Mexican airline Aeromexico had the world's best record for on-time arrivals in 2024, according to an annual ranking released Thursday. Delta Air Lines scored the highest among U.S. carriers despite a computer outage that caused thousands of flight cancellations in July.
Aviation-data provider Cirium said in a report that nearly 87% of Aeromexico flights arrived within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival, a widely used measure of on-time performance among airlines.
Saudia, the flagship carrier of Saudi Arabia, ranked second worldwide, with an on-time performance rate of just over 86%, according to Cirium.
Cirium has rated airlines for timeliness for 16 years. CEO Jeremy Bowen said 2024 was a difficult year for airlines due to severe weather patterns and the summer technology outage. The winning airlines therefore deserved credit for getting most passengers to their destinations on time, Bowen said.
Atlanta-based Delta achieved an on-time rate of more than 83%, good enough to rank third worldwide. The next-best U.S. carriers were United Airlines, at nearly 81%, and Alaska Airlines, at just over 79%, Cirium said.
Canada’s WestJet, Air Canada and Denver-based budget airline Frontier finished at the bottom of the pack among U.S. and Canadian carriers, with on-time ratings below 72%.
Other regional winners around the globe, according to Cirium, were Japan Airlines, low-cost Spanish carrier Iberia Express, Panama’s Copa Airlines, and South African low-cost carrier FlySafair.
Cirium said the best airport for on-time departures in 2024 was King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Nearly 87% of flights from there took off within 15 minutes of their scheduled time, Cirium said.
Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru, and Mexico City's Benito Juárez International Airport had the next-best departure records at over 84%. Delta took the top spot among U.S. airlines despite disruptions in July from an outage that followed a faulty upgrade that cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike sent to Microsoft computers around the world.
Delta sued CrowdStrike, claiming the outage cost the airline $500 million. CrowdStrike has defended itself partly by arguing that other airlines recovered much more quickly from the outage.
FILE - An AeroMexico plane taxis on the tarmac of the Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, May 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is expected to start Thursday against sixth-seeded Penn State, enabling the seventh-seeded Fighting Irish and their trademark ground game to operate at — or near — full capacity in the first College Football Playoff semifinal.
Love re-injured his ailing right knee late in the third quarter of Notre Dame's 23-10 Sugar Bowl victory over second-seeded Georgia. He went into the medical tent twice before returning to the sideline with a hefty brace protecting the knee.
But when coach Marcus Freeman spoke with reporters Saturday, Love did not make the team's injury report.
“The only injury update from the game is Cooper Flanagan will be out for the remainder of the College Football Playoff with a foot injury,” Freeman said, referring to a backup tight end. “We'll miss Coop and love him, but other than that, everybody else was clean. Pretty clean game in terms of injuries.”
That means Love and quarterback Riley Leonard are expected to continue to lead the ground game while backup running backs Jadarian Price and Aneyas Williams provide reinforcements as the Irish (13-1, No. 3 CFP) chase their first national championship game appearance since the end of the 2012 season.
Love did not speak with reporters Saturday and is not scheduled to address the media before facing the Big Ten runner-up Nittany Lions (13-2, No. 5). Price is expected to talk later Saturday.
How critical has Love been to Notre Dame's offense?
He leads the Irish with 1,076 yards and 16 touchdown runs, averages 7.3 yards per carry and set a school record by rushing for scores in 13 consecutive games. The streak ended against Georgia.
Love also set the tone in Notre Dame's first-round victory over 10th-seeded Indiana when he sprinted 98 yards for the first score. It was the longest TD run in playoff history and came on a day Love when was fighting both the flu and the sore knee he hurt in the team's regular-season finale at Southern California.
But stats and his on-field feats don't provide a complete accounting of Love's impact.
He has hurdled 10 defenders this season, including an attempt against the Hoosiers on which he aggravated the knee injury, and his ability to play well despite injury or illness has given the Irish a toughness that resonates throughout the locker room. And his strength and breakaway ability only make Leonard a more dangerous option on the ground.
The result: Notre Dame needed just 90 yards passing to beat the Southeastern Conference champion Bulldogs in New Orleans.
So having Love on the field seems like a must if the Irish are to end their national championship drought at 36 years — the longest gap between title-winning seasons since the Irish captured their first in 1924.
But even if Love isn't at full strength, the Irish have other options.
Leonard already holds the single-season school record for TD runs by a quarterback (15) and needs 169 yards rushing to record his first 1,000-yard season. Price also can be both a breakaway threat and a workhorse back and Williams, a freshman, has worked his way into more action by logging half of his 32 carries over the last four games.
“He came here with a lot of ability, but he had to earn trust,” Freeman said, referring to Williams. “All he's done is continue to earn more trust throughout the season. You can put him in there in any moment — run game, pass game, get the ball in his hands, throw the ball to him, he's going to protect. He's a tough guy and I love it.”
The combination has caused plenty of consternation for Notre Dame opponents during a 12-game winning streak that already has produced the first 13-win season in the school's history.
Now Penn States faces another concern — the health of All-American defensive end Abdul Carter. He left the 31-14 Fiesta Bowl victory over third-seeded Boise State with an apparent left arm injury. Coach James Franklin indicated Saturday that Carter could play, though he may be limited.
“He’s doing great, his attitude is great, his mentality has been really good,” Franklin said. “Really it’s going to come down to how he feels and how much practice he gets. I don’t think at this point there’s anything stopping him from playing; it’s how he is able to play.”
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Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts (0) celebrates with teammate Armel Mukam (88) during the second half against Georgia in the quarterfinals of a College Football Playoff, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
