Delta retained its status as North America’s most on-time airline in 2024 and its people earned the Platinum Award for Operational Excellence from Cirium for the fourth consecutive year. 

Cirium's Platinum Award is presented to airlines that deliver outstanding on-time performance while navigating complex operations — all while limiting the impact of disruption to its customers.

Airline’s reputation

The recognition underscores the airline’s reputation for and commitment to reliability as it kicks off its centennial year.

“It’s an honour to have Cirium once again recognise the hard work and operational excellence of Delta people. 

“Safe, consistent operational excellence is the bedrock of Delta’s growth and the core promise of our 100-year brand,” John Laughter, Delta’s E.V.P. and Chief of Operations said.

In addition to winning the Cirium Platinum Award, Delta was the most on-time airline in North America with 83.46 per cent of its 1,712,529 flights arriving on time, the organisation said.

According to Cirium data, Delta’s on-time performance for 2024 exceeded both North American and global industry benchmarks, which are 76.37 per cent and 83.04 per cent respectively.

It topped its closest North American competitor by 2.53 per cent. Cirium defines an on-time flight as one that arrives within 15 minutes of its scheduled gate arrival.

Setting benchmark

“With its continued investments in people, processes and technology, Delta Air Lines is once again setting the benchmark for what operational excellence can look like in the airline industry, inspiring others with its enduring commitment to delivering a world-class travel experience,” Cirium Chief Marketing Officer Mike Malik said.

Delta is consistently recognised for excellence in operational performance, customer experience and workplace culture, making it America’s most awarded airline. 

In 2024, Delta was recognised by J.D. Power as the?top-ranked airline for First/Business and Premium Economy Passenger Satisfaction;?by The Points Guy as the best U.S. airline; by Fortune as the only airline on its ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ list among others.