flyadeal, Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing low-cost airline, has topped the 2025 On-Time Performance (OTP) rankings among low-cost carriers in the Middle East and North Africa. The airline achieved this position through consistent punctual operations across the full year.
Data from Cirium, the independent aviation analytics company, shows flyadeal recorded an average arrival OTP of 86.54 per cent and a departure OTP of 89.79 per cent in 2025. The airline also achieved a flight completion rate of 99.84 per cent, showing very few cancellations.
These results are based on 69,971 scheduled flights operated by flyadeal between January and December 2025. OTP tracks flights that arrive or depart within 15 minutes of their scheduled time.
During the year, flyadeal also reached a global milestone. In June 2025, one of its busiest months due to Hajj travel, the airline was named the world’s most punctual carrier across both low-cost and full-service airlines.
Steven Greenway, flyadeal Chief Executive Officer, said: “This is an outstanding achievement that demonstrates great consistency and operational efficiency of the highest standards every month throughout 2025. As flyadeal continued to induct new aircraft into the fleet, launch new routes and handle complexity around Hajj and Umrah movements, we remained focused on delivering punctuality.
“We pride ourselves on running an optimum and effective flying schedule that is safe and reliable, reflected by the hard work that Team flyadeal across the business puts into our operations 24/7. Deserved credit also goes to flyadeal’s wide-ranging ecosystem, including airport partners, core to building, maintaining and preserving schedule integrity in good and challenging times.”
Greenway also described as “astounding” the performance of sister airline Saudia, which Cirium ranked second for punctuality among full-service global airlines for the second year in a row.
He further praised Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport for placing second worldwide in Cirium’s large airport category, which is notable as most flyadeal flights operate through this hub.
Captain Abdulaziz Bahri, flyadeal Chief Operating Officer, said: “There’s nothing more frustrating than passengers experiencing flight delays. flyadeal makes it a priority to ensure passengers enjoy the full travel experience flying to their final destination safely and on time.
“Having recently opened a much bigger new Operations Control Centre at our Jeddah headquarters, ongoing investment in technology and resources caters for growth and improvement in both management and processes to monitor, coordinate, plan flight routings round-the-clock and handle disruptions, which combined helps drive operational punctuality.”
flyadeal now operates up to 250 scheduled flights each day and passed 10 million passengers in a single calendar year for the first time. This growth has positioned the airline as the fastest-growing carrier in the Middle East.
Eyad Jamalallail, flyadeal Director of Ground Operations, added: “Running an airline requires a lot of coordination. Special mention must be given to the men and women on the ground at over 30 airports across flyadeal’s domestic and international network who have shown tremendous dedication to sustain smooth operations with minimum delays.
“From check-in agents and customer service representatives to departure gate staff and baggage handlers, they all play an important role for what truly is a combined team effort.”
flyadeal operates a fleet of 44 Airbus A320 aircraft from bases in Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam and Madinah. The airline serves more than 30 seasonal and year-round destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and South Asia.
Nearly 60 per cent of the fleet is based at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Eleven aircraft operate from King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, five from King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, and two from Madinah.
