As airlines head into 2026, 2025 aviation trends point to steady gains in passenger traffic and improving operational reliability, even as supply constraints and disruptions continue to challenge the industry. Global passenger traffic grew by 5.3% in 2025, according to the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) latest projections, signalling a stable and sustained increase in demand. Growth was driven largely by strong performance in the Asia-Pacific region and other emerging markets, where domestic travel continued to expand rapidly.
Top On-Time Performance Rankings
Operational reliability remained a key focus for airlines and passengers alike. According to industry analysts’ on-time performance rankings, Aeromexico led global carriers in 2025, recording a 90.02% on-time arrival rate. The airline narrowly edged out Saudia and Scandinavian Airlines, marking a rare back-to-back global win while maintaining consistency across nearly 189,000 flights.
Saudia followed with an 86.53% on-time rate, while Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) posted 86.09%. In North America, Delta Air Lines topped regional rankings with an 80.9% on-time arrival rate across more than 1.8 million flights, underscoring its operational scale and reliability.
European carriers also delivered strong results. Iberia Express, SAS and Austrian Airlines ranked among the continent’s most punctual major airlines. Iberia Express achieved an on-time rate nearing 89%, while SAS continued to rank among Europe’s best performers. Looking ahead, IATA’s 2026 outlook projects Europe will deliver the highest net profit among global regions, supported in part by Turkey’s standout performance.
Key Industry Highlights
India’s IndiGo emerged as a standout airline in 2025, flying a record 123 million passengers over the calendar year. The carrier became the first airline to exceed 10 million passengers consistently per month, highlighting both its dominant position in India’s skies and the rapid growth of domestic aviation in emerging markets.
The achievement came despite significant late-year disruptions. In early December, IndiGo cancelled thousands of flights amid pilot scheduling challenges and regulatory changes. Even so, the milestone underscored the resilience of India’s aviation sector and the airline’s ability to sustain high volumes of passenger traffic throughout the year.
Ultra-long-haul flying also remained in focus during 2025, reaching a new landmark in December 2025 with the launch of the world’s longest passenger flight operated with a single stop using the same aircraft. China Eastern Airlines began the twice-weekly service between Shanghai and Buenos Aires, establishing a new record in that category with the journey taking about 29 hours and covering nearly 20,000 kilometres.
The next major milestone could arrive in late 2026. Qantas’ Project Sunrise, using specially configured Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, is expected to launch nonstop commercial services from Sydney to London and New York in October 2026.
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