What time of day are flights most likely to be delayed?
From August 2025 to July 2026, only 8.0% of flights scheduled to leave between 6 and 7 a.m. left 15 or more minutes late, against 35.0% of those leaving between 8 and 9 p.m. Delays build through the day as late planes make their next flights late too, so the first flight of the morning is the safest bet. Hours are local time at the departure airport.
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Source and date
- Data as of
- Published
The data
| Scheduled departure hour (local time) | % of flights leaving 15+ minutes late |
|---|---|
| Before 6 a.m. | 8.5 |
| 6 a.m. | 8 |
| 7 a.m. | 10 |
| 8 a.m. | 12.3 |
| 9 a.m. | 15.2 |
| 10 a.m. | 17.7 |
| 11 a.m. | 20 |
| Noon | 22.4 |
| 1 p.m. | 24.1 |
| 2 p.m. | 26.9 |
| 3 p.m. | 28.4 |
| 4 p.m. | 30.3 |
| 5 p.m. | 30.9 |
| 6 p.m. | 33.1 |
| 7 p.m. | 34.1 |
| 8 p.m. | 35 |
| 9 p.m. | 32.2 |
| 10 p.m. | 31 |
| 11 p.m. | 23 |