Saudia airline most punctual globally for arrivals and departures

For all airlines in the Middle East and Africa – including airlines that do not have global operations, defined by Cirium as serving at least three regions – the kingdom’s Flyadeal came top (91.77%), South Africa’s Safair second (91.57%) and national flag carrier Saudia third. 

Flyadeal is a subsidiary of Saudia. 

Regional giants scored less favourably, impacted by closed airspace, cancellations and rerouting of flights due to the Iran-Israel conflict in June.

Qatar had an on-time arrival rate of 73.13%, Etihad 72.96% and Emirates 71.48%.

In another boost for Saudi aviation, Riyadh King Khalid International Airport (RUH) was the best performing large airport globally, with an on-time departure rate of 90.41%

Saudia saw passengers increase 7.2% in the first half of 2025, reaching 17.5 million.

According to the airline’s operational performance report, it operated 100,000 flights, up 4%, across four continents

International traffic rose 5% to more than 9.6 million guests on 43,700 flights, while domestic operations were up 10%, hitting 7.9 million passengers on 56,000 flights.

The current fleet of 148 aircraft will be boosted by future deliveries amounting to 117 new aircraft to increase capacity and frequency while supporting the kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals to drive tourism and the National Aviation Strategy. 

For more information, visit www.saudia.com and www.cirium.com