68% of flights leaving Fort Lauderdale (FLL) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 7 points worse than the national average of 76%. That ranks 75 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 249 flights leave FLL on a typical day; 2.5% were cancelled. 68% 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. (90% on time). Worst: 9 p.m. (50%).
- Best month: October (80%). Worst: July (65%).
- Most reliable airline here: United Airlines (81%), vs Allegiant Air at 60%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (40% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (77% → 68%).
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 FLL: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 49% of the time. About 1 in 9 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 53 three hours or more; 2.5% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early68%
- 15–30 min late9.0%
- 30–60 min late8.7%
- 1–2 hours late6.8%
- 2–3 hours late2.4%
- 3+ hours late1.9%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled2.5%
Share of all 90,845 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of FLL
Time of day matters more at FLL than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 90% of the time; at 9 p.m. it was 50%, a 40-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 86% on time against 57% 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: 9 p.m. departures were cancelled 5.6% of the time, against 2.5% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at FLL was a 5 a.m. departure in May (95% on time); the least, 10 p.m. in March (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 FLL, with 65% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 80%. Summer (June–August) runs 11 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 8 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (3.4% of flights).
Airlines at FLL
JetBlue runs 28% of departures from FLL. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, United Airlines was the most reliable (81% on time) and Allegiant Air the least (60%), a 21-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JetBlue | 25,162 | 65% | 65% | 2.8% | 0 min |
| Spirit Airlines | 14,820 | 62% | 60% | 4.5% | 0 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 12,999 | 75% | 74% | 2.3% | −6 min |
| Southwest Airlines | 11,494 | 70% | 66% | 1.2% | 0 min |
| United Airlines | 9,046 | 81% | 84% | 1.1% | −10 min |
| American Airlines | 7,998 | 72% | 72% | 2.4% | −6 min |
| Allegiant Air | 4,734 | 60% | 63% | 0.9% | +4 min |
| Frontier Airlines | 3,948 | 61% | 61% | 3.5% | +2 min |
| Alaska Airlines | 644 | 71% | 75% | 0.9% | −2 min |
Why flights are late at FLL
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At FLL, 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 31%. 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 2,280 cancellations, 49% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 18 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
FLL vs nearby airports
FLL isn't the only option in South Florida. Over the past year MIA ran 73% on time with 1.6% of flights cancelled; PBI ran 73% on time with 2.6% of flights cancelled, against 68% and 2.5% at FLL. MIA and PBI have the better record, so if fares and times are close, they are the safer pick.
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | — | 90,845 | 68% | 2.5% |
| MIA Miami | 21 mi | 111,148 | 73% | 1.6% |
| DJT President Donald J. Trump | 42 mi | 2,070 | 69% | 3.1% |
| PBI President Donald J. Trump | 42 mi | 29,398 | 73% | 2.6% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 68% of FLL departures were on time, against 77% in the 12 months before, a decline of 9 points. The best recent month was September 2025 (82%); the worst, March 2026 (57%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Sunday, Jan 25, 2026, when 51% of 298 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 | 298 | 51% | 27% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 340 | 45% | 13% |
| Feb 23, 2026 | 319 | 29% | 51% |
| Jan 24, 2026 | 267 | 21% | 61% |
| Feb 22, 2026 | 332 | 21% | 32% |
| Jul 18, 2026 | 237 | 20% | 44% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 281 | 19% | 38% |
| Mar 17, 2026 | 285 | 16% | 26% |
| Jul 21, 2026 | 217 | 15% | 54% |
| Jul 19, 2026 | 254 | 14% | 43% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from FLL, each airline's final departure was cancelled 3.3% of the time, against 2.5% 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. 2.3% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was Spirit Airlines to New York (9.0% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGA New York | Spirit Airlines | — | 9.0% | 5.3% | 53% |
| CMH Columbus | Spirit Airlines | — | 9.0% | 4.0% | 41% |
| BOS Boston | Spirit Airlines | — | 8.9% | 3.9% | 49% |
| EWR Newark | Spirit Airlines | — | 9.1% | 2.5% | 48% |
| LGA New York | American Airlines | 5:58 p.m. | 4.7% | 5.4% | 45% |
| PHL Philadelphia | Spirit Airlines | — | 6.2% | 3.5% | 54% |
| CLT Charlotte | Spirit Airlines | — | 6.8% | 2.7% | 52% |
| BWI Baltimore | Spirit Airlines | — | 6.0% | 3.4% | 57% |
| JFK New York | JetBlue | 10:15 p.m. | 6.0% | 3.3% | 53% |
| DTW Detroit | Spirit Airlines | — | 4.4% | 4.0% | 48% |
| ORD Chicago | Spirit Airlines | — | 3.7% | 4.6% | 51% |
| MSY New Orleans | Spirit Airlines | — | 7.2% | 1.0% | 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.
FLL at the holidays
On the busy Thanksgiving travel days, flights from FLL arrived on time 68% of the time, against 82% normally (−13.2 points; 28th of the 30 busiest airports). On the busy Christmas–New Year travel days, flights from FLL arrived on time 57% of the time, against 74% normally (−16.4 points; 30th of the 30 busiest airports).
Thanksgiving: best days to fly → · Christmas: best days to fly →
Tips for flying out of FLL
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At FLL 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? United Airlines has the better record here.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of FLL; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Connecting here? See how long a layover you need at FLL.
- Delayed already? Most delays at FLL come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Delayed at FLL right now? See how much later FLL delays usually get, and what to do →
Routes from FLL
Where you're going matters too. From FLL, the most reliable busy route was to Denver (DEN, 82% on time) and the least reliable to Austin (AUS, 60%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BQN Aguadilla | 410 | 58% | 2.4% | +7 min |
| AVL Asheville | 660 | 59% | 1.1% | +4 min |
| TYS Knoxville | 478 | 59% | 0.8% | +4 min |
| CMH Columbus | 718 | 59% | 3.2% | +4 min |
| ALB Albany | 595 | 60% | 1.8% | +3 min |
| AUS Austin | 1,229 | 60% | 2.9% | +5 min |
| LGA New York | 4,714 | 61% | 4.7% | +1 min |
| MSY New Orleans | 1,403 | 61% | 2.1% | +3 min |
| RIC Richmond | 809 | 62% | 3.2% | +1 min |
| BUF Buffalo | 536 | 63% | 2.6% | +3 min |
| PIT Pittsburgh | 1,107 | 63% | 2.5% | +3 min |
| IND Indianapolis | 997 | 63% | 2.2% | +1 min |
| BDL Hartford | 726 | 64% | 2.2% | +2 min |
| BOS Boston | 3,293 | 64% | 3.7% | 0 min |
| ACY Atlantic City | 506 | 64% | 5.7% | −1 min |
| SJU San Juan | 2,358 | 66% | 1.6% | +1 min |
| DCA Washington | 2,320 | 66% | 2.5% | −1 min |
| CHS Charleston | 489 | 66% | 2.9% | −3 min |
| ISP Islip | 419 | 66% | 2.1% | −1 min |
| RDU Raleigh | 1,414 | 66% | 2.2% | −1 min |
| BNA Nashville | 2,193 | 66% | 2.1% | 0 min |
| JFK New York | 3,896 | 66% | 4.8% | −2 min |
| ORF Norfolk | 414 | 67% | 4.8% | −3 min |
| PVD Providence | 529 | 67% | 2.3% | −1 min |
| ORD Chicago | 3,518 | 67% | 1.8% | −1 min |
| EWR Newark | 4,666 | 68% | 3.7% | −4 min |
| BWI Baltimore | 3,150 | 69% | 3.0% | −1 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 7,366 | 69% | 2.6% | −4 min |
| PHL Philadelphia | 3,589 | 69% | 3.5% | −6 min |
| CVG Cincinnati | 975 | 69% | 1.0% | −2 min |
| DAL Dallas | 540 | 69% | 1.8% | 0 min |
| HOU Houston | 812 | 69% | 1.0% | −1 min |
| DFW Dallas | 3,149 | 70% | 2.8% | −5 min |
| MDW Chicago | 1,120 | 70% | 1.3% | +1 min |
| TPA Tampa | 1,412 | 71% | 2.2% | −4 min |
| DTW Detroit | 2,705 | 71% | 2.1% | −3 min |
| HPN White Plains | 880 | 71% | 2.2% | −5 min |
| SEA Seattle | 826 | 71% | 1.2% | −2 min |
| PHX Phoenix | 593 | 72% | 0.7% | −4 min |
| MCI Kansas City | 532 | 72% | 1.5% | 0 min |
| SLC Salt Lake City | 375 | 74% | 0.3% | −2 min |
| LAS Las Vegas | 1,042 | 74% | 1.7% | −5 min |
| LAX Los Angeles | 2,333 | 75% | 1.2% | −4 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 3,060 | 75% | 2.8% | −8 min |
| CLE Cleveland | 1,306 | 75% | 2.7% | −8 min |
| STL St. Louis | 826 | 76% | 0.7% | −4 min |
| MCO Orlando | 1,450 | 76% | 1.4% | −6 min |
| SFO San Francisco | 1,236 | 78% | 0.2% | −6 min |
| MSP Minneapolis | 709 | 80% | 1.6% | −6 min |
| IAD Washington | 803 | 80% | 1.4% | −9 min |
| IAH Houston | 2,919 | 80% | 1.3% | −13 min |
| DEN Denver | 1,579 | 82% | 0.2% | −8 min |
Flights into FLL
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Fort Lauderdale, least reliable first. The weakest is from Knoxville (51% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| TYS Knoxville | 478 | 51% | 0.8% |
| ACY Atlantic City | 510 | 58% | 6.7% |
| DAL Dallas | 541 | 60% | 1.1% |
| AVL Asheville | 660 | 62% | 1.1% |
| BOS Boston | 3,306 | 64% | 3.8% |
| HOU Houston | 810 | 64% | 0.4% |
| CHS Charleston | 491 | 65% | 3.0% |
| LGA New York | 4,715 | 65% | 4.6% |
| PHX Phoenix | 596 | 65% | 0.8% |
| AUS Austin | 1,229 | 66% | 2.4% |
| DCA Washington | 2,320 | 66% | 2.8% |
| BDL Hartford | 726 | 66% | 2.8% |
| ORF Norfolk | 414 | 66% | 5.8% |
| ALB Albany | 594 | 67% | 2.0% |
| ISP Islip | 418 | 67% | 1.9% |
| DFW Dallas | 3,143 | 67% | 3.0% |
| JFK New York | 3,907 | 68% | 4.8% |
| PVD Providence | 529 | 68% | 1.9% |
| HPN White Plains | 880 | 69% | 2.5% |
| MCO Orlando | 1,453 | 69% | 1.2% |
| ATL Atlanta | 7,371 | 69% | 2.5% |
| ORD Chicago | 3,517 | 69% | 2.3% |
| DTW Detroit | 2,692 | 70% | 2.3% |
| TPA Tampa | 1,410 | 70% | 3.2% |
| BQN Aguadilla | 409 | 70% | 2.0% |
Showing the 25 least reliable of 52 routes into FLL.
Questions about FLL delays
What is the best time to fly out of FLL?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 90% of FLL departures at that hour arrived on time, against 50% at 9 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at FLL?
July (65% on time). October is the best month (80%).
Which airline is most on time at FLL?
United Airlines: 81% of its FLL departures arrived on time over the past year. Allegiant Air had the weakest record at 60%.
Why are flights delayed at FLL?
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 (31%).
Is FLL or MIA or PBI more reliable?
Over the past year: FLL 68% on time, MIA 73%, PBI 73%.
How often are flights cancelled at FLL?
2.5% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 3.4%.
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.