June was not a banner month for global air travel, according to monthly performance stats from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
There was a 20% increase in flight cancellations compared to May, with geopolitical tensions in the Middle East upending travel across the region.
On a regional basis, there was an almost 200% increase in flight cancellations, Cirium says.
Major carriers including Qatar Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, Air France, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines canceled flights, and rerouted thousands heading to major hubs like Dubai and Doha.
Despite this, Saudia emerged as the new global leader for punctuality with an on time performance of 91.33%.
Azul returned to the top ranks and secured third place with an OTP of 86.33%.
In North America, Air Canada maintained its position as regional leader as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines saw widespread flight cancellations and delays due to weather disruptions.
In Asia, Thai AirAsia led with an OTP of 87.71%.
JAL returned to the Top 5 in fourth-place position with an OTP of 83.60%.
In Europe, Icelandair reclaimed the top spot with an OTP of 85.77%. Turkish Airlines and Vueling made strong re-entries to the top ranks with 83.78% and 81.76% respectively.
