76% of flights leaving Atlanta (ATL) arrived on time over the past 12 months, right at the national average of 76%. That ranks 43 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 960 flights leave ATL on a typical day; 1.8% were cancelled. 77% 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. (87% on time). Worst: 6 p.m. (67%).
- Best month: October (86%). Worst: July (64%).
- Most reliable airline here: United Airlines (78%), vs Frontier Airlines at 62%.
- Biggest delay cause: the airlines themselves (41% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: about the same (77% → 76%).
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 ATL: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 54% of the time. About 1 in 13 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 81 three hours or more; 1.8% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early76%
- 15–30 min late7.8%
- 30–60 min late6.5%
- 1–2 hours late4.7%
- 2–3 hours late1.5%
- 3+ hours late1.2%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled1.8%
Share of all 350,572 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of ATL
Time of day matters more at ATL than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. arrived on time 87% of the time; at 6 p.m. it was 67%, a 20-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 86% on time against 69% 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. Cancellations cluster too: 5 a.m. departures were cancelled 2.8% of the time, against 1.8% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at ATL was a 8 a.m. departure in October (92% on time); the least, 8 p.m. in July (46%). 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
July is the hardest month at ATL, with 64% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 86%. Summer (June–August) runs 14 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 7 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (3.9% of flights).
Airlines at ATL
Delta Air Lines runs 80% of departures from ATL, so ATL is effectively its hub. When Delta Air Lines has a bad day, so does the airport. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, United Airlines was the most reliable (78% on time) and Frontier Airlines the least (62%), a 16-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 | 282,204 | 78% | 79% | 1.7% | −5 min |
| Frontier Airlines | 20,778 | 62% | 60% | 2.4% | +2 min |
| Southwest Airlines | 17,133 | 75% | 70% | 1.1% | −3 min |
| American Airlines | 14,112 | 73% | 73% | 3.4% | −7 min |
| United Airlines | 8,243 | 78% | 81% | 1.5% | −7 min |
| Spirit Airlines | 3,886 | 68% | 66% | 4.0% | −3 min |
| JetBlue | 2,858 | 66% | 66% | 4.5% | −2 min |
| Alaska Airlines | 1,359 | 78% | 79% | 0.8% | −5 min |
Why flights are late at ATL
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At ATL, 41% of delay minutes came from the airlines themselves: crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Next is late-arriving aircraft at 32%. Of the 6,383 cancellations, 41% were blamed on weather.
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 76% of ATL departures were on time, against 77% in the 12 months before: essentially unchanged. The best recent month was September 2025 (86%); the worst, July 2026 (64%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Sunday, Jan 25, 2026, when 60% of 960 scheduled departures were cancelled. Days like that are usually a major storm, a system outage or a holiday peak hitting bad weather. No average predicts them, so on a stormy forecast, check your airline's travel waivers.
| Date | Departures | Cancelled | On time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25, 2026 | 960 | 60% | 14% |
| Jan 31, 2026 | 776 | 43% | 32% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 1017 | 27% | 9% |
| Nov 8, 2025 | 837 | 25% | 41% |
| Nov 9, 2025 | 1037 | 21% | 37% |
| Jan 24, 2026 | 774 | 16% | 63% |
| Dec 7, 2025 | 1009 | 15% | 12% |
| Mar 6, 2026 | 983 | 15% | 47% |
| Jul 19, 2026 | 1045 | 13% | 34% |
| Mar 7, 2026 | 810 | 13% | 31% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from ATL, each airline's final departure was cancelled 2.3% of the time, against 1.7% for its earlier flights (1.3× 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. 1.7% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was Frontier Airlines to New York (7.7% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGA New York | Frontier Airlines | 8:22 p.m. | 7.7% | 9.9% | 34% |
| DCA Washington | American Airlines | 8:07 p.m. | 10.4% | 5.5% | 51% |
| EWR Newark | Spirit Airlines | — | 13.4% | 1.6% | 35% |
| LGA New York | American Airlines | 7:16 p.m. | 9.4% | 3.6% | 57% |
| ORD Chicago | Frontier Airlines | 6:23 p.m. | 4.6% | 8.3% | 52% |
| JFK New York | JetBlue | 6:58 p.m. | 6.8% | 5.7% | 52% |
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 7:53 p.m. | 4.9% | 4.4% | 57% |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | JetBlue | 9:40 p.m. | 3.3% | 6.0% | 52% |
| BOS Boston | JetBlue | 7:03 p.m. | 4.2% | 5.1% | 55% |
| EWR Newark | United Airlines | 7:37 p.m. | 4.4% | 4.4% | 60% |
| MIA Miami | Frontier Airlines | 8:55 p.m. | 2.6% | 5.9% | 50% |
| ORD Chicago | American Airlines | 7:53 p.m. | 4.1% | 4.4% | 51% |
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.
ATL at the holidays
On the busy Thanksgiving travel days, flights from ATL arrived on time 74% of the time, against 86% normally (−11.8 points; 21th of the 30 busiest airports). On the busy Christmas–New Year travel days, flights from ATL arrived on time 74% of the time, against 77% normally (−2.8 points; 13th of the 30 busiest airports).
Thanksgiving: best days to fly → · Christmas: best days to fly →
Tips for flying out of ATL
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At ATL the 6 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in July? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Choosing between airlines? United Airlines has the better record here.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of ATL; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Connecting here? See how long a layover you need at ATL.
- Delayed already? Most delays at ATL come from the airlines themselves. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Delayed at ATL right now? See how much later ATL delays usually get, and what to do →
Routes from ATL
Where you're going matters too. From ATL, the most reliable busy route was to Daytona Beach (DAB, 85% on time) and the least reliable to Washington (DCA, 66%). Flights into congested airports inherit their delays: an air traffic program at the destination holds planes on the ground here.
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DCA Washington | 6,798 | 66% | 3.4% | 0 min |
| ORD Chicago | 6,493 | 67% | 2.4% | +1 min |
| ASE Aspen | 450 | 68% | 1.6% | −3 min |
| LGA New York | 8,502 | 69% | 4.3% | −3 min |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 7,371 | 69% | 2.5% | −1 min |
| MCO Orlando | 8,267 | 69% | 1.6% | −1 min |
| EWR Newark | 6,246 | 69% | 3.8% | −3 min |
| SFO San Francisco | 3,339 | 69% | 0.7% | +1 min |
| MIA Miami | 6,280 | 70% | 1.6% | −2 min |
| SJU San Juan | 2,101 | 71% | 1.3% | +1 min |
| MLI Moline | 830 | 71% | 2.1% | −4 min |
| BOS Boston | 5,054 | 71% | 2.3% | −4 min |
| DFW Dallas | 6,672 | 72% | 2.5% | −4 min |
| TPA Tampa | 6,204 | 72% | 1.3% | −2 min |
| PHL Philadelphia | 5,793 | 72% | 3.3% | −3 min |
| CRW Charleston | 1,341 | 72% | 2.5% | −5 min |
| JFK New York | 4,218 | 72% | 2.8% | −5 min |
| SBN South Bend | 1,030 | 73% | 1.9% | −5 min |
| ONT Ontario | 934 | 73% | 1.7% | −2 min |
| CSG Columbus | 792 | 73% | 1.5% | −7 min |
| BWI Baltimore | 5,403 | 73% | 2.3% | −2 min |
| MLU Monroe | 1,054 | 73% | 2.6% | −8 min |
| MDW Chicago | 3,537 | 73% | 2.0% | −3 min |
| PWM Portland | 631 | 74% | 0.9% | −1 min |
| CID Cedar Rapids | 367 | 74% | 1.6% | −4 min |
| JAX Jacksonville | 4,076 | 74% | 1.6% | −3 min |
| HPN White Plains | 1,669 | 74% | 2.9% | −4 min |
| GRB Green Bay | 366 | 74% | 1.9% | −4 min |
| SHV Shreveport | 1,638 | 74% | 2.1% | −5 min |
| LAS Las Vegas | 4,758 | 74% | 0.8% | −3 min |
| PHX Phoenix | 3,693 | 74% | 0.8% | −3 min |
| PBI West Palm Beach | 3,475 | 74% | 1.6% | −3 min |
| VLD Valdosta | 1,039 | 74% | 1.8% | −8 min |
| DHN Dothan | 1,039 | 75% | 2.2% | −8 min |
| SNA Santa Ana | 1,020 | 75% | 0.9% | −1 min |
| ABY Albany | 1,048 | 75% | 1.8% | −8 min |
| LFT Lafayette | 1,347 | 75% | 1.6% | −7 min |
| IAD Washington | 4,100 | 75% | 2.1% | −3 min |
| FWA Fort Wayne | 1,053 | 75% | 2.4% | −6 min |
| RSW Fort Myers | 2,806 | 75% | 1.6% | −5 min |
| MGM Montgomery | 1,713 | 75% | 1.5% | −8 min |
| BUF Buffalo | 1,534 | 75% | 1.9% | −3 min |
| XNA Fayetteville | 2,546 | 76% | 1.4% | −5 min |
| BMI Bloomington | 904 | 76% | 1.4% | −8 min |
| IAH Houston | 5,279 | 76% | 1.7% | −6 min |
| STT Charlotte Amalie | 719 | 76% | 0.7% | 0 min |
| ROC Rochester | 1,043 | 76% | 2.2% | −3 min |
| DTW Detroit | 4,821 | 76% | 0.8% | −3 min |
| AGS Augusta | 2,588 | 76% | 1.9% | −7 min |
| BTV Burlington | 391 | 76% | 1.8% | −4 min |
| SEA Seattle | 3,297 | 76% | 0.7% | −3 min |
| OAJ Jacksonville | 1,310 | 76% | 2.6% | −6 min |
| FAY Fayetteville | 1,310 | 76% | 2.4% | −8 min |
| GTR Columbus | 730 | 76% | 1.2% | −9 min |
| PVD Providence | 1,162 | 77% | 2.5% | −4 min |
| DEN Denver | 5,594 | 77% | 1.1% | −5 min |
| FSD Sioux Falls | 365 | 77% | 0.8% | −4 min |
| LAX Los Angeles | 4,851 | 77% | 0.8% | −5 min |
| SAN San Diego | 2,353 | 77% | 0.6% | −3 min |
| BQK Brunswick | 1,075 | 77% | 1.4% | −8 min |
| CLE Cleveland | 3,403 | 77% | 2.0% | −4 min |
| ALB Albany | 1,042 | 77% | 2.2% | −3 min |
| ORF Norfolk | 2,946 | 77% | 1.5% | −3 min |
| ROA Roanoke | 1,419 | 77% | 2.0% | −6 min |
| SGF Springfield | 1,295 | 77% | 1.5% | −6 min |
| ELP El Paso | 726 | 77% | 1.8% | −5 min |
| HNL Honolulu | 383 | 78% | 0.5% | −3 min |
| ATW Appleton | 366 | 78% | 1.9% | −4 min |
| PDX Portland | 1,545 | 78% | 0.9% | −3 min |
| AEX Alexandria | 1,059 | 78% | 1.3% | −9 min |
| BDL Hartford | 2,310 | 78% | 2.0% | −3 min |
| TYS Knoxville | 2,905 | 78% | 1.7% | −7 min |
| MOB Mobile | 1,717 | 78% | 1.7% | −8 min |
| CHA Chattanooga | 2,918 | 78% | 2.0% | −8 min |
| EVV Evansville | 1,225 | 78% | 1.9% | −8 min |
| BNA Nashville | 4,259 | 78% | 1.6% | −5 min |
| BTR Baton Rouge | 1,703 | 78% | 1.8% | −9 min |
| ABE Allentown | 1,072 | 78% | 3.1% | −6 min |
| DAL Dallas | 3,297 | 78% | 1.8% | −8 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 4,425 | 78% | 1.9% | −7 min |
| SYR Syracuse | 1,124 | 78% | 1.9% | −4 min |
| RDU Raleigh | 4,649 | 79% | 1.6% | −5 min |
| HOU Houston | 2,847 | 79% | 1.4% | −7 min |
| CMH Columbus | 3,130 | 79% | 1.4% | −5 min |
| MDT Harrisburg | 1,112 | 79% | 2.2% | −6 min |
| COS Colorado Springs | 597 | 79% | 1.5% | −7 min |
| GEG Spokane | 541 | 79% | 0.7% | −3 min |
| SRQ Sarasota | 2,289 | 79% | 1.7% | −5 min |
| MSP Minneapolis | 3,509 | 79% | 0.4% | −5 min |
| OMA Omaha | 1,785 | 79% | 1.6% | −7 min |
| CHO Charlottesville | 1,362 | 80% | 1.3% | −7 min |
| TRI Bristol | 1,707 | 80% | 2.1% | −9 min |
| SAT San Antonio | 2,962 | 80% | 1.7% | −7 min |
| MEM Memphis | 3,550 | 80% | 1.8% | −7 min |
| AUS Austin | 4,497 | 80% | 1.3% | −8 min |
| RIC Richmond | 2,668 | 80% | 2.0% | −5 min |
| OKC Oklahoma City | 1,816 | 80% | 2.6% | −9 min |
| BZN Bozeman | 437 | 80% | 1.4% | −2 min |
| MSY New Orleans | 4,002 | 80% | 1.5% | −6 min |
| CVG Cincinnati | 3,009 | 80% | 1.2% | −6 min |
| PNS Pensacola | 2,819 | 80% | 1.7% | −6 min |
| MYR Myrtle Beach | 1,511 | 80% | 2.1% | −8 min |
| STL St. Louis | 3,678 | 81% | 1.4% | −6 min |
| EYW Key West | 1,476 | 81% | 1.6% | −8 min |
| GPT Gulfport | 1,347 | 81% | 1.6% | −9 min |
| BOI Boise | 548 | 81% | 1.3% | −4 min |
| IND Indianapolis | 3,125 | 81% | 1.2% | −6 min |
| LEX Lexington | 2,313 | 81% | 1.7% | −9 min |
| SAV Savannah | 3,064 | 81% | 1.5% | −6 min |
| TUS Tucson | 809 | 81% | 1.7% | −5 min |
| MKE Milwaukee | 2,264 | 81% | 1.9% | −6 min |
| ECP Panama City | 2,437 | 81% | 2.0% | −8 min |
| CHS Charleston | 3,345 | 81% | 1.6% | −5 min |
| SMF Sacramento | 1,007 | 81% | 1.2% | −5 min |
| HSV Huntsville | 2,746 | 81% | 1.6% | −8 min |
| JAN Jackson | 2,589 | 81% | 1.5% | −10 min |
| MCI Kansas City | 3,246 | 81% | 1.1% | −5 min |
| MSN Madison | 1,042 | 82% | 2.1% | −6 min |
| PIT Pittsburgh | 2,737 | 82% | 1.8% | −6 min |
| BHM Birmingham | 3,374 | 82% | 1.7% | −9 min |
| GRR Grand Rapids | 1,420 | 82% | 1.3% | −5 min |
| TLH Tallahassee | 2,256 | 82% | 1.6% | −7 min |
| VPS Valparaiso | 2,423 | 82% | 1.8% | −8 min |
| DSM Des Moines | 1,290 | 82% | 2.4% | −8 min |
| ABQ Albuquerque | 1,002 | 82% | 1.4% | −8 min |
| CAE Columbia | 2,574 | 82% | 1.5% | −8 min |
| GSO Greensboro | 2,789 | 82% | 1.9% | −7 min |
| SLC Salt Lake City | 2,965 | 82% | 0.4% | −6 min |
| TUL Tulsa | 1,616 | 82% | 2.2% | −10 min |
| GSP Greer | 2,804 | 82% | 1.6% | −8 min |
| AVL Asheville | 2,465 | 82% | 1.2% | −10 min |
| MLB Melbourne | 1,451 | 82% | 1.4% | −8 min |
| LIT Little Rock | 2,305 | 83% | 1.9% | −10 min |
| GNV Gainesville | 1,725 | 83% | 1.9% | −10 min |
| ILM Wilmington | 1,391 | 83% | 1.4% | −10 min |
| SDF Louisville | 2,754 | 83% | 1.5% | −8 min |
| DAY Dayton | 1,441 | 83% | 1.8% | −9 min |
| ICT Wichita | 1,157 | 84% | 1.4% | −10 min |
| DAB Daytona Beach | 1,449 | 85% | 1.7% | −7 min |
| SJC San Jose | 898 | 85% | 1.2% | −7 min |
Flights into ATL
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, least reliable first. The weakest is from Fort Lauderdale (69% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 7,366 | 69% | 2.6% |
| HPN White Plains | 1,669 | 72% | 3.6% |
| LGA New York | 8,500 | 72% | 4.4% |
| ORD Chicago | 6,495 | 72% | 2.3% |
| MIA Miami | 6,271 | 73% | 1.6% |
| ASE Aspen | 450 | 73% | 3.6% |
| JFK New York | 4,227 | 73% | 2.8% |
| DFW Dallas | 6,672 | 73% | 2.5% |
| MCO Orlando | 8,259 | 74% | 1.7% |
| EWR Newark | 6,252 | 74% | 3.9% |
| DCA Washington | 6,799 | 74% | 3.6% |
| SBN South Bend | 1,030 | 74% | 2.1% |
| MGM Montgomery | 1,713 | 75% | 1.4% |
| BOS Boston | 5,050 | 75% | 2.2% |
| PHL Philadelphia | 5,793 | 75% | 3.1% |
| FWA Fort Wayne | 1,053 | 76% | 2.3% |
| CSG Columbus | 791 | 76% | 1.5% |
| IAH Houston | 5,272 | 76% | 1.8% |
| CRW Charleston | 1,341 | 76% | 2.5% |
| IAD Washington | 4,099 | 76% | 2.3% |
| DAL Dallas | 3,297 | 76% | 1.9% |
| MLU Monroe | 1,054 | 77% | 2.7% |
| MDW Chicago | 3,538 | 77% | 2.0% |
| DEN Denver | 5,603 | 77% | 0.9% |
| ROC Rochester | 1,043 | 78% | 2.3% |
Showing the 25 least reliable of 140 routes into ATL.
Questions about ATL delays
What is the best time to fly out of ATL?
Flights scheduled at 6 a.m.: over the past year 87% of ATL departures at that hour arrived on time, against 67% at 6 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at ATL?
July (64% on time). October is the best month (86%).
Which airline is most on time at ATL?
United Airlines: 78% of its ATL departures arrived on time over the past year. Frontier Airlines had the weakest record at 62%.
Why are flights delayed at ATL?
The biggest cause was the airlines themselves (41% of delay minutes): crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Then late-arriving aircraft (32%).
How often are flights cancelled at ATL?
1.8% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 3.9%.
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.