BITRE September 2024 Airline Performance: A Mixed Bag of Punctuality and Cancellations

As the aviation industry continues to recover and adapt, airlines’ on-time performance remains a critical metric for both passengers and operators. For September 2024, the overall on-time performance across all routes operated by participating airlines—Hinterland, Jetstar, Qantas, QantasLink, Rex Airlines, Skytrans, Virgin Australia, and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines—averaged 75.5% for on-time arrivals and 76.1% for on-time departures. The cancellation rate for the month stood at 2.0%.

Comparing Year-on-Year Performance

There has been a noticeable improvement compared to September 2023. Last year, on-time arrivals were 72.1%, and on-time departures were 71.6%, with a higher cancellation rate of 3.6%. Despite these improvements, the figures for September 2024 still fall short of the long-term averages of 80.8% for on-time arrivals and 81.9% for on-time departures. However, the cancellation rate of 2.0% is slightly better than the long-term average of 2.2%.

Airline-Specific Performance

• Qantas Network: The combined operations of Qantas and QantasLink recorded 76.0% for on-time arrivals and 77.1% for on-time departures.
• Virgin Australia Network: Virgin Australia and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines combined recorded 73.0% for on-time arrivals and 73.1% for on-time departures.
• Hinterland: Achieved the highest on-time arrivals at 91.1% and the highest on-time departures at 94.1%.
• Skytrans: Recorded 84.5% for on-time arrivals and 81.7% for on-time departures.
• Rex Airlines: Achieved 76.6% for on-time arrivals and 79.9% for on-time departures.
• Jetstar: Recorded 74.0% for on-time arrivals and 72.3% for on-time departures.
• Virgin Australia Regional Airlines: Had the lowest performance, with 58.2% for on-time arrivals and 55.2% for on-time departures.

Cancellations and Route-Specific Data

Skytrans had the highest cancellation rate, at 3.3%, followed by QantasLink at 3.2% and Qantas at 2.4%. Hinterland recorded the lowest cancellation rate, at 1.1%.

Route-specific data revealed that the Townsville-Cairns route had the highest percentage of on-time arrivals at 90.7%, while the Port Lincoln-Adelaide route had the highest percentage of on-time departures at 89.0%. Conversely, the Launceston-Brisbane route had the lowest percentage of on-time arrivals at 43.2%, and the Hamilton Island-Sydney route had the lowest percentage of on-time departures at 51.9%.

Airport Performance

Port Lincoln Airport recorded the highest percentage of on-time arrivals (87.9%) and on-time departures (89.0%). In contrast, Rockhampton Airport had the lowest percentage of on-time arrivals (60.3%), and Broome Airport had the lowest percentage of on-time departures (56.5%).

Conclusion

While on-time performance has improved and cancellations have decreased compared to the previous year, September 2024’s figures still fall short of the long-term averages. Airlines and airports must strive for better punctuality and reliability to meet passenger expectations and enhance the overall travel experience. As the industry evolves, these metrics will remain crucial performance and customer satisfaction indicators.