75% of flights leaving Baltimore (BWI) arrived on time over the past 12 months, right at the national average of 76%. That ranks 56 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 258 flights leave BWI on a typical day; 2.0% were cancelled. 71% 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: 10 p.m. (57%).
- Best month: November (84%). Worst: July (63%).
- Most reliable airline here: Delta Air Lines (82%), vs Frontier Airlines at 65%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (40% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (78% → 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 BWI: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 59% of the time. About 1 in 15 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 88 three hours or more; 2.0% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early75%
- 15–30 min late9.0%
- 30–60 min late6.8%
- 1–2 hours late4.2%
- 2–3 hours late1.3%
- 3+ hours late1.1%
- Diverted0.2%
- Cancelled2.0%
Share of all 94,085 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of BWI
Time of day matters more at BWI than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. arrived on time 89% of the time; at 10 p.m. it was 57%, a 31-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: 10 p.m. departures were cancelled 4.0% of the time, against 2.0% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at BWI was a 5 a.m. departure in May (96% on time); the least, 9 p.m. in July (37%). 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 BWI, with 63% of flights on time across 2023–2026; November is the best at 84%. Summer (June–August) runs 15 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 5 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (4.5% of flights).
Airlines at BWI
Southwest Airlines runs 76% of departures from BWI, so BWI is effectively its hub. When Southwest Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, Delta Air Lines was the most reliable (82% on time) and Frontier Airlines the least (65%), a 17-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 | 71,953 | 75% | 69% | 1.8% | −4 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 6,398 | 82% | 82% | 2.3% | −12 min |
| American Airlines | 4,814 | 78% | 78% | 2.5% | −11 min |
| United Airlines | 4,250 | 79% | 84% | 1.0% | −7 min |
| Frontier Airlines | 3,640 | 65% | 66% | 4.0% | −3 min |
| Spirit Airlines | 2,160 | 76% | 76% | 3.3% | −8 min |
| Alaska Airlines | 710 | 69% | 75% | 0.9% | +1 min |
| JetBlue | 160 | 68% | 68% | 5.0% | −11 min |
Why flights are late at BWI
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At BWI, 40% 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 1,840 cancellations, 59% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 15 minutes, shorter than at most large U.S. airports.
BWI vs nearby airports
BWI isn't the only option in Washington. Over the past year DCA ran 69% on time with 4.0% of flights cancelled; IAD ran 79% on time with 1.7% of flights cancelled, against 75% and 2.0% at BWI. IAD has the better record, so if fares and times are close, it is the safer pick.
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWI Baltimore/Washington | — | 94,085 | 75% | 2.0% |
| DCA Washington Reagan National | 30 mi | 147,469 | 69% | 4.0% |
| IAD Washington Dulles | 45 mi | 90,830 | 79% | 1.7% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 75% of BWI departures were on time, against 78% in the 12 months before, a decline of 2 points. The best recent month was September 2025 (85%); the worst, July 2026 (66%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Sunday, Jan 25, 2026, when 98% of 238 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 | 238 | 98% | 0% |
| Feb 22, 2026 | 259 | 45% | 31% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 264 | 34% | 20% |
| Jul 21, 2026 | 271 | 32% | 40% |
| Feb 23, 2026 | 244 | 32% | 57% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 218 | 27% | 21% |
| Aug 7, 2026 | 268 | 17% | 38% |
| Dec 26, 2025 | 282 | 17% | 48% |
| Jul 18, 2026 | 257 | 16% | 44% |
| Aug 10, 2026 | 268 | 15% | 42% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from BWI, each airline's final departure was cancelled 2.9% of the time, against 1.6% for its earlier flights (1.9× 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 Southwest Airlines to Minneapolis (6.5% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSP Minneapolis | Southwest Airlines | 8:55 p.m. | 6.5% | 3.6% | 42% |
| ORD Chicago | American Airlines | 8:00 p.m. | 7.2% | 2.8% | 57% |
| MCO Orlando | Frontier Airlines | 9:28 p.m. | 6.2% | 3.5% | 57% |
| BOS Boston | Delta Air Lines | 6:22 p.m. | 6.6% | 2.0% | 64% |
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 7:11 p.m. | 3.0% | 4.7% | 64% |
| ORD Chicago | United Airlines | 6:38 p.m. | 1.6% | 5.8% | 57% |
| MCO Orlando | Spirit Airlines | — | 4.3% | 2.9% | 65% |
| ATL Atlanta | Frontier Airlines | 9:32 p.m. | 4.0% | 2.8% | 57% |
| BOS Boston | Southwest Airlines | 9:50 p.m. | 4.7% | 1.9% | 59% |
| MIA Miami | American Airlines | 6:39 p.m. | 2.1% | 4.2% | 68% |
| MIA Miami | Southwest Airlines | 7:55 p.m. | 3.8% | 2.2% | 61% |
| MSP Minneapolis | Delta Air Lines | 7:10 p.m. | 2.6% | 3.4% | 80% |
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.
BWI at the holidays
On the busy Thanksgiving travel days, flights from BWI arrived on time 73% of the time, against 85% normally (−12.4 points; 24th of the 30 busiest airports). On the busy Christmas–New Year travel days, flights from BWI arrived on time 67% of the time, against 77% normally (−10.0 points; 25th of the 30 busiest airports).
Thanksgiving: best days to fly → · Christmas: best days to fly →
Tips for flying out of BWI
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At BWI 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? Delta Air Lines has the better record here.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of BWI; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Connecting here? See how long a layover you need at BWI.
- Delayed already? Most delays at BWI come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Delayed at BWI right now? See how much later BWI delays usually get, and what to do →
Routes from BWI
Where you're going matters too. From BWI, the most reliable busy route was to Manchester (MHT, 83% on time) and the least reliable to San Juan (SJU, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SJU San Juan | 1,150 | 66% | 2.5% | +4 min |
| SEA Seattle | 719 | 66% | 0.8% | +2 min |
| SFO San Francisco | 1,033 | 68% | 0.9% | −1 min |
| GRR Grand Rapids | 462 | 70% | 2.2% | −3 min |
| DFW Dallas | 1,326 | 71% | 2.6% | −8 min |
| SAN San Diego | 1,165 | 71% | 1.4% | −1 min |
| BOS Boston | 3,540 | 72% | 3.2% | −6 min |
| LAX Los Angeles | 1,670 | 72% | 1.3% | −1 min |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 3,168 | 72% | 2.7% | −4 min |
| MKE Milwaukee | 831 | 72% | 2.2% | −4 min |
| MDW Chicago | 1,824 | 73% | 2.4% | −3 min |
| RSW Fort Myers | 1,407 | 73% | 2.0% | −1 min |
| MIA Miami | 2,294 | 73% | 2.4% | −5 min |
| SAT San Antonio | 731 | 73% | 1.6% | −3 min |
| ROC Rochester | 1,102 | 73% | 1.8% | +1 min |
| MCO Orlando | 4,707 | 73% | 2.6% | −4 min |
| ORD Chicago | 2,677 | 73% | 2.5% | −6 min |
| DAL Dallas | 1,794 | 74% | 2.1% | −4 min |
| BUF Buffalo | 1,727 | 74% | 2.1% | −3 min |
| CLE Cleveland | 971 | 74% | 2.3% | −3 min |
| DEN Denver | 2,784 | 74% | 1.4% | −3 min |
| HOU Houston | 1,471 | 75% | 1.4% | −3 min |
| JAX Jacksonville | 1,401 | 75% | 1.6% | −2 min |
| SLC Salt Lake City | 769 | 75% | 1.8% | −1 min |
| ABQ Albuquerque | 401 | 75% | 0.8% | −3 min |
| MCI Kansas City | 879 | 75% | 1.9% | −2 min |
| IND Indianapolis | 1,212 | 75% | 1.3% | −2 min |
| PHX Phoenix | 1,218 | 75% | 1.1% | −4 min |
| MSY New Orleans | 1,134 | 75% | 1.1% | −4 min |
| AUS Austin | 1,254 | 76% | 1.7% | −6 min |
| RIC Richmond | 730 | 76% | 2.2% | −5 min |
| ISP Islip | 1,260 | 76% | 1.9% | −3 min |
| PIT Pittsburgh | 1,071 | 76% | 2.2% | −4 min |
| TPA Tampa | 2,651 | 76% | 2.0% | −7 min |
| CMH Columbus | 1,053 | 77% | 1.5% | −4 min |
| MSP Minneapolis | 1,423 | 77% | 2.1% | −6 min |
| IAH Houston | 1,367 | 77% | 2.2% | −12 min |
| PBI West Palm Beach | 1,141 | 77% | 1.6% | −5 min |
| ORF Norfolk | 1,539 | 77% | 1.6% | −5 min |
| PVD Providence | 1,846 | 78% | 2.3% | −6 min |
| BNA Nashville | 1,789 | 78% | 1.8% | −5 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 5,406 | 78% | 2.3% | −8 min |
| LAS Las Vegas | 1,739 | 78% | 0.9% | −5 min |
| SDF Louisville | 891 | 78% | 2.5% | −5 min |
| CHS Charleston | 1,230 | 78% | 1.8% | −5 min |
| SRQ Sarasota | 1,248 | 78% | 1.9% | −7 min |
| RDU Raleigh | 1,765 | 79% | 2.6% | −7 min |
| MYR Myrtle Beach | 1,034 | 79% | 1.4% | −6 min |
| ALB Albany | 1,740 | 79% | 1.8% | −6 min |
| GSP Greer | 720 | 79% | 1.8% | −6 min |
| CVG Cincinnati | 721 | 79% | 2.2% | −4 min |
| DTW Detroit | 2,233 | 79% | 2.1% | −8 min |
| PWM Portland | 1,331 | 79% | 1.7% | −4 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 2,948 | 79% | 1.8% | −10 min |
| BDL Hartford | 1,723 | 79% | 2.2% | −6 min |
| SAV Savannah | 988 | 79% | 1.0% | −5 min |
| STL St. Louis | 1,260 | 80% | 1.3% | −6 min |
| MHT Manchester | 1,721 | 83% | 1.4% | −8 min |
Flights into BWI
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Baltimore/Washington, least reliable first. The weakest is from Dallas (68% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 1,325 | 68% | 2.5% |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 3,150 | 69% | 3.0% |
| ORD Chicago | 2,679 | 70% | 2.9% |
| MIA Miami | 2,291 | 71% | 2.1% |
| DAL Dallas | 1,828 | 72% | 1.9% |
| RIC Richmond | 730 | 73% | 1.8% |
| ATL Atlanta | 5,403 | 73% | 2.3% |
| HOU Houston | 1,482 | 74% | 1.4% |
| MCO Orlando | 4,716 | 74% | 2.4% |
| AUS Austin | 1,273 | 74% | 1.7% |
| SAN San Diego | 1,182 | 75% | 1.7% |
| BNA Nashville | 1,794 | 75% | 1.7% |
| MDW Chicago | 1,843 | 75% | 2.7% |
| CLT Charlotte | 2,947 | 75% | 1.7% |
| BOS Boston | 3,536 | 76% | 2.9% |
| DEN Denver | 2,781 | 76% | 1.0% |
| IAH Houston | 1,368 | 76% | 2.1% |
| SJU San Juan | 1,153 | 77% | 2.4% |
| RSW Fort Myers | 1,409 | 77% | 2.3% |
| LAS Las Vegas | 1,743 | 77% | 1.0% |
| PHX Phoenix | 1,220 | 78% | 0.9% |
| MSY New Orleans | 1,135 | 78% | 1.0% |
| STL St. Louis | 1,271 | 78% | 1.3% |
| SAT San Antonio | 719 | 79% | 1.5% |
| JAX Jacksonville | 1,385 | 79% | 1.1% |
Showing the 25 least reliable of 58 routes into BWI.
Questions about BWI delays
What is the best time to fly out of BWI?
Flights scheduled at 6 a.m.: over the past year 89% of BWI departures at that hour arrived on time, against 57% at 10 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at BWI?
July (63% on time). November is the best month (84%).
Which airline is most on time at BWI?
Delta Air Lines: 82% of its BWI departures arrived on time over the past year. Frontier Airlines had the weakest record at 65%.
Why are flights delayed at BWI?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (40% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (33%).
Is BWI or DCA or IAD more reliable?
Over the past year: BWI 75% on time, DCA 69%, IAD 79%.
How often are flights cancelled at BWI?
2.0% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 4.5%.
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.