80% of flights leaving Alexandria (AEX) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 5 points better than the national average of 76%. About 6 flights leave AEX on a typical day; 2.1% 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: 6 a.m. (89% on time). Worst: 5 p.m. (74%).
- Best month: August (84%). Worst: January (72%).
- Most reliable airline here: American Airlines (82%), vs Delta Air Lines at 80%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (38% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: improving (76% → 80%).
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 AEX: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 44% of the time. About 1 in 12 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 41 three hours or more; 2.1% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early80%
- 15–30 min late5.0%
- 30–60 min late4.0%
- 1–2 hours late3.5%
- 2–3 hours late2.1%
- 3+ hours late2.4%
- Diverted0.4%
- Cancelled2.1%
Share of all 2,309 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of AEX
Time of day matters more at AEX than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. arrived on time 89% of the time; at 5 p.m. it was 74%, a 16-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 89% on time against 73% 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
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at AEX was a 6 a.m. departure in March (94% on time); the least, 11 a.m. in July (74%). If you can only move one thing, move the hour. Departure hour usually shifts the odds more than the month does.
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
January is the hardest month at AEX, with 72% of flights on time across 2023–2026; August is the best at 84%. Winter costs 5 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (6.6% of flights).
Airlines at AEX
Delta Air Lines runs 46% of departures from AEX. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, American Airlines was the most reliable (82% on time) and Delta Air Lines the least (80%), a 2-point difference. On a route where both fly, that difference is worth more than a small fare gap.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 1,059 | 80% | 82% | 1.4% | −9 min |
| American Airlines | 1,045 | 82% | 82% | 3.2% | −10 min |
| United Airlines | 205 | 77% | 84% | 0.5% | −5 min |
Why flights are late at AEX
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At AEX, 38% of delay minutes came from late-arriving aircraft: the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Next is the airlines themselves at 34%. That's why the first flight of the morning is the safest bet: it has no earlier flight to inherit a delay from.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 17 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 80% of AEX departures were on time, against 76% in the 12 months before, an improvement of 4 points. The best recent month was February 2026 (89%); the worst, May 2026 (74%).
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from AEX, each airline's final departure was cancelled 2.8% of the time, against 1.8% for its earlier flights (1.6× 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. 2.9% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to Dallas (4.1% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 5:40 p.m. | 4.1% | 2.2% | 73% |
| ATL Atlanta | Delta Air Lines | 5:09 p.m. | 1.9% | 4.1% | 73% |
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 AEX
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At AEX the 6 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in January? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Choosing between airlines? American Airlines has the better record here.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of AEX; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at AEX come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from AEX
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL Atlanta | 1,059 | 80% | 1.4% | −9 min |
| DFW Dallas | 1,045 | 82% | 3.2% | −10 min |
Flights into AEX
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Alexandria, least reliable first. The weakest is from Atlanta (78% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATL Atlanta | 1,059 | 78% | 1.3% |
| DFW Dallas | 1,045 | 82% | 3.2% |
Questions about AEX delays
What is the best time to fly out of AEX?
Flights scheduled at 6 a.m.: over the past year 89% of AEX departures at that hour arrived on time, against 74% at 5 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at AEX?
January (72% on time). August is the best month (84%).
Which airline is most on time at AEX?
American Airlines: 82% of its AEX departures arrived on time over the past year. Delta Air Lines had the weakest record at 80%.
Why are flights delayed at AEX?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (38% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (34%).
How often are flights cancelled at AEX?
2.1% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 6.6%.
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.