74% of flights leaving Newark (EWR) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 2 points worse than the national average of 76%. That ranks 63 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 369 flights leave EWR on a typical day; 3.6% were cancelled. 76% 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: 10 p.m. (57%).
- Best month: October (81%). Worst: July (63%).
- Most reliable airline here: American Airlines (75%), vs Spirit Airlines at 63%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (40% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: about the same (74% → 74%).
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 EWR: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 48% of the time. About 1 in 11 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 47 three hours or more; 3.6% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early74%
- 15–30 min late7.0%
- 30–60 min late6.3%
- 1–2 hours late5.0%
- 2–3 hours late2.0%
- 3+ hours late2.1%
- Diverted0.2%
- Cancelled3.6%
Share of all 134,823 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of EWR
Time of day matters more at EWR than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. arrived on time 87% of the time; at 10 p.m. it was 57%, a 29-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 83% on time against 66% 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 7.9% of the time, against 3.6% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at EWR was a 5 a.m. departure in November (93% on time); the least, 8 p.m. in July (39%). 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 EWR, with 63% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 81%. Summer (June–August) runs 11 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 3 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in July (6.9% of flights).
Airlines at EWR
United Airlines runs 76% of departures from EWR, so EWR is effectively its hub. When United Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, American Airlines was the most reliable (75% on time) and Spirit Airlines the least (63%), a 12-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 102,635 | 74% | 77% | 3.3% | −8 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 9,219 | 74% | 75% | 4.4% | −10 min |
| American Airlines | 7,261 | 75% | 77% | 4.0% | −12 min |
| Spirit Airlines | 5,960 | 63% | 64% | 7.3% | −3 min |
| JetBlue | 4,976 | 71% | 75% | 3.8% | −6 min |
| Alaska Airlines | 2,985 | 72% | 79% | 2.5% | −7 min |
| Frontier Airlines | 1,240 | 68% | 74% | 3.8% | −6 min |
| Allegiant Air | 547 | 79% | 86% | 1.7% | −7 min |
Why flights are late at EWR
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At EWR, 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 air traffic system at 27%. 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 4,863 cancellations, 67% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 26 minutes, longer than at most large U.S. airports. Airlines pad schedules for it, but a long queue on a busy afternoon still eats into the buffer.
EWR vs nearby airports
EWR isn't the only option in New York. Over the past year JFK ran 71% on time with 4.3% of flights cancelled; LGA ran 68% on time with 5.3% of flights cancelled; HPN ran 71% on time with 3.8% of flights cancelled; ISP ran 74% on time with 2.2% of flights cancelled, against 74% and 3.6% at EWR. On-time rates are close, but ISP cancels noticeably fewer flights, which counts most when a missed day matters.
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EWR Newark | — | 134,823 | 74% | 3.6% |
| LGA LaGuardia | 17 mi | 166,553 | 68% | 5.3% |
| JFK New York JFK | 21 mi | 124,887 | 71% | 4.3% |
| HPN Westchester | 36 mi | 12,438 | 71% | 3.8% |
| TTN Trenton Mercer | 44 mi | 1,023 | 73% | 3.1% |
| ISP Long Island MacArthur | 56 mi | 5,016 | 74% | 2.2% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 74% of EWR departures were on time, against 74% in the 12 months before: essentially unchanged. The best recent month was May 2026 (85%); the worst, July 2026 (65%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Monday, Feb 23, 2026, when 100% of 384 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 23, 2026 | 384 | 100% | 0% |
| Jan 25, 2026 | 381 | 92% | 2% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 382 | 60% | 6% |
| Jul 18, 2026 | 325 | 59% | 13% |
| Feb 24, 2026 | 369 | 57% | 30% |
| Jul 28, 2026 | 358 | 51% | 19% |
| Jul 21, 2026 | 358 | 48% | 16% |
| Nov 9, 2025 | 402 | 46% | 5% |
| Feb 22, 2026 | 390 | 40% | 41% |
| Aug 27, 2026 | 364 | 35% | 13% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from EWR, each airline's final departure was cancelled 5.4% of the time, against 3.0% for its earlier flights (1.8× 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 United Airlines to Asheville (11.3% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVL Asheville | United Airlines | 8:59 p.m. | 11.3% | 7.5% | 57% |
| BGR Bangor | United Airlines | 9:45 p.m. | 9.6% | 5.4% | 55% |
| CLT Charlotte | Spirit Airlines | — | 11.1% | 3.7% | 51% |
| ATL Atlanta | Spirit Airlines | — | 10.8% | 3.1% | 48% |
| GSO Greensboro | United Airlines | 9:57 p.m. | 8.7% | 5.0% | 61% |
| DCA Washington | United Airlines | 8:20 p.m. | 9.1% | 4.4% | 46% |
| CVG Cincinnati | Delta Air Lines | 8:15 p.m. | 10.0% | 3.0% | 61% |
| RIC Richmond | United Airlines | 6:52 p.m. | 6.6% | 6.3% | 56% |
| BTV Burlington | United Airlines | 9:59 p.m. | 9.1% | 3.6% | 64% |
| RDU Raleigh | Delta Air Lines | 7:29 p.m. | 7.7% | 4.7% | 53% |
| BOS Boston | Delta Air Lines | 8:40 p.m. | 9.9% | 2.4% | 62% |
| DTW Detroit | Spirit Airlines | — | 9.3% | 2.6% | 48% |
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.
EWR at the holidays
On the busy Thanksgiving travel days, flights from EWR arrived on time 75% of the time, against 77% normally (−1.6 points; 18th of the 30 busiest airports). On the busy Christmas–New Year travel days, flights from EWR arrived on time 72% of the time, against 76% normally (−3.4 points; 17th of the 30 busiest airports).
Thanksgiving: best days to fly → · Christmas: best days to fly →
Tips for flying out of EWR
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At EWR 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? American Airlines has the better record here.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of EWR; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Connecting here? See how long a layover you need at EWR.
- Delayed already? Most delays at EWR come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Delayed at EWR right now? See how much later EWR delays usually get, and what to do →
Routes from EWR
Where you're going matters too. From EWR, the most reliable busy route was to Columbus (CMH, 79% on time) and the least reliable to Washington (DCA, 59%). 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 | 3,247 | 59% | 5.7% | +3 min |
| SFO San Francisco | 4,349 | 66% | 2.3% | −2 min |
| RIC Richmond | 1,623 | 67% | 5.0% | −7 min |
| SJU San Juan | 2,078 | 68% | 3.0% | −3 min |
| ORD Chicago | 6,123 | 68% | 3.9% | −2 min |
| GSO Greensboro | 873 | 68% | 6.0% | −9 min |
| LAX Los Angeles | 4,750 | 69% | 2.5% | −3 min |
| BOS Boston | 3,860 | 69% | 4.3% | −7 min |
| BQN Aguadilla | 365 | 70% | 1.9% | −4 min |
| BGR Bangor | 801 | 70% | 5.9% | −8 min |
| MSN Madison | 463 | 70% | 5.6% | −8 min |
| ORF Norfolk | 1,240 | 71% | 6.2% | −7 min |
| SEA Seattle | 2,263 | 71% | 2.4% | −3 min |
| ILM Wilmington | 721 | 71% | 6.4% | −6 min |
| BNA Nashville | 1,882 | 72% | 3.3% | −5 min |
| RDU Raleigh | 2,873 | 72% | 3.8% | −7 min |
| BUF Buffalo | 1,065 | 72% | 5.6% | −9 min |
| IAD Washington | 1,826 | 72% | 3.0% | −5 min |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 4,671 | 72% | 4.0% | −7 min |
| AVL Asheville | 594 | 72% | 5.6% | −6 min |
| SYR Syracuse | 538 | 73% | 3.4% | −9 min |
| CVG Cincinnati | 2,108 | 73% | 5.3% | −10 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 6,252 | 74% | 3.9% | −9 min |
| PDX Portland | 923 | 75% | 1.7% | −8 min |
| BTV Burlington | 1,178 | 75% | 5.2% | −9 min |
| MEM Memphis | 487 | 75% | 5.9% | −14 min |
| PIT Pittsburgh | 2,303 | 75% | 5.2% | −11 min |
| MIA Miami | 3,914 | 75% | 3.0% | −10 min |
| SLC Salt Lake City | 1,338 | 75% | 2.2% | −3 min |
| PBI West Palm Beach | 3,395 | 75% | 2.8% | −8 min |
| MYR Myrtle Beach | 913 | 75% | 5.0% | −10 min |
| MCO Orlando | 6,391 | 75% | 3.2% | −9 min |
| DTW Detroit | 3,699 | 75% | 5.6% | −12 min |
| MSP Minneapolis | 2,268 | 76% | 4.6% | −10 min |
| DFW Dallas | 3,631 | 76% | 3.4% | −10 min |
| AUS Austin | 2,056 | 76% | 3.1% | −9 min |
| MCI Kansas City | 496 | 76% | 3.8% | −8 min |
| SRQ Sarasota | 929 | 76% | 2.5% | −10 min |
| DEN Denver | 3,349 | 76% | 1.5% | −7 min |
| SDF Louisville | 1,035 | 76% | 5.7% | −13 min |
| CHS Charleston | 1,321 | 76% | 3.1% | −9 min |
| RSW Fort Myers | 1,966 | 77% | 2.1% | −9 min |
| CLE Cleveland | 2,192 | 77% | 3.7% | −10 min |
| PHX Phoenix | 2,485 | 77% | 2.4% | −9 min |
| SAN San Diego | 1,557 | 77% | 2.3% | −9 min |
| SAV Savannah | 1,081 | 77% | 3.3% | −10 min |
| BZN Bozeman | 375 | 77% | 2.4% | −4 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 3,701 | 77% | 3.7% | −12 min |
| ROC Rochester | 1,023 | 78% | 6.2% | −12 min |
| MSY New Orleans | 1,218 | 78% | 2.2% | −12 min |
| MKE Milwaukee | 852 | 78% | 6.5% | −11 min |
| IND Indianapolis | 2,205 | 78% | 4.3% | −12 min |
| GSP Greer | 893 | 78% | 6.5% | −13 min |
| STL St. Louis | 1,074 | 78% | 5.4% | −13 min |
| LAS Las Vegas | 2,863 | 78% | 1.8% | −10 min |
| IAH Houston | 3,714 | 78% | 2.0% | −12 min |
| GRR Grand Rapids | 890 | 79% | 5.2% | −12 min |
| PWM Portland | 1,388 | 79% | 4.3% | −13 min |
| JAX Jacksonville | 1,353 | 79% | 2.7% | −11 min |
| TPA Tampa | 2,503 | 79% | 2.2% | −10 min |
| CMH Columbus | 2,107 | 79% | 5.2% | −14 min |
| EYW Key West | 460 | 81% | 2.0% | −11 min |
| SNA Santa Ana | 1,091 | 82% | 2.0% | −14 min |
| SAT San Antonio | 596 | 86% | 1.2% | −15 min |
Flights into EWR
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Newark, least reliable first. The weakest is from Key West (67% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| EYW Key West | 460 | 67% | 2.4% |
| ORD Chicago | 6,126 | 67% | 3.8% |
| DCA Washington | 3,247 | 67% | 6.4% |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 4,666 | 68% | 3.7% |
| BGR Bangor | 800 | 69% | 5.3% |
| ATL Atlanta | 6,246 | 69% | 3.8% |
| MIA Miami | 3,913 | 70% | 2.9% |
| DFW Dallas | 3,633 | 70% | 3.4% |
| ORF Norfolk | 1,240 | 71% | 6.4% |
| BZN Bozeman | 375 | 71% | 2.4% |
| SJU San Juan | 2,077 | 72% | 3.3% |
| BTV Burlington | 1,176 | 72% | 5.4% |
| CLT Charlotte | 3,700 | 72% | 4.5% |
| MCO Orlando | 6,389 | 72% | 3.3% |
| BOS Boston | 3,860 | 72% | 4.5% |
| BNA Nashville | 1,883 | 72% | 3.1% |
| DTW Detroit | 3,700 | 73% | 5.5% |
| SYR Syracuse | 539 | 73% | 3.1% |
| PBI West Palm Beach | 3,394 | 73% | 3.1% |
| RDU Raleigh | 2,872 | 73% | 3.7% |
| IAH Houston | 3,717 | 74% | 1.9% |
| MYR Myrtle Beach | 916 | 74% | 7.8% |
| IAD Washington | 1,824 | 74% | 2.9% |
| AUS Austin | 2,054 | 74% | 3.4% |
| RIC Richmond | 1,630 | 74% | 4.5% |
Showing the 25 least reliable of 64 routes into EWR.
Questions about EWR delays
What is the best time to fly out of EWR?
Flights scheduled at 6 a.m.: over the past year 87% of EWR departures at that hour arrived on time, against 57% at 10 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at EWR?
July (63% on time). October is the best month (81%).
Which airline is most on time at EWR?
American Airlines: 75% of its EWR departures arrived on time over the past year. Spirit Airlines had the weakest record at 63%.
Why are flights delayed at EWR?
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 air traffic system (27%).
Is EWR or JFK or LGA or HPN or ISP more reliable?
Over the past year: EWR 74% on time, JFK 71%, LGA 68%, HPN 71%, ISP 74%.
How often are flights cancelled at EWR?
3.6% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in July at 6.9%.
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.