Qatar Airways & Virgin Atlantic soar with OPEX wins at aviation awards

PEX Network’s key takeaways:

• Qatar Airways and Virgin Atlantic have been celebrated for operational excellence (OPEX) in 2025.
• Qatar Airways achieved 84.42 percent on-time performance across more than 198,303 flights spanning six continents.
• Virgin Atlantic improved its on-time performance from 74.02 percent in 2024 to 83.45 percent in 2025.

Qatar Airways and Virgin Atlantic have been recognized for OPEX in the latest Cirium On-Time Performance Review analyzes.

Qatar Airways captured Cirium’s Platinum Award, recognizing the Doha-based carrier’s OPEX across its global hub network.

Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic won The Most Improved award, which requires carriers to demonstrate at least 70 percent baseline on-time performance to reflect OPEX rather than recovery from poor performance.

Other firms recognized include Aeromexico, Santiago Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, and Istanbul Airport. Airline on-time performance is defined as aircraft’s arrival at the gate within 15 minutes of the scheduled arrival time, measured by on-time departing flights, according to Cirium.

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Qatar Airways maintains strong OPEX performance

Cirium’s Platinum Award considers operational complexity, network scale, passenger impact during disruptions, and consistency throughout the year. Qatar Airways achieved 84.42 percent on-time performance across more than 198,303 flights spanning six continents, Cirium’s analyses found. 

“Qatar Airways’ Platinum win is particularly significant because it demonstrates how a network carrier can maintain on-time performance across six continents while operating one of the industry’s most complex hub structures,” commented Jeremy Bowen, CEO of Cirium.

The airline’s 84.42 percent on-time rate over 198,303 flights sets a new benchmark for network carriers, Bowen added. “Similarly, Copa’s 11^th win for the Latin American category and Delta’s fifth consecutive North American win reflects sustained operational focus that separates industry leaders from competitors.”

The latest achievement adds to the airline’s accolades, following its recognition as the world’s best airline in 2025 by air transport rating organization Skytrax.

Last year, Qatar Airways announced it was embarking on group-wide artificial intelligence (AI) transformation in partnership with Accenture.

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Virgin Atlantic named most improved airline for  OPEX 

Virgin Atlantic won Cirium’s new Most Improved award, demonstrating the largest year-over-year operational performance gain among global carriers. The UK-based airline improved its on-time performance from 74.02 percent in 2024 to 83.45 percent in 2025, a 9.44 percentage point increase year-over-year. 

The new award recognizes airlines that have achieved meaningful operational scale while delivering substantial improvements, ensuring the honor reflects genuine OPEX.

In 2025, Virgin Atlantic introduced the AI Champion apprenticeship program, partnering with education technology firm Cambridge Spark to accelerate digital transformation across the organization.

Aviation industry adapted to ongoing challenges in 2025

“After a year of resilience in 2024, the aviation industry adapted to ongoing challenges in 2025,” said Bowen. “Even with clear skies, airlines faced structural constraints, staffing shortages, airspace closures, supply chain issues, and frequent weather disruptions. Despite these difficulties, the sector performed impressively.”

Maintaining consistent on-time performance requires sophisticated network planning, operational coordination, and the ability to recover quickly when irregularities occur, Bowen added. “These results reflect the operational discipline that defines aviation’s top performers.”

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