82% of flights leaving Waco (ACT) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 6 points better than the national average of 76%. About 3 flights leave ACT on a typical day; 3.8% were cancelled. 82% pushed back from the gate on time, so most of the lateness is already there when the flight leaves the gate.
At a glance
- Best hour to fly: 5 a.m. (90% on time). Worst: 5 a.m. (90%).
- Best month: February (80%). Worst: June (67%).
- Biggest delay cause: the airlines themselves (37% of delay minutes).
How late?
The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for flights leaving ACT: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 43% of the time. About 1 in 15 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 51 three hours or more; 3.8% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early82%
- 15–30 min late3.9%
- 30–60 min late3.0%
- 1–2 hours late3.1%
- 2–3 hours late1.8%
- 3+ hours late2.0%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled3.8%
Share of all 1,072 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of ACT
ACT is unusually consistent through the day. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 90% of the time; at 5 a.m. it was 90%, a 0-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 90% on time against 70% for the evening bank (5–10 p.m.). Early planes usually start the day at the airport, so they haven't had a chance to pick up delays elsewhere. By evening a late inbound aircraft, a crew running out of duty hours or an afternoon thunderstorm can push one late flight into the next.
Hour × month
Each cell: on-time rate for that departure hour in that calendar month, 2023–2026. Find your travel month, then look along the row for the greenest hour.
Best and worst months
June is the hardest month at ACT, with 67% of flights on time across 2023–2026; February is the best at 80%. Cancellations peak in January (8.6% of flights).
Airlines at ACT
American Airlines runs 100% of departures from ACT, so ACT is effectively its hub. When American Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 1,072 | 82% | 82% | 3.8% | −11 min |
Why flights are late at ACT
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At ACT, 37% of delay minutes came from the airlines themselves: crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Next is late-arriving aircraft at 37%.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 14 minutes, shorter than at most large U.S. airports.
ACT vs nearby airports
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Waco | — | 1,072 | 82% | 3.8% |
| GRK Killeen / Robert Gray Army Airfield | 52 mi | 1,938 | 78% | 4.3% |
Month by month
Not enough months with data to draw a trend.
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from ACT, each airline's final departure was cancelled 5.0% of the time, against 3.3% for its earlier flights (1.5× as often). Late in the day crews run short on duty hours, aircraft arrive late from elsewhere, and with no later flight to fold passengers into, cancelling is easier for the airline. 2.5% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to Dallas (5.0% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 6:04 p.m. | 5.0% | 2.5% | 72% |
Each airline's last scheduled departure of the day on a route, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Riskiest first.
Tips for flying out of ACT
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At ACT the 5 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in June? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of ACT; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at ACT come from the airlines themselves. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from ACT
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 1,072 | 82% | 3.8% | −11 min |
Flights into ACT
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Waco, least reliable first. The weakest is from Dallas (79% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 1,072 | 79% | 3.7% |
Questions about ACT delays
What is the best time to fly out of ACT?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 90% of ACT departures at that hour arrived on time, against 90% at 5 a.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at ACT?
June (67% on time). February is the best month (80%).
Why are flights delayed at ACT?
The biggest cause was the airlines themselves (37% of delay minutes): crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Then late-arriving aircraft (37%).
How often are flights cancelled at ACT?
3.8% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 8.6%.
Hours are scheduled local departure times. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes late at the destination; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Method.