Qantas has been recognized as Australia’s most punctual domestic airline for the fifth consecutive year. Government data for 2024 indicates that Qantas and its regional subsidiary, QantasLink, achieved a combined on-time departure rate of 76.1%, surpassing their nearest competitor by 2.4%.
This performance marks an improvement from 2023, where the airline recorded a 74.1% on-time departure rate. Notably, during the peak travel month of December, Qantas maintained a 73.1% on-time departure rate, exceeding the previous month’s performance by 4.9%.
Markus Svensson, CEO of Qantas Domestic, acknowledged the airline’s progress but emphasized the goal of further enhancements. “We’ve seen positive improvements from our teams over the past year, but we’re aiming for even better results,” Svensson stated. He highlighted ongoing investments in engineering and more efficient boarding processes to boost punctuality and customer satisfaction.
Despite leading domestically, Qantas’s on-time performance on the global stage shows room for improvement. Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium revealed that in 2024, only 73.8% of Qantas flights arrived on time, placing the airline 10th in the Asia-Pacific region. Competitors such as Air New Zealand and Japan’s ANA ranked higher, with Aeromexico leading globally at 86.7% on-time arrivals.
The Australian government has noted that over one in four flights arrived late in 2024, with domestic airlines like Qantas, Jetstar, and Virgin Australia recording on-time performance rates around 73%, trailing behind international counterparts. Despite these figures, the government has opted not to implement a cash compensation scheme for delayed and canceled flights, citing concerns over increased operational costs and potential fare hikes.