Airlines with the Lowest Cancellation Rate

Preventing flight cancellations

With millions of passengers planning their next holiday, the airline you choose can determine whether you have a stress-free trip. The last thing you want to hear at the start of your holiday or on the way to an important business meeting is that your flight has been cancelled. Before booking your flights, it's always a good idea to do some research first. If you're here, you're already doing that, which is excellent! After reading this blog, you'll know which airlines are statistically the most/least reliable so you're more prepared when booking your next flight.

Before we talk about airlines, though, there's another thing to consider. Timing. It's better to book the earliest flight of the day. Aircrafts often arrive late from their previous destination due to heavy air traffic, bad weather conditions, and even technical issues. This can lead to later flights being cancelled or delayed.

Although it can be inconvenient and frustrating if something prevents you from getting your flight, it isn't all doom and gloom. At Alternative Airlines, you can get cancellation protection, which offers you a full refund on tickets for emergency reasons. This has to be bought at the same time as your ticket and can act as that extra bit of reassurance for your trip. If your cancellation doesn't qualify as an emergency, our expert customer service team can help you contact the airlines responsible for refunding/rebooking tickets.

Airlines with the lowest cancellation rate

Here are the best worldwide airlines for low cancellation rates and high punctuality.

1. Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic is one of the leading airlines in the UK and has an excellent reputation. Between March 15th 2024, and May 15th 2024, only 5% of their flights were late, and just 1 flight was cancelled. The airline didn’t miss a single flight in June, managing to fulfil all of its 887 scheduled departures.

On the odd occasion that Virgin cancels your flights, they are known for giving refunds or rebookings without problem.

2. Delta Airlines

Delta has an on-time arrival rate of 82.61%, and a cancellation rate of 1.02%. Delta is consistently recognised for its excellence, spanning passenger experience, customer service, operational performance, workplace culture, etc.

Their outstanding operational performance, commitment to safety and premium customer service have earned them 2024’s Airline of the Year by Air Transport World. Delta operates over 1.5 million flights annually, making it the most punctual airline in the US, a monumental achievement.

3. Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines cancellation rate is just 0.81%. They work hard to get passengers to their destination on time – with over 82% of flights arriving within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.

4. Jet2

The airline routinely has fewer than 1% of its flights cancelled. Although they rarely cancel flights, they’re known for delaying them, with 24.25% of flights being delayed from January to June 2023.

5. Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines cancelled just 0.1 per cent of its planned services between May and July 2024, according to the data from the analytics company Cirium. Singapore Airlines remains the leading airline in Southeast Asia and is constantly revred for its reliability.

6. Oman Air

Oman Air has been named the most punctual airline in the Middle East and Africa for 2023, scoring an outstanding 92.5% for on-time performance, beating Emirates and Qatar.

7. Saudia

Saudia, formerly Saudi Arabian Airlines, achieved 81.29% for on-time arrivals, with a completion factor of 99.80% out of 174,256 flights.

8. Avianca 

The Columbian airline, Avianca, is the largest in the country and has been recognised as the most punctual airline in the world as of 2023. You can’t get better than that! Avianca achieved 85.73% on-time arrivals in 2023, with a flight completion factor of 99.08% out of 213,039 flights.

9. Iberia

Spanish airline Iberia had an on-time arrival of 84.38% in 2023, with a flight completion factor of 98.69% out of 170,750 flights – making it the most punctual airline in Europe.

10. American Airlines

US-based American Airlines recorded 80.61% OTA in 2023. One of the biggest airlines in the world in terms of revenue, the airline has recorded a flight completion factor of 98.93% out of 1,998,844 flights. With more flights available, there is a higher probability of delays, so ranking 10th worldwide is an impressive achievement for American Airlines.

Airlines with the highest cancellation rate

Now we've looked at the airlines with the lowest cancellation rates these are those with the highest. Bear in mind that this doesn't mean they're bad airlines. A lot goes into deciding the best travel option for you, like comfort and pricing. But if you want to be extra sure you get to your destination on time, it might be best to avoid these.

1. Frontier Airlines

Unfortunately, Frontier is right at the bottom when it comes to reliability. Of the 192,704 flights it operated in 2023, 59,630 or 30.94% were delayed. Another 3,378 flights, or 1.75%, were cancelled.

2. British Airways

British Airways tops the list for most cancellations overall in the UK. However, keep in mind that British Airways is also the most frequently used airline, so it's unsurprising that given the sheer number of flights they offer, they have a higher cancellation rate than other UK airlines.

3. EasyJet

EasyJet has faced intense criticism for last-minute cancellations at their London bases. However, this isn't to say they aren't good airlines, as their customer service ratings are high. Still, that doesn't stop them from being one of the most unreliable airlines in the UK in terms of monthly flights.

4. Air France

Air France also has a high cancellation rate. The airline once recorded 4791 departures within 24 hours, with an on-time performance rate of 67.15% and 115 cancellations. Although Air France doesn't have the best reputation for punctuality, they are still known for their excellent customer service and easily accessible refunds.

5. Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines has an on-time performance of 75.02% and a cancellation rate of 1.3%. It's in the top 5 US airlines with the most cancellations.

Low-cost airlines with a low cancellation rate

Budget airlines are great for cheaper prices but how good are their cancellation rates?

Southwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines are the two most reliable low-cost airlines in the USA. 2023 data shows that Southwest Airlines had an on-time arrival rate of 77.25% and a cancellation rate of 1%. Spirit Airlines had a 69.51% on-time rate and 1.70% of cancelled flights. It's important to remember that although other airlines might show lower statistics, we specifically focused on low-cost ones.

In the UK, the low-cost airlines with the lowest cancellation rates were Jet2 and Ryanair. Jet2 has come a long way. They're a relatively new airline that came about in the early 2000s, yet they're already on the list of the UK's most reliable airlines with a cancellation rate of just 0.19%. In second place is Ryanair, with a percentage of only 0.47% cancellations. You might be surprised to see Ryanair on this list as they're often considered one of the less reliable airlines. However, that fact comes from their frequent delays, which were at around 19.12% in 2023, rather than cancellations.

Low-cost airlines with a high cancellation rate

These are some low-cost airlines that, although offering affordable prices, could be more reliable. All information presented is subject to change as airlines work to improve their service.

WizzAir has faced scrutiny for its frequent flight delays and cancellations. It's ranked the worst airline in the UK for delays, and it's held that position for three years now.

EasyJet is another airline that has a reputation for cancelling flights. In 2020, when COVID hit, the airline cancelled over 50% of flights. EasyJet cancelled 1,700 flights during the summer of 2023. The cancellations affected about 180,000 customers.

Airlines in the US with the most cancellations for 2023 are Frontier, Spirit and United Airlines. In the United States, Frontier Airlines also had the most delayed flights.

Airports with a low cancellation rate

Many things can determine how reliable an airport is, including infrastructure, weather patterns, airport management, and funding. These three airports seem to have all these factors sorted and have now secured themselves as some of the most reliable global airports.

Malta International Airport

This airport is ranked one of the lowest for frequently cancelling flights. The number of cancelled departures is 0.41%, and the number of delayed flights is 9.00%. With 90.59% on-time departures, Malta International Airport is the best airport in Europe regarding punctuality.

Warsaw Chopin Airport- Poland

This airport comes second for best on-time departures, with 86.57% being on time. The total number of cancelled flights was 0.56%, and delayed departures were 12.7%. It serviced nearly 18.5 million passengers in 2023, exceeding its goal of 15 million and coming just 2% short of its best-ever figures reported in 2019.

Stuttgart Airport- Germany

Despite being home to two of the worst airports in Europe for 2023, Germany also placed in the top three for best. The Stuttgart Airport ranks third, with 85.54% of all departures in 2023 being on time. Altogether, cancelled and delayed departures came to 14.46%.

Airports with a high cancellation rate

On the opposite side of the spectrum, these airports often suffer from cancellations. However, if they're the closest airport to your planned destination, don't let this list deter you from making that trip. There are good and bad aspects to most airports.

Frankfurt Airport

Frankfurt’s International Airport ranks as the worst airport in Europe due to its poor punctuality. Only 39.27% of all its departures were on time in 2023.

London Stansted Airport

London Stansted Airport has a percentage of 0.47% cancelled departures and 57.34% delays. It's the least reliable UK airport for on-time flights.

Newark Liberty International Airport

The New Jersey airport has been ranked the worst airport in the US for cancellation rates. 3.78% of its flights were cancelled during the first half of 2023.

Bottom line

Now you should know a little more about the airline cancellation rates of some of the most popular airlines. Unfortunately, cancellations happen, but they're often for important reasons. If the weather conditions are too dangerous or there's an issue with air traffic, there could be serious problems if the plane still travelled like normal.

Feeling inspired to book a flight? Considering the number of flights that occur with these airlines daily, most of their cancellation and delay rates are really good! If you're ready, book now with Alternative Airlines, and we'll help you secure the perfect flight.