Nearly 90 Percent On-Time Flights in May Propels SAS to Back-to-Back World’s Most Punctual Airline Honors

(IN SHORT) In May 2025, SAS achieved the top spot for on-time performance worldwide and among European majors in Cirium’s monthly punctuality report. With 89.72 percent of flights arriving as scheduled—surpassing Saudia and Aeromexico—SAS marked its second straight month leading the global rankings. The airline credits this success to enhanced interdepartmental coordination, structured daily planning, and analytics-driven operations. From 15th place in 2023, SAS has climbed to consecutive first-place finishes in April and May, alongside a runner-up result in March. These improvements align with a broader transformation strategy featuring tighter turnaround processes, new internal benchmarks, and continuous performance tracking.

(PRESS RELEASE) STOCKHOLM, 2025-Jun-10 — /Travel PR News/ — For May 2025, SAS has once again claimed the title of the world’s most punctual airline, topping both the Global Airlines and European Major Airlines rankings in Cirium’s latest monthly report. This accolade reflects the airline’s dedicated efforts to enhance operational stability and deliver dependable travel experiences.

Over the last year, SAS has implemented cross-departmental initiatives to boost on-time performance and minimize delays. By strengthening collaboration between network planners, crew schedulers, technicians, and operations control, instituting rigorous daily planning routines, and leveraging data-driven decision-making, the airline has recorded measurable gains both in its overall metrics and in its daily flight operations.

“Securing the number-one ranking is testament to the commitment of our entire SAS family,” remarked President & CEO Anko van der Werff. “From initial network strategy to the final technical checks, every team member has played a role in elevating punctuality. Our customers and staff feel the difference when thousands of smart, coordinated decisions come together each day. This achievement underlines that our focus on reliable schedules truly pays off.”

May’s report shows that 89.72 percent of SAS flights arrived on schedule, outpacing SkyTeam partners Saudia and Aeromexico. Notably, this is the second consecutive month SAS has led the global punctuality chart, having also held first place in April and a strong second in March. SkyTeam carriers have occupied the top three global spots for three months running, underscoring the alliance’s collective performance improvements.

Cirium, a premier aviation analytics firm, compiles these punctuality rankings by monitoring real-time operational data across airlines. Despite tougher seasonal weather and rising traffic volumes year-on-year, SAS’s on-time rate reflects a significant leap—from 15th place in 2023 to back-to-back global and European leadership.

These punctuality gains form part of SAS’s broader operational transformation. The airline has adopted more ambitious internal targets, tightened turnaround protocols, and standardized its performance monitoring processes to ensure sustained reliability throughout the busy summer season and into the future.

Media contact:
address: press@sas.se

SOURCE: SAS AB