84% of flights leaving Grand Forks (GFK) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 8 points better than the national average of 76%. About 4 flights leave GFK on a typical day; 1.7% were cancelled. 85% 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. (88% on time). Worst: 5 a.m. (88%).
- Best month: November (89%). Worst: December (72%).
- Biggest delay cause: the airlines themselves (49% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: improving (83% → 85%).
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 GFK: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 53% of the time. About 1 in 18 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 51 three hours or more; 1.7% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early84%
- 15–30 min late5.0%
- 30–60 min late3.8%
- 1–2 hours late2.4%
- 2–3 hours late1.1%
- 3+ hours late2.0%
- Diverted0.0%
- Cancelled1.7%
Share of all 1,325 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of GFK
GFK is unusually consistent through the day. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 88% of the time; at 5 a.m. it was 88%, a 0-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 88% on time against 94% 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.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at GFK was a noon departure in October (91% on time); the least, noon in January (77%). 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
December is the hardest month at GFK, with 72% of flights on time across 2023–2026; November is the best at 89%. Summer (June–August) runs 4 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 11 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in December (6.2% of flights).
Airlines at GFK
Delta Air Lines runs 90% of departures from GFK, so GFK is effectively its hub. When Delta Air Lines has a bad day, so does the airport.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 1,188 | 84% | 85% | 1.8% | −17 min |
| Allegiant Air | 137 | 81% | 82% | 0.7% | −11 min |
Why flights are late at GFK
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At GFK, 49% of delay minutes came from the airlines themselves: crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Next is severe weather at 27%.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 20 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 85% of GFK departures were on time, against 83% in the 12 months before, an improvement of 2 points. The best recent month was June 2026 (94%); the worst, December 2025 (64%).
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from GFK, each airline's final departure was cancelled 1.6% of the time, against 1.8% for its earlier flights, about the same. 0.8% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was Delta Air Lines to Minneapolis (1.6% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSP Minneapolis | Delta Air Lines | 7:15 p.m. | 1.6% | 0.8% | 82% |
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 GFK
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At GFK the 5 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in December? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Delayed already? Most delays at GFK come from the airlines themselves. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from GFK
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSP Minneapolis | 1,188 | 84% | 1.8% | −17 min |
Flights into GFK
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Grand Forks, least reliable first. The weakest is from Minneapolis (81% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSP Minneapolis | 1,188 | 81% | 1.8% |
Questions about GFK delays
What is the best time to fly out of GFK?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 88% of GFK departures at that hour arrived on time, against 88% at 5 a.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at GFK?
December (72% on time). November is the best month (89%).
Why are flights delayed at GFK?
The biggest cause was the airlines themselves (49% of delay minutes): crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Then severe weather (27%).
How often are flights cancelled at GFK?
1.7% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in December at 6.2%.
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.