Herro leads Heat over Rockets in game marred by fight and ejections in final minute

HOUSTON (AP) — Tyler Herro scored 27 points before being one of seven people ejected, six for their roles in a fight in the final minute of the Miami Heat's 104-100 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.

Herro was thrown to the ground by the Rockets' Amen Thompson with 35 seconds left and the Heat leading 99-94. Players and coaches from both benches then came onto the court.

Both players were thrown out along with Rockets guard Jalen Green, coach Ime Udoka and assistant coach Ben Sullivan. Terry Rozier was also ejected for Miami.

Houston led 92-85 after Fred VanVleet's layup with 8:10 to play, but the Rockets missed their next 11 shots, allowing Miami to tie the game when Herro found Haywood Highsmith for a 3-pointer with 4:47 to play.

Herro’s jumper with 1:56 to play put the Heat on top for good. VanVleet was ejected in the final minute after appearing to make contact with referee Marc Davis, upset after being called for a 5-second violation that preceded the dustup with Thompson, Herro and others.

Heat: Playing the second night of a back-to-back and missing Jimmy Butler for a fifth straight game, Nikola Jovic finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, and six assists for the Heat. Highsmith added 15 points.

Rockets: After blowing a 15-point, fourth-quarter lead against the Wolves, Houston struggled offensively in the fourth quarter, shooting just 6 for 24 from the field. Dillon Brooks scored 22 points after missing the last three games with a right ankle effusion.

Jovic’s 3 with 47 seconds left put Miami up 98-94.

Miami outscored Houston, the NBA’s best offensive rebounding team, 15-9 in second-chance points.

The Rockets host Dallas on Wednesday and the Heat host New Orleans on Wednesday.

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) dishes off a rebound as Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, left, looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier III (2) drives around Houston Rockets guard Aaron Holiday (0) as Holiday is fouled on the illegal screen by guard Alec Burks, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) drives around Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith, left, as center Bam Adebayo, back, looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier III, right, drives down court in front of Houston Rockets center Steven Adams (12) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) shoots a three-point shot as Houston Rockets center Steven Adams (12) and forward Amen Thompson, center, look on during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 2, 2025--

Cirium, the world’s most trusted source of aviation analytics, today announced the winners of its 2024 On-Time Performance Review, celebrating airlines and airports that excelled in on-time and operational performance.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250101214982/en/

Cirium’s Annual report is the gold standard for global airline and airport performance analytics. An on-time flight is defined as a flight that arrives within 14:59 minutes of the scheduled gate arrival time. Airports measure punctuality as departing flights within 14:59 minutes of their scheduled departure time.

Mexico’s Flag Carrier Tops Global Rankings

Aeromexico claimed the prestigious title of the most On-Time “Global Airline” in 2024, achieving an impressive On-Time performance rate of 86.70%. Saudia followed closely as the runner-up with 86.35%, while Delta Air Lines secured third place with 83.46%, continuing to showcase its operational reliability on the world stage.

Cirium’s Annual Review also acknowledges the operational excellence of airlines across the world, with five regional awards. Iberia Express, member of the International Airlines Group, had success as both the most On-Time airline in Europe, and the most On-Time Low-Cost airline globally. Japan Airlines ranked first within Asia-Pacific, just slightly ahead of All Nippon Airways.

Delta Air Lines continued its dominance in North America, while Copa Airlines achieved a landmark 10th win in Latin America. Safair’s also won most On-Time airline in the Middle East and Africa. The full tables of results by region and category are presented below.

Riyadh’s King Khalid Airport Takes Top Honors in the Global Airport Category

In the Airport categories, Riyadh King Khalid International Airport, the gateway to Saudi Arabia’s capital, claimed this year’s prestigious title of the most On-Time “Global Airport” with an impressive 86.65% of flights departing on time. The Middle Eastern hub further distinguished itself by securing victory in the ‘Large Airport’ category, outperforming top contenders from around the world.

The title of most On-Time ‘Medium Airport’ was awarded to Panama’s Tocumen International Airport - the home base for Latin American winner Copa Airlines, while the ‘Small Airport’ winner was Guayaquil Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport in Ecuador.

Special Recognition of Operational Excellence: The Cirium Platinum Awards

Delta Air Lines topped the table for a fourth consecutive year, landing Cirium’s Platinum Award for global operational excellence. This prestigious accolade comes as the Atlanta-based airline continues to be praised for its unwavering commitment to operational performance.

The Platinum award considers the complexity of the carrier’s network, volume of flights, and the ability to limit the impact of flight disruptions on passengers over the entire year. The airline was recognized for its on-time performance over the course of 2024 at 83.46%, on more than 1,712,529 total flights in 2024.

This year, Cirium also presented its first annual Platinum Award to a global airport, with El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia receiving this prestigious award. The Airport Platinum Award considers a broader range of factors including the impact of delays on passengers, the duration of disruptions, operational complexity, and the airport’s appeal, with a particular focus on growth. This holistic approach highlights excellence across multiple dimensions, setting a new benchmark in airport performance evaluation.

Jeremy Bowen, Cirium CEO, said: “In an industry defined by operational complexity, we are extremely proud to be celebrating the airlines and airports who have provided customers the most on-time flights and best performance in 2024, acknowledging their operational excellence.”

“2024 was a difficult year for airlines, facing a large-scale IT outage, and unseasonable and severe weather patterns. Despite these challenges, these airlines and airports have worked tirelessly to ensure their customers have a smooth journey and reach their destination on-time.”

“We extend our congratulations to all the winners of this year’s On-Time Performance Review, each of whom has set new standards in operational excellence. A special recognition goes to Delta Air Lines for continuing their outstanding winning streak with Cirium’s Platinum Award for airlines, Copa Airlines for achieving its 10th title as Latin America’s most On-Time airline, Iberia Express for its consistent performance as Europe’s most On-Time airline, and Bogotá El Dorado Airport for securing Cirium’s first-ever Platinum Award for an airport.”

Now in its 16th year, the Cirium On-Time Performance Review remains the definitive benchmark for monitoring global airline operational performance. Powered by Cirium’s vast and impartial data—sourced from over 600 real-time feeds, including airlines, airports, global distribution systems, and civil aviation authorities—it offers a thorough and objective view of the industry. The program is further strengthened by the guidance of an independent advisory board composed of seasoned industry experts with decades of experience.

Cirium’s full 2024 On-Time Performance Review is available to view and download at www.cirium.com/on-time-performance.

Notes to editors:

The results for 2024 for the top ten performers in all categories include the following:

Global Airline leaders were:

In Europe the leading airlines were:

In North America the leading airlines were:

In Asia Pacific the leading airlines were:

In Latin America the leading airlines were:

In the Middle East and Africa the leading airlines were:

The leading low-cost carriers were:

Global Airport leaders were:

Large Airports leaders were:

Medium Airports leaders were:

Small Airports leaders were:

About Cirium

Cirium® is the world’s most trusted source of aviation analytics. The company delivers powerful data and cutting-edge analytics to empower a wide spectrum of industry players. Equipping airlines, airports, travel enterprises, aircraft manufacturers, and financial entities with the clarity and intelligence they need to optimize their operations, make informed decisions, and accelerate revenue growth.

Cirium® is part of LexisNexis® Risk Solutions, a RELX business, which provides information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. The shares of RELX PLC are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX.

For further information please follow Cirium® on LinkedIn or visit cirium.com.

Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2024 (Photo: Business Wire)