Aviation analytics firm Cirium’s latest global on-time performance report for February 2026 has highlighted a strong showing for UK carriers, with British Airways ranking among the world’s most punctual airlines and performing strongly within Europe.
According to the aviation analytics firm’s monthly On-Time Performance (OTP) review, British Airways recorded an on-time arrival rate of 86.08% in February, placing the airline fourth globally among major carriers. The figure represents a significant improvement compared with January, when the airline posted a 78.23% on-time arrival rate. Across the month, British Airways operated 22,769 tracked flights and achieved a completion factor of 98.94%, meaning the vast majority of scheduled services operated as planned.
The airline also performed well in the regional rankings, securing second place in Europe behind ITA Airways, which topped the regional table with an on-time arrival rate of 86.53%. Other European airlines in the top ten included Austrian Airlines, Vueling and Transavia.
Another UK carrier, Virgin Atlantic, also featured in the global top ten, ranking fifth worldwide with an on-time arrival rate of 85.05%. Although the airline operates a smaller number of flights compared with some global competitors, Cirium’s data indicates it maintained a high completion factor of 98.32% during the month.
Globally, the most punctual airline in February was Aeromexico, which achieved an on-time arrival rate of 91.59%, followed by Etihad Airways and Saudia. Overall, Cirium tracked more than 409,000 flights among the leading global carriers during the month, with an average on-time arrival rate of 85.16%.
The report also highlighted strong operational performance at major airports worldwide. Among large airports, London Heathrow Airport ranked ninth globally, recording an on-time departure rate of 85.37% from more than 35,000 tracked flights in February.
Cirium defines an on-time flight as one that arrives at the gate within 15 minutes of its scheduled arrival time, a widely used benchmark across the aviation industry. The company’s analysis draws on flight data from more than 2,000 sources and tracks millions of flights each month to evaluate airline and airport reliability.
The February results suggest improving operational performance across parts of the industry, with several airlines posting notable month-on-month gains in punctuality as networks stabilise following the winter period. For UK aviation, the strong performance of both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic underscores the continued importance of reliable long-haul operations centred on Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest international hubs.