79% of flights leaving Indianapolis (IND) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 3 points better than the national average of 76%. That ranks 25 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 146 flights leave IND on a typical day; 2.1% were cancelled. 79% 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. (91% on time). Worst: 9 p.m. (57%).
- Best month: October (86%). Worst: July (74%).
- Most reliable airline here: Delta Air Lines (82%), vs Allegiant Air at 74%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (38% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (81% → 79%).
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 IND: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 53% of the time. About 1 in 15 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 70 three hours or more; 2.1% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early79%
- 15–30 min late6.6%
- 30–60 min late5.4%
- 1–2 hours late3.9%
- 2–3 hours late1.5%
- 3+ hours late1.4%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled2.1%
Share of all 53,156 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of IND
Time of day matters more at IND than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 91% of the time; at 9 p.m. it was 57%, a 34-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 88% on time against 67% 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 5.4% of the time, against 2.1% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at IND was a 5 a.m. departure in September (96% on time); the least, 9 p.m. in July (51%). 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 IND, with 74% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 86%. Summer (June–August) runs 9 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 7 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (3.7% of flights).
Airlines at IND
American Airlines runs 28% of departures from IND. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, Delta Air Lines was the most reliable (82% on time) and Allegiant Air the least (74%), a 8-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 | 15,016 | 77% | 78% | 3.1% | −9 min |
| Southwest Airlines | 13,053 | 79% | 75% | 0.7% | −5 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 11,633 | 82% | 82% | 2.2% | −12 min |
| United Airlines | 9,203 | 80% | 83% | 2.4% | −9 min |
| Allegiant Air | 1,604 | 74% | 78% | 0.8% | −6 min |
| Spirit Airlines | 1,056 | 81% | 80% | 3.5% | −13 min |
| Frontier Airlines | 1,024 | 74% | 76% | 1.2% | −11 min |
| Alaska Airlines | 567 | 75% | 75% | 1.4% | −2 min |
Why flights are late at IND
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At IND, 38% 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 28%. 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 1,099 cancellations, 54% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 16 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 79% of IND departures were on time, against 81% in the 12 months before, a decline of 2 points. The best recent month was September 2025 (85%); the worst, December 2025 (68%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Sunday, Jan 25, 2026, when 55% of 142 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 | 142 | 55% | 2% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 133 | 38% | 23% |
| Feb 23, 2026 | 148 | 26% | 57% |
| Jan 27, 2026 | 123 | 21% | 37% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 165 | 19% | 16% |
| Jul 28, 2026 | 146 | 18% | 58% |
| Feb 22, 2026 | 146 | 18% | 46% |
| Jul 21, 2026 | 146 | 16% | 65% |
| Feb 24, 2026 | 128 | 14% | 73% |
| Nov 10, 2025 | 153 | 13% | 39% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from IND, each airline's final departure was cancelled 2.8% of the time, against 2.0% for its earlier flights (1.4× 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. 1.9% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was Delta Air Lines to New York (8.3% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JFK New York | Delta Air Lines | 5:15 p.m. | 8.3% | 3.9% | 69% |
| ORD Chicago | American Airlines | 8:42 p.m. | 6.3% | 4.4% | 51% |
| LGA New York | Delta Air Lines | 5:55 p.m. | 8.1% | 2.2% | 63% |
| ORD Chicago | United Airlines | 8:10 p.m. | 7.4% | 2.7% | 59% |
| LGA New York | American Airlines | 5:18 p.m. | 8.7% | 1.1% | 66% |
| EWR Newark | United Airlines | 6:55 p.m. | 7.7% | 1.9% | 70% |
| PHL Philadelphia | American Airlines | 7:02 p.m. | 5.2% | 3.6% | 68% |
| DCA Washington | American Airlines | 8:25 p.m. | 7.1% | 1.7% | 65% |
| BOS Boston | American Airlines | 6:35 p.m. | 5.2% | 2.2% | 66% |
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 8:17 p.m. | 3.6% | 3.3% | 67% |
| JFK New York | American Airlines | 4:34 p.m. | 4.6% | 1.7% | 75% |
| SFO San Francisco | United Airlines | 7:59 p.m. | 0.6% | 4.2% | 52% |
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 IND
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At IND 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? Delta Air Lines has the better record here.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of IND; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at IND come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from IND
Where you're going matters too. From IND, the most reliable busy route was to Atlanta (ATL, 87% on time) and the least reliable to Washington (DCA, 71%). 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 | 2,021 | 71% | 4.3% | −3 min |
| ORD Chicago | 5,377 | 74% | 3.3% | −6 min |
| SFO San Francisco | 532 | 74% | 0.4% | −5 min |
| LGA New York | 2,990 | 75% | 4.8% | −9 min |
| SEA Seattle | 567 | 75% | 1.4% | −2 min |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 993 | 76% | 2.0% | −5 min |
| MDW Chicago | 741 | 76% | 1.5% | −3 min |
| BOS Boston | 2,025 | 77% | 2.8% | −11 min |
| RSW Fort Myers | 807 | 77% | 0.9% | −4 min |
| TPA Tampa | 928 | 77% | 0.8% | −6 min |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,666 | 77% | 4.1% | −11 min |
| LAS Las Vegas | 1,369 | 78% | 0.6% | −4 min |
| DEN Denver | 2,463 | 78% | 0.5% | −4 min |
| JFK New York | 2,009 | 78% | 4.8% | −12 min |
| MCO Orlando | 2,460 | 78% | 1.2% | −7 min |
| DAL Dallas | 676 | 78% | 1.2% | −8 min |
| PHX Phoenix | 1,529 | 79% | 0.4% | −5 min |
| RDU Raleigh | 377 | 79% | 1.1% | −10 min |
| DFW Dallas | 2,046 | 79% | 2.4% | −11 min |
| BNA Nashville | 556 | 80% | 0.5% | −4 min |
| DTW Detroit | 2,315 | 80% | 1.4% | −11 min |
| MIA Miami | 905 | 81% | 1.2% | −8 min |
| EWR Newark | 2,205 | 81% | 4.8% | −14 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 1,969 | 82% | 1.5% | −10 min |
| MSP Minneapolis | 1,363 | 83% | 0.9% | −12 min |
| LAX Los Angeles | 863 | 83% | 0.7% | −11 min |
| BWI Baltimore | 1,209 | 84% | 1.4% | −7 min |
| AUS Austin | 1,359 | 84% | 0.2% | −8 min |
| HOU Houston | 493 | 85% | 0.4% | −13 min |
| IAD Washington | 1,360 | 86% | 1.0% | −9 min |
| IAH Houston | 1,410 | 86% | 0.7% | −14 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 3,122 | 87% | 1.1% | −13 min |
Flights into IND
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Indianapolis, least reliable first. The weakest is from Fort Lauderdale (63% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 997 | 63% | 2.2% |
| DFW Dallas | 2,044 | 69% | 2.4% |
| ORD Chicago | 5,381 | 71% | 3.8% |
| LGA New York | 2,990 | 71% | 5.4% |
| LAS Las Vegas | 1,369 | 72% | 0.5% |
| MIA Miami | 908 | 72% | 1.3% |
| PHX Phoenix | 1,528 | 73% | 0.5% |
| JFK New York | 2,009 | 73% | 5.9% |
| DAL Dallas | 676 | 73% | 1.3% |
| MCO Orlando | 2,453 | 74% | 1.4% |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,664 | 74% | 4.1% |
| HOU Houston | 492 | 74% | 0.6% |
| DCA Washington | 2,022 | 74% | 3.8% |
| DTW Detroit | 2,315 | 75% | 1.3% |
| BWI Baltimore | 1,212 | 75% | 1.3% |
| RSW Fort Myers | 806 | 76% | 0.5% |
| CLT Charlotte | 1,968 | 76% | 1.5% |
| BNA Nashville | 555 | 76% | 0.4% |
| DEN Denver | 2,468 | 77% | 0.4% |
| AUS Austin | 1,359 | 78% | 0.5% |
| EWR Newark | 2,205 | 78% | 4.3% |
| BOS Boston | 2,025 | 78% | 2.4% |
| SEA Seattle | 568 | 79% | 1.2% |
| LAX Los Angeles | 866 | 79% | 0.6% |
| MDW Chicago | 740 | 80% | 1.4% |
Showing the 25 least reliable of 32 routes into IND.
Questions about IND delays
What is the best time to fly out of IND?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 91% of IND departures at that hour arrived on time, against 57% at 9 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at IND?
July (74% on time). October is the best month (86%).
Which airline is most on time at IND?
Delta Air Lines: 82% of its IND departures arrived on time over the past year. Allegiant Air had the weakest record at 74%.
Why are flights delayed at IND?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (38% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the air traffic system (28%).
How often are flights cancelled at IND?
2.1% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 3.7%.
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.