Qantas topples Virgin’s airline performance in September
Weaker month-on-month results still above long-term averages.
Australia's domestic on-time arrivals and departures figures fell sharply in September, compared to the previous month's results, but they remain above long-term averages.
The latest domestic airline on-time performance stats from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) show all airlines on-time arrivals averaged 83.5% and on-time departures averaged 84.6% during September. Long-term arrivals (82.8%) and departures (84.2%) averages were slightly lower.
However, September's results were down on August's impressive figures.
1.7% of all scheduled flights were cancelled last month, an increase on the long-term average of 1.4%.
After holding the top spot back-to-back in previous months, Virgin Australia was dethroned by major rival Qantas Airways in both on-time arrivals (87%) and departures (87.9%).
| Airline | On-time arrivals | On-time departures | Cancellations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jetstar | 76.8% | 74.4% | 1.6% |
| Qantas | 87.0% | 87.9% | 1.5% |
| QantasLink | 88.3% | 84.8% | 1.9% |
| Regional Express | 88.3% | 86.2% | 0.7% |
| Tigerair Australia | 82.6% | 84.7% | 0.4% |
| Virgin Australia | 85.1% | 87.0% | 2.2% |
| Virgin Australia Regional Airlines | 85.2% | 88.4% | 2.7% |
| All Airlines | 83.5% | 84.6% | 1.7% |
September saw regional carriers outshine Australia's major airlines for on-time arrivals, with QantasLink and Regional Express the best performers (88.3%).
Jetstar was the worst airline for both on-time arrivals (down 6.8% month-on-month to 76.8%) and departures (down 6% month-on-month to 74.4%).
Virgin Australia Regional Airlines recorded the highest percentage of cancellations (2.7%) during September, followed by parent company Virgin Australia (2.2%).
Passengers flying from Sydney-Ayers Rock in September experienced the lowest percentage of on-time arrivals (55%), while those who flew Ayers Rock-Sydney suffered the worst on-time departures (48.3%).
Cancellations were highest on the Moranbah-Brisbane route at 6.9%.
Over the last 12 months discount airfare prices across Australia have decreased. Choosing the right time of day to fly can cut costs but early morning and late night flights are likelier to incur cancellations.
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