🇦🇺 Flight delays in Australia
123 graded routes · 38 airports · January 2025 – August 2026
Where these figures come from
BITRE — Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics
Australia publishes its own record as monthly totals per route and airline — flights scheduled, flown, late and cancelled.
What the record shows
On Australia routes the airlines separate clearly: Qantas arrived on time 8.7 points more often than Virgin Australia Regional Airlines. Both fly the same corridors into the same airports, so the difference is in how each is run rather than where each flies.
Australia publishes its own flight record, so what follows covers domestic flying as well as international — which makes it one of the few countries where the whole network can be seen at once.
Australia airlines, graded
| Airline | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Australia | 91,731 | 80.36% | 1.73% | — | C |
| Qantas | 56,272 | 81.39% | 2.62% | — | C |
| Jetstar | 51,116 | 76.42% | 1.83% | — | C |
| QantasLink | 60,060 | 78.79% | 3.35% | — | C |
| Rex Airlines | 10,587 | 76.99% | 2.69% | — | D |
| Virgin Australia Regional Airlines | 1,234 | 72.71% | 1.7% | — | D |
Airlines flying to and from Australia
Ranked by flights on Australia routes. The on-time rate here is each airline's record on those routes only — not its record everywhere, which is on its own page.
| Airline | Flights | On time on these routes |
|---|---|---|
| Virgin Australia | 91,731 | 80.4% |
| QantasLink | 60,060 | 78.8% |
| Qantas | 56,272 | 81.4% |
| Jetstar | 51,116 | 76.4% |
| Rex Airlines | 10,587 | 77% |
| Virgin Australia Regional Airlines | 1,234 | 72.7% |
| British Airways | 421 | 78.9% |
Busiest Australia routes
Common questions
Which airline is most punctual on Australia routes?
Qantas, at 81.4% on time across 56,272 flights on those routes. The least punctual was Virgin Australia Regional Airlines at 72.7%.
Does Australia publish flight delay data?
Yes. Australia is one of the few countries whose regulator publishes a full flight punctuality record, which is why this page covers domestic flying as well as international.
Can I claim compensation for a delayed flight from Australia?
There is no statutory compensation scheme for flights departing Australia. A cancellation normally entitles you to a refund under the airline's own conditions of carriage, and European rules may still reach your flight if the journey ends in the EU or UK on a European carrier.