In a remarkable achievement, Saudia – the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia – has ranked first among global airlines for overall on-time performance in May 2026, according to a recent report by global aviation analytics provider Cirium.
Underscoring its operational excellence, Saudia hit a stellar 92.30% on-time departure rate and a 90.12% on-time arrival rate, operating 13,669 flights across a network of over 100 destinations covering four continents.
This outstanding achievement coincided with a peak operational period, as Saudia navigated its standard schedules alongside the heavy operational demands of the Hajj season 2026 and the Eid Al-Adha holiday rush.
Saudia attributed its performance to synchronized planning and execution among its operational teams, as well as cutting-edge digital systems and AI solutions which maximized operational efficiency, boosted fleet readiness and supported proactive decision-making.
Moreover, it said that this milestone closely aligns with the objectives of the Saudi Aviation Strategy, aimed at establishing the Kingdom’s status as a pioneer in global aviation industry.
Saudia has established punctuality as a core corporate culture, driving consistent performance and earning top regional and global rankings in recent years.
According to Cirium’s 2025 annual review, Saudia secured the second spot globally for on-time arrival performance, achieving an 86.53% on-time rate across more than 202,800 flights. This marks the second consecutive year the airline has held a top global position.
