Air Malta posted a relatively poor on-time performance (66 per cent) but still easily beat British Airways.

Malev Hungarian Airlines is the most punctual carrier in all of Europe, according to a study produced by the Association of European Airlines. The survey indicates that Malev is the continent’s most punctual airline when it comes to short and medium-haul arrivals. Additionally, Hungary’s flag carrier came in third place in terms of on-time performance for flight departures.

Those collecting their checked baggage after a Malev flight can also breathe a sigh of relief, as the Hungarian carrier scored fifth in terms of its baggage handling speed and efficiency.

The current figures represent the on-time performance of European airlines in the first quarter of the year, but it is hardly the first time that the Hungarian carrier has performed well. Malev placed first in 2006, in the same AEA survey.

AEA examined a total of 29 airlines in this year’s first punctuality survey. In addition to Malev, CSA Czech Airlines, Austrian Airlines, KLM, Air France and Alitalia also earned top marks when it came to on-time arrivals.

British Airways, however, found itself near the bottom of the punctuality list. While 85.9 per cent of all Malev flights were on time, only 57.8 per cent of BA’s flights departed on schedule.