The world's 50 most reliable airlines

Start your holiday on a high

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No one wants to kick off their holiday with delays, cancellations or bad customer service, so if you're keen for your next journey to be smooth sailing – or smooth flying, rather – travel insurance provider Get Going Travel Insurance has got you covered. They've examined the reliability of more than 100 of the world's airlines, looking at the percentage of cancellations and delays, as well as customer and safety ratings (including stringent international safety parameters) and ranked the top 50 from worst to best. Here's our lowdown on their results.

50. Frontier Airlines

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In last place on this list is Frontier Airlines, based out of Denver, Colorado. Its hub airport, Denver International Airport, is known for its excellent facilities (winter ice skating, anyone?) and great local food and drink – but the airline does have room for improvement. More than 30% of its flights are delayed, and the average delay is over 65 minutes long – at least there's time for another craft beer, mind. The airline does have a good safety score with 10 out of 10 points awarded, and only 7% of flights are cancelled or diverted.

49. American Airlines

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While it still ranks in the top 50, one of America's biggest airlines apparently isn't one of its best. American has a global network, but with 18% of flights leaving late and delays running an average of 61 minutes, it's not all good. Few flights are cancelled or diverted (just 6%), but customer ratings are low for this national airline.

48. Vueling

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Spanish budget airline Vueling fly all over Europe and beyond – but it's not the continent's most reliable airline. More than 23% of its flights are delayed, and delays generally run on for an average of 55 minutes. On the plus side, only around 7% of its flights are cancelled, which is relatively low on this list, and the airline has a perfect safety score.

47. Jetstar

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Jetstar is an Australian budget airline, flying within the vast country and beyond to places like Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Honolulu in Hawaii, USA. They might fly to spectacular destinations, but their service is not always sparkling, as almost a third of their flights are delayed. Average delay times sit at around 47 minutes, though only 6.6% of their flights are cancelled or diverted, and they have a perfect safety score.

46. Air Canada

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Connecting Canadians with well over 200 destinations, Air Canada has an impressive network. Unfortunately, though, over a quarter of its flights are delayed, with wait times averaging 46 minutes. Nevertheless, the airline scores 10 out of 10 for safety, and only 7% of its flights are cancelled or diverted.

45. LOT – Polish Airlines

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The Polish national flag carrier sits at number 45 on this list. A relatively large number of delays (almost 24%) with an average wait time of 41 minutes, plus poor customer satisfaction, has affected its overall score. They do have a perfect safety score, though, so you're in good hands with LOT.

44. Eurowings

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Headquartered in Düsseldorf, Eurowings is a German low-cost airline flying to more than 200 destinations. Its customer ratings aren't brilliant, and there's little wonder: almost 30% of its flights are delayed. The average delay time is just short of 40 minutes, and about 9% of flights are cancelled or diverted. The airline does, however, have a perfect safety score of 10/10.

43. Norwegian Air International

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Norwegian has been hit hard by the recent grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX, having a significant number of the aircraft within its fleet. This was after two fatal crashes occurred within months of each other, on Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines flights respectively. The airline's Irish subsidiary, Norwegian Air International, occupies a relatively low position in the top 50 on this list. Almost a third of its flights are delayed and wait times average around 44 minutes. The airline has a safety score of 4/10, though there's a relatively low cancellation/diversion rate of 9.3%.

42. SpiceJet

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Safety is the main concern with this low-cost Indian airline, as SpiceJet has a rating of just 3/10 – The Times of India also reports that the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) raised concerns over flight safety earlier in 2019. Customers disembark feeling dissatisfied, according the Get Going study, and delays are fairly common with 20% of flights leaving late. You might end up waiting for an average of 46 minutes, though only 9% of flights are cancelled or diverted.

41. Avianca

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Avianca turned 100 in 2019, and has been the national flag carrier for Colombia since its inception as SCADTA in 1919. Based out of Bogotá, the airline flies to destinations all over South and Central America – almost a quarter of this airline's flights are delayed, however, with an average wait time of around 51 minutes. On the other hand, it has a perfect safety score, and only 8.4% of flights get cancelled or diverted.

40. WestJet

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This relatively young Canadian airline, founded in 1996, isn't winning any awards for its efficiency just yet. Just over one in five flights are delayed, and WestJet's average wait time is 47 minutes. Having said that, a perfect safety score and a cancellation/diversion rate of only 7% means it's certainly not the worst on this list.

39. Spirit Airlines

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Spirit is known as an 'ultra-low-cost' carrier, meaning you should expect absolutely no frills, zero little luxuries and the most basic service. And according to this survey, that's what you'll get. There's a dismal customer satisfaction rating, a high average delay time (61 minutes) and a poor safety score of 4/10. One bonus, though: only 10.5% of flights actually get delayed.

38. Norwegian Air Shuttle

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The main arm of Norwegian doesn't fare much better than its Irish subsidiary, Norwegian Air International. Over 20% of Norwegian Air Shuttle flights are delayed, and the average delay time is 42 minutes. Just short of 9% are cancelled or diverted, and the airline's safety rating is an OK 8/10.

37. United Airlines

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Just creeping into the thirties is United Airlines, one of America's major airlines. Almost 20% of United flights are delayed, and delays can run to over an hour, the average delay being 62 minutes. Almost 10% of flights are cancelled/diverted, but their safety score is a perfect 10/10.

36. Spring Airlines

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Based in Shanghai, Spring Airlines (whose name in Chinese, rather confusingly, means 'spring autumn airlines') is a low-cost carrier serving destinations like Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as regional routes throughout China itself. Around 17% of the airline's flights are delayed, with waits of up to 52 minutes not uncommon. Its perfect safety score and low percentage of diversions and cancellations (7.3%) is a saving grace, though.

35. Lufthansa

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A long-standing airline like 66-year-old Lufthansa should soar towards the top of this list. But, unfortunately, it sits in 35th place due to its high percentage of delayed flights. Around 28% of flights get delayed, though the average wait time is only 34 minutes. Their cancellations are a happier story, with just 6.4% of flights never leaving the ground or arriving at a different destination, and its perfect safety score will put a smile on your face.

34. easyJet

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One of Europe's most prolific budget airlines, easyJet has some issues when it comes to being on time. Almost a quarter of flights are delayed (for an average of 47 minutes) and 9% of flights are cancelled or diverted. The airline's safety score sits at 7/10, which isn't brilliant compared to most on this list.

33. JetBlue Airways

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This major low-cost American airline offers no frills on board and, when it comes to punctuality, it apparently has some work to do too. Almost one in five flights are delayed, and the average delay time is around one hour – one of the highest on the list. Around 9% of flights are cancelled on JetBlue, but a safety score of 10/10 helps redeem their reputation.

32. British Airways

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It's not all good news for British Airways in its 100th year. The airline has had some major issues over the last 12 months – the most damaging was an IT systems failure causing hundreds of flights to be cancelled. Strikes have also affected the airline's output this year, and so it's no surprise that it sits pretty low on this list, with 24% of flights getting delayed and 8% being cancelled or diverted. Delays cause a 41-minute wait on average.

31. Air China

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The flag carrier for one of the largest nations in the world, Air China just misses out on the top 30. Almost 22% of its flights are delayed, and there's a 46-minute average delay time and a 9.4% cancellation/diversion rate. A safety score of 10 helps it creep up the list, though.

30. Flybe

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UK-based airline Flybe operates budget flights between major British hubs and a few European hotspots, including dreamy Alicante, Corsica and the Cote d'Azur. Unfortunately, its service isn't always so dreamy. A low customer rating, high percentage of delays (20%) and reasonably long waiting time (45 minutes) keeps it in 30th place.

29. Asiana Airlines

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The second largest airline in South Korea has a shocking delay rate across its network: almost a third of Asiana Airlines' flights are delayed by an average of 35 minutes. A solid safety score of nine is a redeeming factor, as is its low cancellation/diversion rate of 8%. Customer satisfaction is also high according to Get Going.

28. Southwest Airlines

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For an American airline, Southwest has a pretty appalling safety score. It sits with the lowest scorers with just 3/10 points. This is made up for with a low amount of delays (16.84%) and few cancellations (just 9%), but it ultimately brings the overall score down drastically. Delays tend to sit around the 46-minute mark, which isn't great compared to many on this list, and its customer satisfaction ratings are middling too.

27. Qantas

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Famous for running one of the longest flights in the world – a 17-hour hop from London, UK, to Perth, Australia – Qantas is a fairly reliable airline to choose. Around 21% of its flights are delayed by an average of 43 minutes, and only 7% are cancelled or diverted. The airline also scores a perfect 10 for safety.

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26. LATAM Airlines

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LATAM is based in Santiago, Chile, transporting millions of passengers each year. The airline is one of the region's best, with a perfect safety score, only 8% of flights cancelled and just short of 20% delayed. Delays tend to run to around 40 minutes on average.

25. SAS

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This Scandinavian carrier serves Denmark, Norway and Sweden and does well on its cancellation rate (6.7%) and delay time (35 minutes). However, it falls down on punctuality with almost 19% of flights being delayed and it has a fairly low customer rating too. Its safety score is something to smile about though: it earns a perfect 10/10.

24. Delta Air Lines

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American airline giant Delta flies passengers all over the USA and beyond, with Transatlantic routes and short domestic hops on its large network. But big business doesn't always mean brilliant business, and Delta suffers from low customer ratings and a large average delay of almost 60 minutes. Happily, only around 12% of its flights suffer delays, and 8.5% are cancelled or diverted, bumping the airline into 24th place.

23. China Eastern Airlines

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A major Chinese airline operating out of Shanghai, China Eastern Airlines is pretty average when it comes to reliability. Sitting at 23 out of 50, almost a quarter of its flights get delayed by an average of 43 minutes, and 9.6% are cancelled or diverted. The airline's safety record earns it extra points, though, with a 10/10 rating.

22. HOP!

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A subsidiary of Air France, this rather jauntily named airline doesn't quite match up to its older sibling's record. The safety score is 10, but 17% of its flights get delayed and the average wait time is 35 minutes. It does have an excellent cancellation rate, though, at 5.9%.

21. Saudia

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The national carrier of Saudi Arabia is the first airline on this list to go into double figures in the cancellations category – around 10% of its flights are cancelled or diverted. A quarter of its flights are delayed, and the average wait tends to sit around 45 minutes. The airline does have a safety score of 10 and decent customer ratings, though, so don't let all that put you off.

20. Ethiopian Airlines

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Ethiopian Airlines hit headlines in 2019 after one of its planes bound for Nairobi experienced a fault and crashed just six minutes after taking off. Despite this, the airline still has an exceptional safety score of 9, and the airline's punctuality is pretty reliable, with 23.7% of flights being delayed by around 40 minutes, and only 9.8% cancelled or diverted.

19. Widerøe

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The most reliable Norwegian airline is Widerøe, which scores more highly than its rivals Norwegian Air and Norwegian Air Shuttle. The airline has a 10/10 safety score and an exceptionally low cancellation rate of 3.9%. Almost 12% of its flights are delayed, though, with a wait of around 34 minutes. Its customer ratings are pretty high, keeping it within the top 20 airlines.

18. AirAsia

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AirAsia is generally a reliable airline, with 22.3% of flights delayed by an average of 40 minutes, and only 10% of flights cancelled or diverted. But it's let down by its safety score of 7.5.

17. Air France

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Air France sits at number 17 thanks to its 9/10 safety rating and 18% delay rate. Delays tend to be around 36 minutes, and around 9% of flights are cancelled or diverted. The airline's customer ratings are pretty decent too.

16. Iberia

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Spain's national flag carrier sits in 16th place on this list. It has a perfect safety score, a 17% delay rate and an average delay of 40 minutes. Fewer than 9% of its flights are cancelled or diverted, and its rate of customer satisfaction is good too.

15. Thai AirAsia

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This budget airline might not have the frills of many of the carriers on this list, but it has a great record for delays. Just 16% of its flights are delayed, with an average waiting time of only 30 minutes. Unfortunately, the airline is let down by its seriously low safety score – just 2/10.

14. SWISS

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Switzerland is a country famous for its precision timepieces, and so it makes sense that the national airline is equally lauded for its reliability. It has a fairly high percentage of delayed flights (23% are delayed by an average of 33 minutes) but its low number of cancellations and diversions is a saving grace. The airline also enjoys a 10/10 safety score and great customer ratings, so you can trust they'll get you to your destination safe and sound.

13. Alitalia

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Alitalia has had a turbulent few years (pun intended, obviously). The airline went bust in 2017 and had to be bailed out by the Italian government, but this hasn't stopped it being one of the most reliable airlines out there. Just 15.7% of its flights are delayed (usually by around 40 minutes) and only 9% are cancelled. The airline also has a 10/10 safety score.

12. Korean Air

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Serving South Korea, Asia and beyond, Korean Air is a brilliant option if you're flying eastward. The airline does have a fairly high delay count (23% of flights don't leave on time) but its customer ratings are some of the highest in this list, so if you don't mind a little wait (usually around 30 minutes), you'll get great service on board.

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11. Gol

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A high-scoring Brazilian airline, Gol Transportes Aéreos wins points for its punctuality. Just 15% of the airline's flights are delayed, with an average waiting time of 37 minutes. The airline has a perfect safety score and enjoys a low percentage of cancellations/diversions (9%).

10. Finnair

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Finland's national carrier has a network that spans the world, from European hubs to far eastern reaches like Japan and Sri Lanka. And it serves all these destinations with pretty good efficiency, seeing just 14% of its flights delayed by an average of 35 minutes. Only 8.3% of Finnair's flights are cancelled or diverted, and the safety score sits at a perfect 10.

9. Jet Airways

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Sadly since this study was completed, Jet Airways, one of India's most prolific airlines, has faced financial trouble and ground its planes. It's a huge loss for passengers as the airline served domestic and international airports out of the southern city of Mumbai. The efficiency of this airline earned it points in the ranking – only 15% of its flights were delayed and only 9.6% were cancelled or diverted – placing it just in the top 10. Its safety score was 9/10, and wait times for delayed flights were around 34 minutes. We're very sorry to see it go.

8. ANA

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Almost 12% of ANA (All Nipon Airways) flights are delayed these days, but the average wait time is just 33 minutes. But what puts this Japanese airline within the top 10 is its seriously low cancellations: just 6.4% of its flights around Japan and the surrounding countries are cancelled or diverted. ANA's safety score is also 10/10.

7. Qatar Airways

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Middle Eastern airline Qatar Airways is the eighth most reliable airline in the world, according to the Get Going study. The average delay time is just 40 minutes, and only 9.3% of flights are cancelled or diverted. The airline also enjoys a perfect safety score and its customer ratings are great too.

6. Emirates

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The UAE's national airline, Emirates regularly tops 'best airlines' rankings thanks to its high-end, luxurious experience, comfortable planes and wonderful customer service. That's all reflected in the customer rating score in this study, plus the airline has gained points for its safety record (10/10) and lack of delays and cancellations (15% and 9.6% respectively).

5. Azul

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It's not a well-known airline with a huge international network, but Azul is up there with the big names when it comes to reliability. This Brazilian carrier is based out of São Paulo and flies to many airports within Brazil, as well as to international destinations like Portugal and Florida, USA. Its customer ratings are pretty high, and its delays are fairly low with just 10.6% of flights leaving late. The airline has a perfect safety score, and very few cancellations (just 8.1%).

4. KLM

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KLM serves all manner of destinations, from Amsterdam to London to New York City, and it does so pretty reliably too. Just 11.6% of its flights get delayed, and it's generally by no more than 34 minutes. Cancellations are rare – only 8.5% of flights across their network are cancelled – and the airline has a perfect safety score, too. If you're flying around Europe, KLM and its Cityhopper subsidiary are a solid bet.

3. IndiGo

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India isn't a country synonymous with running on time – its train network is notoriously sluggish. But IndiGo, a regional airline based out of Gurgaon in the state of Haryana, actually scores fairly well for its reliability. Just 14.7% of its flights tend to be delayed, and only 9.9% are cancelled. Its safety score is 9/10, too, so you're in good hands in the skies over India.

2. KLM Cityhopper

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This regional European airline, based out of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, is second in line for most reliable carrier. This subsidiary of Air France-KLM, as the name suggests, hops between the continent's urban centres, with destinations such as Vienna, Florence, Hamburg and London. The airline has a 10/10 safety score, and only 9.6% of its flights are delayed. It has a great customer satisfaction rating too.

1. JAL

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Customer service in Japan is renowned for being exceptional, and this extends to the country's national airline. Japan Airlines, or JAL for short, has been ranked as the most reliable airline in the world. Just 10% of its flights are delayed, and only 8.3% are cancelled. It scored the maximum for safety too, with a result of 10/10, and has great customer ratings.

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