Air Canada Hit Back After Ranking Last For On-Time Flights In North America

Air Canada has responded after a new ranking named it the worst airline for on-time performance in North America out of 10 major carriers.

The airline came in at the bottom of the ranking for punctuality in a new report by aviation analytics site Cirium, with just 63% of Air Canada's flights in 2023 arriving on time.

The airline has now responded to Narcity about the ranking and says that it's working to improve.

Air Canada fell far behind the top airline for on-time performance, Delta Air Lines, which saw 84.72% of its flights arriving on time in 2023.

It was also notably behind WestJet (the only other Canadian carrier on the list), which saw 69.29% of its flights arriving punctually.

"The results reflect the challenges through the year that affected carriers in Canada," Air Canada told Narcity in a statement.

"However, our operation has been consistently improving so that by yearend our monthly on-time performance showed a double-digit improvement over July, a significant increase."

In July 2023, Air Canada saw just 51% of its flights landing on time, coming in the last spot among North American airlines in Cirium's report.

In Cirium's monthly report for November 2023, the airline saw 74.94% of its flights arrive on time, a noticeable increase, though the airline still came in last place among North American carriers.

The new ranking may come as unsurprising to passengers. Air Canada experienced a wave of flight delays over the summer, with CEO Michael Rousseau citing a "perfect storm" of issues including severe weather and staff shortages, according to CTV News.

The airline says its focus remains on "further raising" on-time performance in 2024.

If you're planning to fly this year, the Canadian Transportation Agency has useful information about what you're entitled to if your flight is delayed or cancelled.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.