Jetstar outranks SIA for on-time performance: report

IT seems like going on a budget might be good sometimes. 

Low-cost carrier (LCC) Jetstar Asia has outranked Singapore Airlines (SIA) by one spot to come in as the eighth most punctual airline globally, according to travel data provider OAG.

The Punctuality League 2020 report released on Tuesday noted that Jetstar registered an on-time performance (OTP) of 85.48 per cent in 2019, versus SIA's 85.32 per cent. 

OTP is defined as flights that arrive or depart within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival or departure times. Cancellations are also included within the OTP calculations and counted as late flights, analytics firm OAG said. 

SIA has jumped six spots to rank ninth this year from 15th last year, while Jetstar Asia has moved up four places from 12th position last year.

Topping this year's list is Garuda Indonesia, with an average OTP of just over 95 per cent. This means that 19 out of every 20 flights it operates are within 15 minutes of schedule, OAG noted. 

Among the Top 20 airlines, Asia-Pacific airlines appear nine times, while only two North American airlines made it to the list. 

SIA made it to the seventh spot among the mainline operators, while Jetstar Asia came in second among the LCCs.  

In a press statement on Tuesday, Jetstar Asia CEO Bara Pasupathi said punctuality was a "key focus and one of the reasons why travellers choose to fly with the airline".

Separately, Singapore Changi Airport was ranked third for its punctuality among mega airports around the world, just behind Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport in first place, and Tokyo's Haneda International Airport in second spot. 

Changi Airport had an average OTP of 84.03 per cent for 2019, above the global average of 78.3 per cent. 

The league is based on 57.7 million flight records using full-year data from 2019.

As at 12.38pm on Tuesday, SIA shares were trading at S$9, up 0.8 per cent, or seven Singapore cents.