta Air Lines Follow
United Airlines secured the second spot in North America with an on-time percentage of 73.12 percent, down from its June rate of 77.44 percent. Delta Air Lines, which led the rankings in June with over 80 percent of flights on time, fell to third place in July with a 72.36 percent on-time rate. Delta’s decline was attributed to the CrowdStrike IT outage, which forced the airline to cancel nearly 6,500 flights. In response, Delta has committed to reimbursing travelers who had to book alternative flights or incur additional costs for rental cars and hotel stays.
North America Experiences Surge in Flight Cancellations
Overall, North America experienced the highest number of flight cancellations globally in July. There was a 98 percent increase in cancellations compared to June, with 23,393 flights canceled across the continent, up from 11,806 the previous month. Cirium’s report noted, “The CrowdStrike IT outage caused severe disruption for major airlines in the United States,” which led to declines in on-time performance scores for many airlines and airports in the region and reshuffled the rankings for July.
JetBlue and Southwest in the Top Five
JetBlue ranked fourth in North America with an on-time performance rate of 69.57 percent, while Southwest Airlines followed closely in fifth place with a rate of 69.54 percent.
Global On-Time Performance Rankings
On the global stage, Saudi Arabian carrier Saudia was the top performer with an on-time rate of 88.15 percent, maintaining its leading position from June. Brazilian airline Azul secured the second position with an 85.2 percent on-time rate, and Chilean carrier LATAM Airlines ranked third with an 84.65 percent on-time rate. Notably, no U.S. carriers made it into the worldwide top 10 list of on-time airlines.
Conclusion
The month of July posed significant challenges for airlines, particularly in North America, due to the CrowdStrike IT outage. While Alaska Airlines managed to maintain its top spot for punctuality, the widespread disruptions affected the on-time performance of many major carriers. As the industry continues to recover and adapt, these disruptions underscore the ongoing importance of technological reliability in maintaining operational efficiency.