86% of flights leaving Gainesville (GNV) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 10 points better than the national average of 76%. About 12 flights leave GNV on a typical day; 1.6% were cancelled. 84% 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. (92% on time). Worst: 7 p.m. (75%).
- Best month: September (89%). Worst: July (77%).
- Most reliable airline here: American Airlines (86%), vs Delta Air Lines at 85%.
- Biggest delay cause: the airlines themselves (44% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: improving (82% → 86%).
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 GNV: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 45% of the time. About 1 in 18 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 60 three hours or more; 1.6% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early86%
- 15–30 min late3.5%
- 30–60 min late3.6%
- 1–2 hours late2.7%
- 2–3 hours late1.3%
- 3+ hours late1.7%
- Diverted0.2%
- Cancelled1.6%
Share of all 4,410 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of GNV
Time of day matters more at GNV than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. arrived on time 92% of the time; at 7 p.m. it was 75%, a 17-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 91% on time against 76% 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: 5 p.m. departures were cancelled 3.5% of the time, against 1.6% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at GNV was a 6 a.m. departure in April (97% on time); the least, 4 p.m. in July (55%). 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 GNV, with 77% of flights on time across 2023–2026; September is the best at 89%. Summer (June–August) runs 8 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 3 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (4.0% of flights).
Airlines at GNV
American Airlines runs 61% of departures from GNV, so GNV is effectively its hub. When American Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, American Airlines was the most reliable (86% on time) and Delta Air Lines the least (85%), a 1-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 2,682 | 86% | 86% | 1.5% | −14 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 1,728 | 85% | 82% | 1.8% | −16 min |
Why flights are late at GNV
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At GNV, 44% of delay minutes came from the airlines themselves: crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Next is late-arriving aircraft at 41%. Of the 71 cancellations, 59% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 14 minutes, shorter than at most large U.S. airports.
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 86% of GNV departures were on time, against 82% in the 12 months before, an improvement of 3 points. The best recent month was September 2025 (94%); the worst, August 2026 (79%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Sunday, Jan 25, 2026, when 75% of 12 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 | 12 | 75% | 17% |
| Jan 31, 2026 | 10 | 50% | 30% |
| Feb 1, 2026 | 12 | 33% | 58% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 12 | 33% | 33% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 13 | 31% | 23% |
| Jan 24, 2026 | 10 | 30% | 70% |
| Jun 19, 2026 | 12 | 25% | 50% |
| Aug 3, 2026 | 11 | 18% | 64% |
| Jun 18, 2026 | 12 | 17% | 67% |
| Nov 8, 2025 | 12 | 17% | 58% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from GNV, each airline's final departure was cancelled 2.6% of the time, against 1.4% 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. 1.6% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was Delta Air Lines to Atlanta (2.5% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL Atlanta | Delta Air Lines | 7:01 p.m. | 2.5% | 2.2% | 78% |
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 5:21 p.m. | 2.4% | 1.8% | 76% |
| CLT Charlotte | American Airlines | 7:32 p.m. | 3.0% | 0.8% | 77% |
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 GNV
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At GNV 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 GNV; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at GNV come from the airlines themselves. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from GNV
Where you're going matters too. From GNV, the most reliable busy route was to Charlotte (CLT, 86% on time) and the least reliable to Atlanta (ATL, 85%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 702 | 83% | 1.4% | −15 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 1,725 | 85% | 1.8% | −16 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 1,593 | 86% | 1.9% | −15 min |
| MIA Miami | 384 | 91% | 0.0% | −11 min |
Flights into GNV
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Gainesville, least reliable first. The weakest is from Miami (78% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIA Miami | 384 | 78% | 0.0% |
| DFW Dallas | 702 | 83% | 1.3% |
| ATL Atlanta | 1,725 | 83% | 1.9% |
| CLT Charlotte | 1,593 | 83% | 2.0% |
Questions about GNV delays
What is the best time to fly out of GNV?
Flights scheduled at 6 a.m.: over the past year 92% of GNV departures at that hour arrived on time, against 75% at 7 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at GNV?
July (77% on time). September is the best month (89%).
Which airline is most on time at GNV?
American Airlines: 86% of its GNV departures arrived on time over the past year. Delta Air Lines had the weakest record at 85%.
Why are flights delayed at GNV?
The biggest cause was the airlines themselves (44% of delay minutes): crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Then late-arriving aircraft (41%).
How often are flights cancelled at GNV?
1.6% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 4.0%.
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.