Air travel

How often are flights at Philadelphia (PHL) late?

In the 12 months through August 2026, 24.2% of flights leaving Philadelphia (PHL) left 15 or more minutes late, the 22nd most of the 102 U.S. airports with at least 10,000 departures, against 22.9% of all U.S. flights. Airlines cancelled 3.1% of its scheduled departures (1.9% nationwide), the 7th most of the 102. Its worst month was July 2026, when 35.2% left late. Flights scheduled to leave in the 8 p.m. hour were late most often (37.0%), and those before 6 a.m. least often (10.0%).

Left 15+ minutes late

24.2%

The 22nd most of 102 airports

Cancelled

3.1%

The 7th most of 102 airports

Worst month

July 2026

35.2% left late

Flights leaving Philadelphia (PHL) 15+ minutes late, each month

The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the tables below.

Flights leaving Philadelphia (PHL) 15+ minutes late, by scheduled departure hour

The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the tables below.

Hours are local time at Philadelphia. Delays build through the day as late planes make their next flights late too. Hours with fewer than about one flight a day are left out.

The numbers

Departures from Philadelphia (PHL) each month and each scheduled departure hour.

Flights leaving Philadelphia (PHL) by month
Month Scheduled Left late Cancelled
September 2025 8,225 18.6% 0.5%
October 2025 9,306 21.4% 0.4%
November 2025 7,499 20.4% 2.0%
December 2025 7,468 29.6% 2.4%
January 2026 7,049 22.2% 7.9%
February 2026 6,686 19.9% 6.1%
March 2026 7,778 24.0% 3.1%
April 2026 8,692 19.4% 0.7%
May 2026 9,251 19.3% 1.1%
June 2026 9,707 26.2% 2.7%
July 2026 10,012 35.2% 5.7%
August 2026 10,036 31.0% 5.3%
Flights leaving Philadelphia (PHL) by departure hour
Departure hour Scheduled Left late Cancelled
Before 6 a.m. 2,545 10.0% 2.9%
6 a.m. 5,119 10.5% 2.3%
7 a.m. 4,964 11.7% 1.9%
8 a.m. 11,091 14.2% 2.3%
9 a.m. 4,510 15.8% 2.0%
10 a.m. 9,187 15.7% 2.1%
11 a.m. 4,816 22.7% 2.0%
Noon 4,736 24.4% 2.0%
1 p.m. 5,797 26.1% 2.2%
2 p.m. 3,916 29.3% 2.5%
3 p.m. 7,110 29.9% 2.7%
4 p.m. 4,857 31.4% 3.0%
5 p.m. 6,412 35.7% 3.9%
6 p.m. 8,937 33.0% 3.6%
7 p.m. 7,911 33.2% 4.5%
8 p.m. 3,799 37.0% 5.8%
9 p.m. 4,249 28.8% 6.3%
10 p.m. 1,614 31.2% 8.6%

Source and notes

U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Airline On-Time Performance (Reporting Carrier On-Time Performance, 1987–present) (Public domain (U.S. government work)). Data from September 2025 through August 2026.

These are domestic flights of the large U.S. airlines that report to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, including the regional airlines that fly for them. A flight is late when it leaves its gate 15 or more minutes after its scheduled time, out of the flights that left; cancellations are out of the flights scheduled. BTS posts each month about two months after it ends, and this page moves on a month when it does.