Air Canada Is North America’s Most Delayed Airline of 2023

Canada’s premier airline, Air Canada, has recently earned an unenviable title: the carrier with the most delayed flights in North America. This data comes from a report published by Cirium, a renowned aviation analytics company.

Air Canada managed to land only 63% of its 276,451 flights on schedule last year. This poor performance pushed it to the final spot among the top 10 major airlines in North America. Translating these statistics into real-world impact, this means that about 140,000 planes got to their gates over 15 minutes later than planned.

Delta Air Lines took the crown for the most punctual airline across the continent, ensuring 85% of its whopping 1.6 million flights were on time. Alaska Airlines wasn’t too far behind, coming in second with 82% on-time arrivals from its 404,925 flights. Not all Canadian airlines fared poorly, though. WestJet, another significant Canadian carrier, stood distinctly ahead of Air Canada with a ranking of seventh in the North American chart, ensuring 69% of its 182,296 flights landed on time.

The causes behind Air Canada’s tardiness are varied. In the past, the airline has blamed several factors for its poor timekeeping. These include a lack of air traffic controllers, unfavorable weather conditions, and its bustling network operating at full capacity due to high demand. In essence, the airline finds it challenging to recover swiftly after any disruptions due to these reasons.

The CEO of Air Canada, Michael Rousseau, has openly accepted the airline’s low-ranking position. This acceptance came after a stretch of flight delays that hit the airline in June and July. He admitted that, despite increasing staff numbers and upgrading its technology, the airline fell short in terms of its operational efficiency.