76% of flights leaving Flagstaff (FLG) arrived on time over the past 12 months, right at the national average of 76%. About 5 flights leave FLG on a typical day; 2.8% were cancelled. 75% 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: noon (65% on time). Worst: noon (65%).
- Best month: September (88%). Worst: March (69%).
- Biggest delay cause: the airlines themselves (48% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (79% → 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 FLG: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 36% of the time. About 1 in 9 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 25 three hours or more; 2.8% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early76%
- 15–30 min late5.7%
- 30–60 min late4.1%
- 1–2 hours late5.4%
- 2–3 hours late2.1%
- 3+ hours late4.1%
- Diverted0.4%
- Cancelled2.8%
Share of all 1,651 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of FLG
FLG is unusually consistent through the day. Flights scheduled to leave at noon arrived on time 65% of the time; at noon it was 65%, a 0-point gap. 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
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
March is the hardest month at FLG, with 69% of flights on time across 2023–2026; September is the best at 88%. Cancellations peak in July (3.3% of flights).
Airlines at FLG
American Airlines runs 100% of departures from FLG, so FLG is effectively its hub. When American Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 1,651 | 76% | 75% | 2.8% | −8 min |
Why flights are late at FLG
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At FLG, 48% of delay minutes came from the airlines themselves: crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Next is late-arriving aircraft at 27%.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 21 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.
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 76% of FLG departures were on time, against 79% in the 12 months before, a decline of 3 points. The best recent month was August 2026 (86%); the worst, July 2026 (59%).
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from FLG, each airline's final departure was cancelled 3.2% of the time, against 2.4% 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. 3.4% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to Phoenix (3.3% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHX Phoenix | American Airlines | 1:48 p.m. | 3.3% | 3.6% | 74% |
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 FLG
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At FLG the noon flights do best.
- Traveling in March? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of FLG; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at FLG come from the airlines themselves. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from FLG
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 435 | 64% | 3.0% | −1 min |
| PHX Phoenix | 1,216 | 80% | 2.7% | −9 min |
Flights into FLG
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Flagstaff Pulliam, least reliable first. The weakest is from Dallas (72% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 435 | 72% | 3.5% |
| PHX Phoenix | 1,215 | 76% | 2.7% |
Questions about FLG delays
What is the best time to fly out of FLG?
Flights scheduled at noon: over the past year 65% of FLG departures at that hour arrived on time, against 65% at noon, the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at FLG?
March (69% on time). September is the best month (88%).
Why are flights delayed at FLG?
The biggest cause was the airlines themselves (48% of delay minutes): crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Then late-arriving aircraft (27%).
How often are flights cancelled at FLG?
2.8% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in July at 3.3%.
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.