The state of US flight delays

In June 2026, 73.4% of US departures left less than 15 minutes behind schedule across 607,577 flights. That is one month; the chart below is 36 of them, which is the only way to tell a bad week from a bad airport. These are historical odds, not forecasts. The records say what happened on this schedule over three years; they know nothing about tomorrow’s thunderstorm.

Data through June 2026 · Bureau of Transportation Statistics

36 months, one line

A single month makes almost any argument you like. 36 of them makes a shape: the summer trough, the autumn recovery, and the occasional month where something specific went wrong. On this page, “on time” means a departure that pushed back less than 15 minutes behind its scheduled time — the Bureau of Transportation Statistics definition, and the one airlines are held to.

Share of US departures that left on time, month by month. The scale runs 65% to 90%; the marked points are the lowest month and the most recent one.
US departure on-time share by month, July 2023–June 2026
Month Share of US departures that left on time Flights
Jul 2023 71.2% 601,866
Aug 2023 77.8% 602,987
Sep 2023 81.5% 569,338
Oct 2023 84.1% 598,968
Nov 2023 86.1% 563,777
Dec 2023 83.4% 570,394
Jan 2024 76.9% 547,271
Feb 2024 84.5% 519,221
Mar 2024 79.2% 591,767
Apr 2024 81.1% 582,185
May 2024 74.4% 609,743
Jun 2024 74.7% 611,132
Jul 2024 70.5% 634,613
Aug 2024 77% 619,025
Sep 2024 84.9% 582,622
Oct 2024 86.4% 615,497
Nov 2024 85.6% 575,404
Dec 2024 78.4% 590,581
Jan 2025 81.8% 539,747
Feb 2025 80.4% 504,884
Mar 2025 80.8% 600,872
Apr 2025 81.3% 583,950
May 2025 77.5% 605,648
Jun 2025 72.6% 611,575
Jul 2025 71.4% 631,428
Aug 2025 77.7% 602,378
Sep 2025 83.5% 562,439
Oct 2025 80.4% 605,844
Nov 2025 80.1% 570,550
Dec 2025 73.1% 582,304
Jan 2026 79.3% 544,003
Feb 2026 79.9% 515,037
Mar 2026 75% 612,102
Apr 2026 79.9% 597,919
May 2026 77.8% 611,735
Jun 2026 73.4% 607,577

The year, pooled

Pooled across the window, July was the worst month to be flying anywhere in the country — 71% of departures on time — and November the best at 84%. Thunderstorm season and school holidays arrive together, and the schedule has no slack left to absorb either.

Share of departures that left on time, by calendar month. Best month in green, worst in amber. The hairline sits at the overall rate, 78.9%.
US departure on-time share by calendar month, July 2023–June 2026
Month Share departures that left on time Flights
January 79.3% 1,631,021
February 81.6% 1,539,142
March 78.3% 1,804,741
April 80.7% 1,764,054
May 76.6% 1,827,126
June 73.6% 1,830,284
July 71% 1,867,907
August 77.5% 1,824,390
September 83.3% 1,714,399
October 83.6% 1,820,309
November 84% 1,709,731
December 78.3% 1,743,279
National departure on-time share and cancellation rate by calendar month.
Month Left on time Cancelled Flights
January 79.3% 3.8% 1,631,021
February 81.6% 1.4% 1,539,142
March 78.3% 1.7% 1,804,741
April 80.7% 0.8% 1,764,054
May 76.6% 1.1% 1,827,126
June 73.6% 1.5% 1,830,284
July 71% 2.6% 1,867,907
August 77.5% 1.6% 1,824,390
September 83.3% 0.8% 1,714,399
October 83.6% 0.6% 1,820,309
November 84% 1% 1,709,731
December 78.3% 0.9% 1,743,279

The two ends of the table

Among the fifty busiest airports, ranked on the share of departures that left within 15 minutes of schedule. Volume is not destiny — some of the biggest airports sit near the top — but the packed schedules and the thunderstorm map show up here plainly.

Best on-time record

  1. HNL Daniel K. Inouye 85.9%
  2. SLC Salt Lake City 84.4%
  3. PDX Portland 84.3%
  4. SJC Mineta San Jose 83.6%
  5. PIT Pittsburgh 83.5%
  6. IAD Washington Dulles 83.3%
  7. IND Indianapolis 82.9%
  8. CMH John Glenn Columbus 82.8%
  9. MSP Minneapolis Saint Paul / Wold Chamberlain 82.3%
  10. CVG Cincinnati Northern Kentucky 82.2%

Weakest on-time record

  1. FLL Fort Lauderdale Hollywood 71.9%
  2. BWI Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall 72.2%
  3. DFW Dallas Fort Worth 72.8%
  4. DAL Dallas Love 73.1%
  5. MIA Miami 74.2%
  6. MDW Chicago Midway 74.3%
  7. MCO Orlando 74.7%
  8. CLT Charlotte Douglas 75.5%
  9. DEN Denver 75.8%
  10. LAS Harry Reid 76%

Every airport in the filings is listed by state, and each has its own hour-by-hour grid.

Questions about US flight delays

What percentage of US flights are on time?
In June 2026, the most recent month on file, 73.4% of US departures left less than 15 minutes behind schedule and 74.3% of arrivals reached the gate on time, across 607,577 flights.
What is the worst month for flight delays?
July, at 71% of departures on time nationally, pooled across July 2023 through June 2026. November was the calmest month at 84%. Summer thunderstorms and the volume that comes with school holidays land in the same weeks.
Which US airport has the best on-time record?
Among the fifty busiest, HNL led on departures at 85.9% across 181,188 flights; FLL finished last at 71.9%. Traffic volume, weather and how tightly the schedule is packed all show up in that spread.
How current is this data?
Through June 2026. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics publishes on-time filings about two months after the fact, and this site is rebuilt each time a new month lands.