76% of flights leaving Austin (AUS) arrived on time over the past 12 months, right at the national average of 76%. That ranks 55 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 250 flights leave AUS on a typical day; 1.2% were cancelled. 74% 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. (93% on time). Worst: 9 p.m. (58%).
- Best month: September (83%). Worst: July (68%).
- Most reliable airline here: Alaska Airlines (81%), vs Southwest Airlines at 72%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (43% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (79% → 75%).
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 AUS: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 56% of the time. About 1 in 13 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 66 three hours or more; 1.2% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early76%
- 15–30 min late8.7%
- 30–60 min late6.7%
- 1–2 hours late4.5%
- 2–3 hours late1.6%
- 3+ hours late1.5%
- Diverted0.2%
- Cancelled1.2%
Share of all 91,202 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of AUS
Time of day matters more at AUS than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 93% of the time; at 9 p.m. it was 58%, a 35-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 88% on time against 64% 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 1.6% of the time, against 1.2% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at AUS was a 5 a.m. departure in November (96% on time); the least, 5 p.m. in July (49%). 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 AUS, with 68% of flights on time across 2023–2026; September is the best at 83%. Summer (June–August) runs 10 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Cancellations peak in January (3.5% of flights).
Airlines at AUS
Southwest Airlines runs 42% of departures from AUS. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, Alaska Airlines was the most reliable (81% on time) and Southwest Airlines the least (72%), a 9-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 38,550 | 72% | 67% | 0.6% | −1 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 20,132 | 81% | 82% | 1.2% | −8 min |
| American Airlines | 13,806 | 75% | 74% | 2.3% | −7 min |
| United Airlines | 11,547 | 79% | 83% | 1.1% | −7 min |
| Alaska Airlines | 2,956 | 81% | 79% | 1.4% | −7 min |
| Frontier Airlines | 1,821 | 73% | 74% | 1.5% | −8 min |
| JetBlue | 973 | 65% | 65% | 2.3% | +1 min |
| Spirit Airlines | 812 | 59% | 61% | 6.5% | +5 min |
| Allegiant Air | 605 | 65% | 68% | 0.3% | +2 min |
Why flights are late at AUS
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At AUS, 43% 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 33%. That's why the first flight of the morning is the safest bet: it has no earlier flight to inherit a delay from. Of the 1,070 cancellations, 61% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 16 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 75% of AUS departures were on time, against 79% in the 12 months before, a decline of 3 points. The best recent month was September 2025 (84%); the worst, June 2026 (68%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Sunday, Jan 25, 2026, when 52% of 251 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 | 251 | 52% | 8% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 226 | 38% | 23% |
| Jan 24, 2026 | 163 | 25% | 61% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 283 | 14% | 34% |
| Jun 19, 2026 | 287 | 10% | 40% |
| Jan 27, 2026 | 206 | 8% | 66% |
| Mar 15, 2026 | 271 | 8% | 48% |
| Feb 23, 2026 | 257 | 8% | 75% |
| Mar 7, 2026 | 215 | 7% | 46% |
| Jan 31, 2026 | 163 | 7% | 80% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from AUS, each airline's final departure was cancelled 1.2% of the time, against 1.2% for its earlier flights, about the same. 1.8% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to New York (4.5% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JFK New York | American Airlines | 4:30 p.m. | 4.5% | 5.9% | 63% |
| EWR Newark | United Airlines | 6:61 p.m. | 4.1% | 3.0% | 71% |
| ORD Chicago | American Airlines | 6:33 p.m. | 3.3% | 3.6% | 56% |
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 7:50 p.m. | 4.9% | 1.6% | 68% |
| BOS Boston | Delta Air Lines | 5:55 p.m. | 2.8% | 3.6% | 62% |
| ORD Chicago | United Airlines | 5:20 p.m. | 1.1% | 4.7% | 57% |
| PHL Philadelphia | American Airlines | 4:26 p.m. | 2.8% | 2.8% | 74% |
| DTW Detroit | Delta Air Lines | 4:31 p.m. | 0.5% | 4.1% | 79% |
| DEN Denver | Frontier Airlines | 8:15 p.m. | 1.3% | 3.0% | 74% |
| MCO Orlando | Delta Air Lines | 3:53 p.m. | 1.7% | 2.6% | 63% |
| PHX Phoenix | American Airlines | 2:35 p.m. | 0.5% | 3.6% | 76% |
| JFK New York | Delta Air Lines | 6:02 p.m. | 2.5% | 1.4% | 75% |
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.
AUS at the holidays
On the busy Thanksgiving travel days, flights from AUS arrived on time 79% of the time, against 82% normally (−2.9 points; 10th of the 30 busiest airports). On the busy Christmas–New Year travel days, flights from AUS arrived on time 74% of the time, against 80% normally (−6.2 points; 14th of the 30 busiest airports).
Thanksgiving: best days to fly → · Christmas: best days to fly →
Tips for flying out of AUS
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At AUS the 5 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? Alaska Airlines has the better record here.
- Connecting here? See how long a layover you need at AUS.
- Delayed already? Most delays at AUS come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Delayed at AUS right now? See how much later AUS delays usually get, and what to do →
Routes from AUS
Where you're going matters too. From AUS, the most reliable busy route was to Washington (IAD, 88% on time) and the least reliable to Boston (BOS, 63%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOS Boston | 1,713 | 63% | 2.7% | +2 min |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 1,229 | 66% | 2.4% | +2 min |
| HOU Houston | 1,298 | 67% | 0.4% | 0 min |
| LGB Long Beach | 412 | 68% | 0.0% | +3 min |
| ORD Chicago | 3,182 | 70% | 2.1% | −3 min |
| MCO Orlando | 2,848 | 71% | 1.4% | 0 min |
| SMF Sacramento | 378 | 72% | 0.0% | +1 min |
| SAN San Diego | 2,605 | 72% | 1.2% | −2 min |
| SFO San Francisco | 2,788 | 72% | 0.5% | −4 min |
| HRL Harlingen | 739 | 72% | 0.3% | −3 min |
| DFW Dallas | 4,728 | 72% | 3.3% | −6 min |
| LAS Las Vegas | 2,882 | 73% | 0.4% | −2 min |
| ELP El Paso | 1,045 | 74% | 0.3% | −3 min |
| SJC San Jose | 1,095 | 74% | 0.4% | −2 min |
| EWR Newark | 2,054 | 74% | 3.4% | −5 min |
| BWI Baltimore | 1,273 | 74% | 1.7% | −2 min |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,150 | 75% | 2.0% | −6 min |
| MDW Chicago | 1,349 | 75% | 0.9% | +1 min |
| TPA Tampa | 1,555 | 75% | 0.6% | −4 min |
| ABQ Albuquerque | 842 | 75% | 0.2% | −3 min |
| BNA Nashville | 3,017 | 75% | 0.6% | −2 min |
| ECP Panama City | 632 | 75% | 0.0% | −4 min |
| MCI Kansas City | 1,048 | 75% | 0.4% | −3 min |
| MSY New Orleans | 1,934 | 76% | 0.4% | −5 min |
| DAL Dallas | 2,344 | 76% | 1.6% | −6 min |
| RDU Raleigh | 1,227 | 76% | 0.8% | −3 min |
| JFK New York | 2,227 | 76% | 3.4% | −8 min |
| IAH Houston | 2,861 | 76% | 1.0% | −2 min |
| MSP Minneapolis | 1,685 | 77% | 0.8% | −5 min |
| IND Indianapolis | 1,359 | 78% | 0.5% | −3 min |
| DEN Denver | 5,509 | 78% | 0.6% | −7 min |
| STL St. Louis | 973 | 78% | 0.1% | −3 min |
| CVG Cincinnati | 558 | 78% | 0.5% | −6 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 1,646 | 78% | 1.7% | −9 min |
| PHX Phoenix | 3,410 | 78% | 0.8% | −6 min |
| MIA Miami | 2,236 | 79% | 1.1% | −8 min |
| MAF Midland | 505 | 80% | 0.6% | −7 min |
| CMH Columbus | 458 | 80% | 0.9% | −1 min |
| JAX Jacksonville | 673 | 80% | 0.7% | −7 min |
| SEA Seattle | 2,089 | 80% | 0.9% | −7 min |
| SLC Salt Lake City | 1,798 | 80% | 0.7% | −6 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 4,484 | 81% | 1.3% | −8 min |
| LAX Los Angeles | 4,084 | 82% | 0.7% | −8 min |
| MFE Mission | 1,032 | 83% | 0.4% | −9 min |
| DTW Detroit | 1,309 | 86% | 1.4% | −10 min |
| PDX Portland | 609 | 87% | 1.5% | −9 min |
| IAD Washington | 1,105 | 88% | 0.7% | −7 min |
Flights into AUS
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Austin-Bergstrom, least reliable first. The weakest is from Fort Lauderdale (60% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 1,229 | 60% | 2.9% |
| DFW Dallas | 4,730 | 66% | 3.1% |
| SAN San Diego | 2,617 | 69% | 1.0% |
| ORD Chicago | 3,185 | 70% | 1.9% |
| BOS Boston | 1,713 | 71% | 2.4% |
| SFO San Francisco | 2,786 | 71% | 0.5% |
| CLT Charlotte | 1,647 | 71% | 1.5% |
| MIA Miami | 2,236 | 71% | 0.9% |
| LAS Las Vegas | 2,865 | 72% | 0.4% |
| SJC San Jose | 1,108 | 73% | 0.4% |
| PHX Phoenix | 3,358 | 74% | 0.6% |
| HOU Houston | 1,315 | 74% | 0.4% |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,147 | 75% | 1.7% |
| STL St. Louis | 972 | 75% | 0.3% |
| MDW Chicago | 1,374 | 75% | 0.9% |
| DEN Denver | 5,486 | 76% | 0.5% |
| BWI Baltimore | 1,254 | 76% | 1.7% |
| EWR Newark | 2,056 | 76% | 3.1% |
| MCO Orlando | 2,848 | 76% | 1.2% |
| DAL Dallas | 2,335 | 76% | 1.0% |
| MSY New Orleans | 1,976 | 76% | 0.4% |
| LAX Los Angeles | 4,077 | 76% | 0.6% |
| JAX Jacksonville | 673 | 77% | 1.2% |
| JFK New York | 2,227 | 78% | 3.5% |
| SEA Seattle | 2,090 | 78% | 0.8% |
Showing the 25 least reliable of 47 routes into AUS.
Questions about AUS delays
What is the best time to fly out of AUS?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 93% of AUS departures at that hour arrived on time, against 58% at 9 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at AUS?
July (68% on time). September is the best month (83%).
Which airline is most on time at AUS?
Alaska Airlines: 81% of its AUS departures arrived on time over the past year. Southwest Airlines had the weakest record at 72%.
Why are flights delayed at AUS?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (43% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (33%).
How often are flights cancelled at AUS?
1.2% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 3.5%.
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.