Second consecutive month leading Cirium’s global and European on-time tables.
SAS has been named the most punctual airline 2026 for the second month running, according to the analytics firm Cirium. The April 2026 report puts the carrier first in both the global and European rankings, with 89.53 percent of flights arriving within 15 minutes of scheduled gate time. That’s the industry’s standard definition of on-time. Cirium covers more than 99 percent of all commercial flight traffic globally, and its monthly reports are treated as the closest thing to a neutral verdict on which airlines actually deliver.
In Europe, Norwegian came second at 89.25 percent and Spain’s Vueling third at 89.04. Three carriers inside half a percentage point. None of the big legacy European airlines came close.
Globally, Copa Airlines posted a higher absolute number (92.86 percent) but operates a much smaller network. Among large network carriers with heavy hub operations, SAS stood alone at the top.
Mike Malik, Cirium’s chief marketing officer, called the result “particularly remarkable” given the disruption that has shaped European aviation this spring. Jet fuel has traded above 150 dollars a barrel since the Strait of Hormuz closed in late February. Carriers worldwide have cut roughly 13,000 flights and two million seats from their May schedules. SAS itself trimmed May capacity by 4.8 percent.
CEO Anko van der Werff handed the credit to staff: “This recognition goes first and foremost to the teams and the unsung heroes across SAS, who every day help deliver a stable and reliable operation.”
How SAS became the most punctual airline 2026
The April number isn’t an outlier. SAS topped the global table in April 2025 too (88.32 percent), finished third globally for the full year behind Aeromexico and Saudia, and has led Europe in several winter months across 2024 and 2025.
The trend lines up with the restructuring. SAS exited Chapter 11 in 2024, left Star Alliance after 27 years as a founding member, and joined SkyTeam on 1 September that year. Air France-KLM took a 19.9 percent stake as part of the rescue package. In July 2025 the group announced plans to lift that to 60.5 percent, a deal expected to close in the second half of 2026 subject to regulatory approval. The Danish state retains 26.4 percent and board seats.
SAS itself points to three operational changes behind the numbers: tighter gate turnarounds, better day-of planning, and stronger coordination across departments. None of that is dramatic in isolation. Done consistently for two years, it has produced the airline now leading the world ranking.
The biggest summer schedule in SAS history
Summer 2026 will be the biggest season SAS has ever flown. Boston capacity rises 70 percent year-on-year, San Francisco 20, Chicago 10. In Asia, Seoul is up more than 50 percent, Tokyo Haneda 40, Bangkok 15.
Three new long-haul routes launch from Copenhagen for the 2026/27 winter: Dubai World Central, daily from 25 October 2026 and the airline’s first service to the UAE since 2011; Phuket, two to three flights a week from 9 December; and Krabi, twice weekly from 8 December. Both Thailand routes are flown by Airbus A350, and both are the first scheduled non-stop services from Scandinavia to those destinations. Total Thailand capacity from Copenhagen rises more than 75 percent on the previous winter. Two additional A350s have joined the fleet, and long-haul operations are up 34 percent across the network.
What it means for Scandinavian travellers
For Scandinavian travellers the practical question is fare. SAS Business between Oslo and New York sits in the 18,000-28,000 NOK range one-way depending on season; SAS Plus starts around 8,000 NOK. Both fare classes include codeshare access to the Air France and KLM transatlantic network, after the partnership was expanded in September 2025.
For premium passengers weighing SAS against Lufthansa, Air France or KLM on transatlantic routes, the on-time record is now a real argument, not a marketing line. The open question is whether the operational discipline holds through the European summer peak, when the system is most stressed and the cost of falling apart is highest. The next three months will say whether April was a snapshot or a structural shift.
Quick facts
- April 2026 on-time performance: 89.53 percent (Cirium)
- Position: First globally, first in Europe
- Consecutive months at the top: Two (March and April 2026)
- Year-on-year improvement: Up from 88.32 percent in April 2025
- European runners-up: Norwegian (89.25%), Vueling (89.04%)
- SAS chief executive: Anko van der Werff
- SAS ownership: Air France-KLM (19.9%, increasing to 60.5% pending approval, expected late 2026); Danish state (26.4%)
- New long-haul routes for winter 2026/27: Copenhagen-Dubai World Central (daily, from 25 October 2026); Copenhagen-Phuket (2-3x weekly, from 9 December); Copenhagen-Krabi (twice weekly, from 8 December)
