January flight data trends
In January, global completed flights experienced a decrease of 2.2% compared to the previous month. This decline can be attributed to seasonal factors, as January typically sees a decrease in flight activity following a busy month in December. The impact was particularly notable in North America and Europe. On the other hand, China’s aviation industry continues to show positive growth. In fact, it has reached 100% of its flight activity level from 2019 after experiencing an 8% increase. This growth is primarily driven by domestic travel within China.
Overall, when comparing flight activity in January 2024 to the same month in 2019, global flight activity reached 87.1% of the pre-pandemic level. This represents an increase of 0.3% and indicates a gradual recovery for the aviation industry on a global scale.
- China is now the highest at 100.8% (+ 8.4%)
- North Atlantic is now at 98.6% (-7.9%)
- Middle East and Africa is at 95.1% (+0.8%)
- USA is at 89.1% (+0.1%)
- Asia-Pacific is at 81.5% (+0.5%)
- Europe is at 77.7% (-5.7%)
APAC On-Time Performance leaders
For the past 15 years, Cirium has been providing comprehensive reports on the On-Time Performance (OTP) of airlines and airports. These reports meticulously rank airlines and airports based on their punctuality, revealing and rewarding those entities that have achieved the most consistent on-time performance. In addition to recognizing exceptional performance, Cirium’s reports also provide valuable insights aimed at improving the overall traveler experience.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) have consistently ranked at or near the top of our Global and Asia-Pacific (APAC) categories since the inception of The On-Time Performance Awards. Last year, ANA emerged victorious in the APAC category, a source of great pride for the Japanese carrier and its team.The competition in the APAC region remained intense throughout the year, with JAL following closely behind by near fraction of percentage taking 2nd place.
Throughout the year, the OTP rankings in APAC were frequently occupied by Thai AirAsia (FD), the 20-year-old low-cost airline that showcased exceptional performance. Thai AirAsia’s achievement is particularly noteworthy considering the over 113,871 domestic and international flights it operates. As an established yet continuously expanding low-cost carrier, Thai AirAsia’s commitment to punctuality and ultimately contributing to customer satisfaction taking the #3 position in photo finish with ANA and JAL.
The 2023 APAC award goes to ANA this year, with an impressive OTP of 82.75% across 302,279 flight operations. Honourable mentions are well deserved for Japan Airlines with an OTP of 82.58% on 308,302 flights and Thai AirAsia with OTP of 82.52% on 113,871 flights for their outstanding performance in 2023.
View Cirium’s 2023 Annual On-Time Performance Review report.
Article by Cirium. Cirium is looking forward to meeting industry colleagues at the Aviation Festival Asia. Join Yee Huat Pang at ‘Elevating Airport Technology and Planning with Data Analytics.’ and discover how data analytics can play a pivotal role in shaping the future of airport planning and operations. Tech Hub | 28th Feb | 12.40
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