Overview of Airline Performance in June 2025
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released its August Air Travel Consumer Report, detailing airline performance for June 2025 and the first half of the year. Hawaiian Airlines emerged as the leader in punctuality, whereas American Airlines recorded the poorest performance in several categories.
Delta’s Notable Record
Delta Air Lines achieved a remarkable feat by not involuntarily bumping any passengers during the six-month period. In stark contrast, American Airlines led the industry in cancellations, mishandled baggage, complaints, and denied boardings.
Airline Performance Metrics
The DOT report evaluates several key metrics, including on-time arrivals, cancellations, baggage handling, denied boardings, and customer complaints.
- On-Time Arrivals: Hawaiian Airlines had the highest on-time arrival rate at 83.1%, followed by Southwest Airlines at 78.9% and Delta at 78.7%. American Airlines and Frontier Airlines were at the bottom of the list, with rates of 73.3% and 70.0%, respectively.
- Year-over-Year Changes: Hawaiian and Southwest showed improvements, while Delta’s rate fell from 82.2% in the previous year. Spirit Airlines made notable strides with a 78.3% on-time rate, despite financial challenges.
Flight Cancellations
Allegiant Air and Hawaiian Airlines reported the lowest cancellation rates, both under 1%. In contrast, American Airlines canceled 2.69% of flights, almost triple the industry average of 1.56%. United Airlines and Delta also experienced increased cancellations, with Delta’s rate nearly doubling from 2024 to 2025.
Baggage Handling
Allegiant Air had the lowest mishandled baggage rate at 0.07 per 100 bags enplaned in June 2025. Conversely, American Airlines had the highest mishandling rate at 0.78, closely followed by United Airlines at 0.77.
Denied Boardings
Delta Air Lines had zero involuntary denied boardings, handling over 91 million passengers by opting for voluntary rebookings. American Airlines forced 7,163 passengers off flights, the highest in the industry, while Frontier Airlines also had a high rate with 2.79 per 10,000 passengers.
Passenger Complaints
American Airlines saw the most DOT complaints, with cancellations, delays, and civil rights concerns being common issues. They were also the only U.S. airline to report an animal injury in June. Among international carriers, Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways led in complaints, followed by Air France and Lufthansa.
Timing of Flights
Flight punctuality varied by time of day, with the highest rates occurring between 06:00 and 09:00, averaging in the mid-80s. Punctuality decreased throughout the day, reaching lows after 17:00.
Importance of Transparency
Despite the airline industry’s push, led by Airlines for America, to reduce DOT performance reporting, these reports are crucial for passenger decision-making. They help travelers choose airlines that are more likely to deliver timely and reliable service.
