FlySafair, South Africa’s largest airline, stands out as the only African airline featured in Cirium’s latest “Most On-Time Airlines” rankings, at the regional level (Middle East and Africa).
- FlySafair ranked first in Cirium’s ‘Most On-Time Airlines’ for the Middle East and Africa region with a 93.82% on-time performance rate.
- The airline demonstrated a remarkable 97.14% on-time arrival rate and a flight completion factor of 99.86%.
- FlySafair faces potential grounding due to ownership issues.
FlySafair, South Africa’s largest airline, stands out as the only African airline featured in Cirium’s latest “Most On-Time Airlines” rankings, at the regional level (Middle East and Africa).
The airline secured the top position with an impressive 93.82% on-time performance rate. Additionally, FlySafair demonstrated a remarkable on-time arrival rate of 97.14%, along with a flight completion factor of 99.86%.
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With a total of 57,272 flights completed, FlySafair’s punctuality and reliability highlight its status as a leader in the aviation industry.
To qualify for Cirium’s On-Time Performance Review, airlines must meet an 80% gate arrival time data coverage requirement, which applies across several categories: Global, Major (by region), and Low-Cost carriers.
For the Global Airlines category, Cirium evaluates the top 10% of all passenger airlines based on metrics such as Available Seat kilometres (ASKs), flight volumes, and seat counts. Additionally, these airlines must operate in at least three regions to be considered.
In the Major Airlines by Region category, the review criteria are tailored by region to reflect the varying scales of operations. Specifically, for the Middle East and Africa, the thresholds for Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) are set at 30% to match the region’s operational sizes accurately.
FlySafair soars in punctuality, but ownership issues could ground it
FlySafair has been given a year to reduce its foreign shareholding, or it faces the risk of its operating license being suspended.
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This decision comes after the Department of Transport determined that FlySafair does not meet the country’s local ownership regulations, which mandate that at least 75% of the voting rights in domestic airlines must be held by South African citizens.
The airline is now required to submit a compliance plan, including a term sheet detailing milestones, within 14 days and provide monthly updates on its progress.
FlySafair, which holds a dominant 60% share of the domestic market, serves around 30,000 passengers daily with its fleet of 34 aircraft. The grounding of the airline due to non-compliance could have a significant impact, potentially stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers.
