Air New Zealand vs Jetstar: On-Time Reliability Revealed

As the aviation industry continues to evolve, airlines are under increasing pressure to prioritize on-time reliability. In this article, we will delve into the latest data on Air New Zealand and Jetstar’s performance in September 2024, comparing their on-time departures and arrivals rates.

According to the Ministry of Transport, both airlines reported significant improvements in their on-time performance coming into spring. However, around 20% of flights still ran late, with dozens of flights being cancelled.

On-Time Performance Data

For September 2024, Air New Zealand recorded an impressive 80.4% on-time departure rate (within 15 minutes of schedule), while Jetstar trailed behind at 78.0%. On-time arrivals were even better, with Air New Zealand achieving a rate of 82.1%, while Jetstar lagged behind at 80.6%.

| Airline | On-Time Departure Rate (%) | On-Time Arrival Rate (%) |
| — | — | — |
| Air New Zealand | 80.4% | 82.1% |
| Jetstar | 78.0% | 80.6% |

Cancellation Rates

Air New Zealand’s cancellation rate was a staggering 1.4%, more than twice that of Jetstar, which recorded a rate of 0.6%. The overall cancellation rate for both airlines was 1.2%, with one route almost three times that.

* Air New Zealand’s regional network is not reported in the monthly figures supplied by the airlines.
* There were 12 routes where there was more than one airline operating, and the ministry has only included these routes in their reports.

Reasons for On-Time Performance Issues

Both airlines cited adverse weather conditions as a major factor contributing to on-time performance issues. Air New Zealand’s domestic jet performance was affected by high winds, lightning, and storms, particularly in Dunedin. Jetstar reported that bad weather, typical of September, had an impact on their on-time performance, especially high winds, showers, and low visibility.

| Route | On-Time Departure Rate (%) | On-Time Arrival Rate (%) |
| — | — | — |
| Wellington to Queenstown | 93.1% | 91.7% |
| Auckland-Queenstown | 85.7% | 86.1% |
| Dunedin-Auckland | 78.3% | 79.4% |

Conclusion

While both Air New Zealand and Jetstar have made significant strides in improving their on-time performance, there is still room for improvement. As the aviation industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how these airlines continue to adapt and improve their services.

For August, the ministry released the first set of figures in the series, which brings New Zealand into line with airline reporting in other countries. The cancellation rate was 1.4%, and on-time performance for all routes was 81.3% for on-time arrivals and 80% for on-time departures.

| Airline | On-Time Departure Rate (%) | On-Time Arrival Rate (%) |
| — | — | — |
| Air New Zealand | 78% | 80.2% |
| Jetstar | 72.5% | 74% |

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