South African carrier achieves world-leading 91.06% punctuality rating, reinforcing commitment to operational excellence and customer trust
FlySafair has been recognised as the most punctual airline in the Middle East and Africa region for 2025, according to the annual Cirium On-Time Performance Review, the aviation industry’s gold standard for reliability metrics. The South African low-cost carrier achieved an exceptional 91.06% on-time arrival rate, outperforming major global airlines including Qatar Airways, Etihad, and Emirates.
FlySafair achieved an on-time performance score that exceeded the global industry benchmark, outperforming even the world’s most punctual airline for the same period, AeroMexico, which recorded an on-time performance score of 90.02%.
Cirium’s rankings are based on more than 25 million data points from over 600 sources, making this accolade one of the most trusted benchmarks of operational performance worldwide.
“While we have achieved this recognition previously, it carries particular significance this year,” said Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer at FlySafair. “With sustained challenges in air traffic management, fuel supply certainty, and airport infrastructure; including baggage handling systems that sit outside an airline’s direct control; maintaining reliable on-time performance has required extraordinary coordination and discipline. This result is a credit to the dedication of our teams.”
Since launching operations in 2014, FlySafair has consistently ranked among the world’s most punctual airlines, including multiple global awards for on-time performance. This sustained achievement underscores the airline’s long-term commitment to reliability and operational excellence.
Operational Excellence Beyond Punctuality
FlySafair’s achievement is part of a broader story of operational resilience and customer focus. While the same number of airline companies contest the industry as there were pre-pandemic, FlySafair has grown significantly over the past 5 years.
“Scale brings a different set of challenges,” added Gordon. “It’s easy to assume that size leads to complacency, but achieving this result under such demanding conditions is clear, empirical proof that FlySafair remains focused on delivering a reliable, high-quality service. That discipline is essential to our future.”
According to Cirium, FlySafair operated 98.9% of its scheduled flights, delivering one of the lowest cancellation rates in the Africa and Middle East region.
Many companies, including airlines, use Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a widely accepted measure of customer loyalty and satisfaction. FlySafair’s NPS reached +79.5 in 2025, representing an exceptionally high level of customer advocacy for an airline. For context, Bain & Company, the creators of the NPS methodology, classify scores above +80 as “world class.” FlySafair’s performance therefore approaches this elite tier, significantly exceeding typical industry benchmarks. The global airline industry’s average NPS is estimated at around +33, while leading full-service carriers such as Singapore Airlines and Emirates consistently report scores in the +65 to +75 range.
“There is a strong correlation between customer satisfaction and on-time performance, although a range of factors can influence the overall experience,” said Gordon. “The key to delivering consistently strong results is an unwavering focus on the customer and on getting the fundamentals right.”
He added that FlySafair maintained senior leadership presence throughout peak periods.
“During our busiest days, members of the C-Suite executive team were on the ground at airports and in operational control centres. Every flight presents a new set of variables, and sustained performance depends on continuous attention and discipline. This approach has underpinned our growth to date and will continue to guide the airline into the future.”
FlySafair was also awarded the “Best Airline” award by public vote at South African Civil Aviation Authority’s 2025 Excellence awards and took home the SkyTrax Award for “Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa”.
In December 2025 alone, FlySafair transported just under one million passengers.
Commitment to Customers and Continuous Improvement
Despite all this FlySafair acknowledges that occasional disruptions can occur and understands the frustration they cause. The airline remains committed to improving communication and service recovery when challenges arise.
“We know reliability matters because it impacts people’s lives,” said Gordon. “Our focus is on earning and keeping that trust. This recognition from Cirium reinforces that operational excellence is not just a metric for us, it’s a mindset.”
About the Cirium On-Time Performance Review
Cirium’s annual review is widely regarded as the definitive benchmark for airline punctuality worldwide. Flights are considered “on-time” if they arrive within 14 minutes and 59 seconds of their scheduled landing time. Only airlines meeting strict thresholds for operational size, regional diversity, and data coverage qualify for global rankings.
DID YOU KNOW?
- FlySafair achieved 91.06% on-time performance across 62,805 tracked flights in 2025
- The airline ranked #1 in Middle East & Africa, ahead of Royal Jordanian (90.73%), Saudia (86.53%), and Airlink (84.47%)
- FlySafair has maintained top-tier punctuality rankings since operations began in 2014
- Market structure: Prior to the pandemic, South Africa’s domestic airline market comprised five operating companies across seven brands: Comair operated British Airways and kulula, South African Airways operated SAA and Mango, while FlySafair, CemAir, and Airlink each operated under their own brands. Today, the market continues to be served by five airlines: South African Airways (SAA), Lift, FlySafair, CemAir, and Airlink.
- Cirium analysed over 25 million data points from 600+ global sources for the 2025 review
About FlySafair
FlySafair, Southern Africa’s leading low-cost carrier and proud Trusted Domestic Carrier for the Springboks and Proteas offers budget-friendly flights starting at R570* for domestic travel between ten destinations. FlySafair also operates five international routes, connecting South Africa with our African neighbours from Johannesburg starting from R1 400*, as well as Cape Town to Windhoek, starting at just R1 800*.
Since operations began in 2014, the airline has been ranked the top on-time low-cost airline in the world by Cirium. In 2025, FlySafair received five awards at the SACAA Civil Aviation Industry Awards, including Aircraft Operator, Aviation Innovation, People Development, Aviation Professional presented to Blacky Komani, and Best Airline by Public Vote. FlySafair was also awarded the Skytrax Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa award in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2025.
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