South African Airways (SAA) has been named the most punctual airline in Africa, overtaking Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines, according to the Cirium 2025 Middle East and Africa Airlines On-Time Performance Report.
Flight performance data published by Cirium shows that SAA recorded the strongest on-time arrival rate on the continent in 2025, despite operating a smaller fleet and serving fewer routes than its East African rivals.
The report notes that SAA achieved an 81.26 per cent on-time arrival rate, based on 24,461 tracked flights, marking a significant operational milestone as the airline continues its recovery following years of restructuring.
Industry analysts cited in the report explain that ongoing aircraft groundings and global spare-parts shortages have disrupted operations at several major African carriers, inadvertently giving leaner airlines like SAA a competitive edge in punctuality.
Meanwhile, South African low-cost carrier FlySafair topped the entire Middle East and Africa region, outperforming both legacy and budget airlines. Cirium reports that Safair posted an impressive 91.06 per cent on-time arrival rate across 62,805 flights.
Safair also recorded a 98.60 per cent flight completion factor, alongside strong departure punctuality, placing it ahead of major Middle Eastern carriers in the overall regional ranking.
Kenya Airways had previously dominated the African punctuality rankings, emerging as the continent’s most punctual flag carrier in 2023 and 2024. Before that, Ethiopian Airlines held the top spot for five consecutive years, with both airlines consistently achieving on-time performance rates above 70 per cent during their peak periods.
