Overview

• British Airways credits a £100 million investment in AI and digital tools for achieving its best-ever punctuality, with 86% of flights departing on time in early 2025.
• New AI systems optimize real-time decisions, including rerouting flights to avoid bad weather and minimizing missed connections through strategic gate assignments.
• The airline has also hired 600 additional operational staff to bolster its resilience at Heathrow, its primary hub.
• While punctuality improvements outpace competitors like Air France-KLM and Lufthansa, delays exceeding one hour remain higher than pre-pandemic levels.
• Analysts warn that the upcoming peak summer travel season will test the durability of these operational gains amid external challenges like air traffic control disruptions and supplier delays.