Which airline was most punctual in 2025?
Listen to story (American accent)
A new report shows which airlines and airports were the most punctual in 2025. The company Cirium looked at flight data to see which companies had the fewest delays.
According to the report, Aeromexico was the most reliable airline in the world.
For the second year in a row, Aeromexico was at the top of the global list. More than 90% of its 189,000 flights arrived or departed on time. Cirium defines "on time" as being within 15 minutes of the schedule. This success shows that the airline is very consistent.
Saudia followed in second place, and SAS was third place.
In Europe, the Spanish airline Iberia Express was the winner for the third year. 89% of the flights were on time. This was a great result because European airlines faced many problems last year. These problems included a major power failure and software issues with some planes.
In other parts of the world, different airlines led their regions.
Philippine Airlines was first in the Asia Pacific region. Delta Airlines was the best in North America. Copa Airlines took the top spot in Latin America, and FlySafair was the leader for the Middle East and Africa.
The report also looked at airports. Santiago Airport in Chile was the best large airport. It recently grew much larger and can now help 38 million passengers every year. Even with this growth, it improved its performance to 87%.
Oslo Airport in Norway was the best large airport in Europe. For medium airports, Panama City was the winner. For small airports, José Joaquín de Olmedo in Ecuador took first place. These rankings help travelers understand which companies and locations offer the most reliable service.
Vocabulary32 words
- Report
- a written paper with facts; a story about news; a document that gives information.
- Show
- to let someone see something; to give information; to display.
- Airline
- a company that owns planes and takes people to different places by air.
- Punctual
- on time; not late; arriving at the right moment.
- Flight
- a trip in a plane; traveling through the air. 🛫
- Data
- facts; information; numbers; details collected to study something. 📊
- Reliable
- someone or something you can trust; it works well every time; dependable.
- In a row
- one after another without stopping; consecutively; in a line.
- Global
- about the whole world; international; everywhere on Earth. 🌍
- Define
- to explain the meaning of a word; to say exactly what something is.
- Consistent
- always acting or performing in the same good way; not changing; steady.
- Followed
- came after; was behind something else in a list or line.
- Second place
- the position after the winner; number two (#2) in a race or list. 🥈
- Winner
- the person or company that is number one (#1); the best in a competition. 🏆
- Result
- what happens at the end; the final score; the outcome of an action.
- Face a problem
- to have a difficulty; to deal with a hard situation; to meet a challenge.
- Include
- to have something as a part of a group; to contain.
- Power failure
- when electricity stops working; a blackout; no lights or energy.
- Software
- programs or applications used by a computer or phone;
- Issue
- a problem; a difficulty; something people are talking about.
- Lead
- to be at the front; to be the first one; to be the boss or captain.
- Region
- a specific area or part of the world; a large place.
- Asia Pacific
- a large area that includes countries in Asia and the islands in the Pacific Ocean.
- North America
- the part of the world that includes the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
- Latin America
- the parts of North, Central, and South America where Spanish or Portuguese is spoken.
- Middle East
- a region that includes countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, and others between Africa, Asia, and Europe.
- Recently
- a short time ago; not long ago; lately.
- Million
- the number 1,000,000; a very large number.
- Improve
- to make something better than it was before; to get better.
- Performance
- how well a person or company does a job; the quality of work.
- Ranking
- a list that shows who is best, second best, and so on; a position in a list.
- Location
- a place; where something is; a site. 📍
Quiz
Answer key
1. Cirium 2. It grew much larger. 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A new _____ shows which airlines and airports were the _____ punctual in 2025. The company Cirium _____ at flight data to see which companies had the fewest _____ .
According to the report, Aeromexico _____ the most reliable airline in the world.
_____ the second year in a row, Aeromexico was at the _____ of the global list. More than _____ % of its 189,000 flights arrived or _____ on time. Cirium defines "on time" as being within _____ minutes of the schedule. This success _____ that the airline is very consistent.
Saudia _____ in second place, and SAS was third _____ .
In Europe, the Spanish _____ Iberia Express was the winner for the third year. _____ % of the flights were on time. This was a great _____ because European airlines faced many problems _____ year. These problems included a major _____ failure and software issues with some _____ .
In other parts of the _____ , different airlines led their regions.
Philippine Airlines _____ first in the Asia Pacific region. Delta Airlines was the _____ in North America. Copa Airlines took the top spot in Latin America, _____ FlySafair was the leader for the Middle East and Africa.
_____ report also looked at airports. Santiago Airport in _____ was the best large airport. It recently grew _____ larger and can now help 38 _____ passengers every year. Even with this growth, it _____ its performance to _____ %.
Oslo Airport in Norway was the best large airport in Europe. For medium airports, Panama City was the winner. For small airports, José Joaquín de Olmedo in Ecuador took first place. These rankings help travelers understand which companies and locations offer the most reliable service.
Discussion questions
- In your opinion, is being "on time" the most important thing for an airline? Why or why not?
- Have you ever experienced a long flight delay? How did you feel, and what did you do while waiting?
- The text mentions software and power issues in Europe. Do you think airlines rely too much on technology today?
- If you were booking a holiday, would you choose an airline based on these rankings, or is the price more important to you?
- Santiago Airport grew very fast but still improved its performance. What makes an airport "good" in your opinion?
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