Global container schedule reliability improved in September 2025, with Sea-Intelligence reporting a 65.2 per cent on-time arrival rate — the second-best September since 2019.
Sea-Intelligence has released issue 170 of its Global Liner Performance (GLP) report, providing schedule reliability data through September 2025.
The 120-page report covers 34 trade lanes and more than 60 carriers; this summary highlights key findings.
In September 2025, global schedule reliability edged up 0.1 percentage points month on month (MoM) to 65.2 per cent, marking the second-highest September figure between 2019 and 2025.
Year on year (YoY), reliability rose 14.7 percentage points. Average delays for late vessel arrivals remained unchanged at 4.88 days.
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Among the top 13 carriers, Maersk was the most reliable at 77.0 per cent, followed by Hapag-Lloyd at 73.6 per cent.
Five carriers recorded reliability between 60 –70 per cent and another five between 50 – 60 per cent. Wan Hai posted the lowest reliability at 47.9 per cent, the only carrier below 50 per cent.
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Alliance scores are traditionally based on arrivals at destination regions.
For the new alliances launched in February 2025, this metric was unavailable, so a revised measure—including all arrivals, both origin and destination calls on East/West trades — was introduced.
Both metrics are presented: “All arrivals” (comparable to the February measure) and “Trade arrivals” (comparable to traditional alliances). Once the new alliances are fully implemented, these measures will converge.
In August/September 2025, Gemini Cooperation recorded 89.1 per cent reliability for all arrivals and 86.4 per cent for trade arrivals.
MSC followed with 79.9 per cent (all) and 84.1 per cent (trade), while Premier Alliance scored 58.2 per cent (all) and 59.9 per cent (trade). For established alliances, “all arrivals” equals “trade arrivals,” with Ocean Alliance achieving 68.6 per cent.
