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Summary – 2020-21 Financial Year

For the year ended June 2022, on time performance over all routes operated by participating airlines (Jetstar, Qantas, QantasLink, Rex Airlines, Virgin Australia and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines) averaged 76.8 per cent for on time arrivals and 76.1 per cent for on time departures. The cancellation rate for the year was 8.3 per cent. The equivalent figures for 2020-21 were 86.1 per cent for on time arrivals, 85.6 per cent for on time departures and 7.6 per cent for cancellations.

This year’s on time arrivals figure was lower than the long term average performance for all routes (82.1 per cent) and the on time departures figure was also lower than the long term average (83.3 per cent). The rate of cancellations was higher than the long term average of 2.1 per cent.

The Qantas network (Qantas and QantasLink combined operations) recorded 77.1 per cent for on time arrivals while the Virgin Australia network (Virgin Australia and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines combined operations) recorded 75.6 per cent. Qantas achieved the highest on time arrivals among the major domestic airlines at 77.5 per cent followed by Virgin Australia at 75.5 per cent and Jetstar at 71.0 per cent. Of the regional airlines, Rex Airlines recorded 83.2 per cent for on time arrivals, followed by QantasLink at 76.9 per cent and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines at 76.0 per cent.

The Qantas network recorded 77.1 per cent for on time departures while the Virgin Australia network recorded 73.6 per cent. Qantas achieved the highest level of on time departures among the major domestic airlines for 2021-22 at 77.9 per cent, followed by Virgin Australia at 73.6 per cent and Jetstar at 67.9 per cent. Of the regional airlines, Rex Airlines recorded 85.4 per cent for on time departures, followed by QantasLink at 76.6 per cent and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines at 74.6 per cent.

Jetstar recorded the highest percentage of cancellations (at 11.9 per cent) during the year, followed by Qantas (at 10.0 per cent), Virgin Australia (at 8.5 per cent), QantasLink (at 8.4 per cent), Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (at 3.3 per cent) and Rex Airlines (at 2.3 per cent).

Airlines’ on time performance varies across the routes they serve. Individual route data by specific airline for 58 routes are shown on pages 8-20.

Of the 44 routes which met the criteria for on time performance reporting for all 12 months in 2021-22, the Cairns-Townsville route had the highest percentage of on time arrivals (90.5 per cent) and the Brisbane-Hamilton Island route had the highest percentage of on time departures (91.3 per cent). The Perth Melbourne route had the lowest percentage of on time arrivals (58.6 per cent) and the Melbourne-Perth route had the lowest percentage of on time departures (52.4 per cent). 

Cancellations were highest on the Sydney-Melbourne route at 15.0 per cent, followed by the Melbourne-Sydney route at 14.8 per cent, the Brisbane-Melbourne route at 13.3 per cent, the Sydney-Brisbane and Melbourne-Brisbane routes at 13.0 per cent, the Brisbane-Sydney route at 12.9 per cent and the Brisbane-Perth and Perth-Brisbane routes at 11.9 per cent.

Of the airports with on time performance reporting for all 12 months in 2021-22, Emerald Airport recorded the highest percentage of on time arrivals (88.7 per cent) and the highest percentage of on time departures (87.0 per cent). Launceston Airport recorded the lowest percentage of on time arrivals (67.7 per cent) and Darwin Airport recorded the lowest percentage of on time departures (61.8 per cent). These figures only refer to reported routes and do not cover all flights at these airports.

Figure 1. Total Industry Arrivals and Departures On Time by month from June 2017

Figure 2. Total Industry Cancellations by month from June 2017