82% of flights leaving Melbourne (MLB) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 7 points better than the national average of 76%. About 8 flights leave MLB on a typical day; 2.1% were cancelled. 81% 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. (90% on time). Worst: 2 p.m. (77%).
- Best month: November (90%). Worst: July (71%).
- Most reliable airline here: Delta Air Lines (85%), vs American Airlines at 79%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (45% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: improving (81% → 82%).
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 MLB: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 49% of the time. About 1 in 16 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 62 three hours or more; 2.1% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early82%
- 15–30 min late4.9%
- 30–60 min late4.4%
- 1–2 hours late3.3%
- 2–3 hours late1.4%
- 3+ hours late1.6%
- Diverted0.0%
- Cancelled2.1%
Share of all 2,871 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of MLB
Departure time makes a real difference at MLB. Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. arrived on time 90% of the time; at 2 p.m. it was 77%, a 14-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 90% on time against 75% 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 MLB was a 6 a.m. departure in November (97% on time); the least, 2 p.m. in July (58%). 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 MLB, with 71% of flights on time across 2023–2026; November is the best at 90%. Summer (June–August) runs 13 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 7 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (4.6% of flights).
Airlines at MLB
Delta Air Lines runs 51% of departures from MLB, so MLB is effectively its hub. When Delta Air Lines has a bad day, so does the airport. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, Delta Air Lines was the most reliable (85% on time) and American Airlines the least (79%), a 7-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 1,451 | 85% | 83% | 1.5% | −14 min |
| American Airlines | 1,114 | 79% | 78% | 3.0% | −13 min |
| Allegiant Air | 306 | 80% | 81% | 1.3% | −7 min |
Why flights are late at MLB
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At MLB, 45% 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 30%. 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 59 cancellations, 58% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 16 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
MLB vs nearby airports
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB Melbourne Orlando | — | 2,871 | 82% | 2.1% |
| MCO Orlando | 47 mi | 159,985 | 73% | 1.8% |
| SFB Orlando Sanford | 59 mi | 10,104 | 70% | 0.7% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 82% of MLB departures were on time, against 81% in the 12 months before, an improvement of 2 points. The best recent month was September 2025 (93%); the worst, July 2026 (68%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Friday, Nov 21, 2025, when 10% of 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 21, 2025 | 10 | 10% | 80% |
| Jan 12, 2026 | 10 | 0% | 100% |
| Jan 2, 2026 | 10 | 0% | 100% |
| Jan 5, 2026 | 10 | 0% | 70% |
| Jan 23, 2026 | 10 | 0% | 100% |
| Jan 16, 2026 | 10 | 0% | 100% |
| Dec 26, 2025 | 10 | 0% | 60% |
| Feb 9, 2026 | 10 | 0% | 100% |
| Feb 2, 2026 | 10 | 0% | 60% |
| Dec 29, 2025 | 10 | 0% | 70% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from MLB, each airline's final departure was cancelled 2.5% of the time, against 2.0% for its earlier flights, about the same. 2.1% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to Charlotte (2.5% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLT Charlotte | American Airlines | 5:41 p.m. | 2.5% | 2.5% | 69% |
| ATL Atlanta | Delta Air Lines | 6:55 p.m. | 2.5% | 1.6% | 80% |
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 MLB
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At MLB 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? Delta Air Lines has the better record here.
- Delayed already? Most delays at MLB come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from MLB
Where you're going matters too. From MLB, the most reliable busy route was to Atlanta (ATL, 85% on time) and the least reliable to Charlotte (CLT, 79%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLT Charlotte | 1,114 | 79% | 3.0% | −13 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 1,451 | 85% | 1.5% | −14 min |
Flights into MLB
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Melbourne Orlando, least reliable first. The weakest is from Charlotte (76% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLT Charlotte | 1,114 | 76% | 3.0% |
| ATL Atlanta | 1,451 | 82% | 1.4% |
Questions about MLB delays
What is the best time to fly out of MLB?
Flights scheduled at 6 a.m.: over the past year 90% of MLB departures at that hour arrived on time, against 77% at 2 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at MLB?
July (71% on time). November is the best month (90%).
Which airline is most on time at MLB?
Delta Air Lines: 85% of its MLB departures arrived on time over the past year. American Airlines had the weakest record at 79%.
Why are flights delayed at MLB?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (45% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (30%).
How often are flights cancelled at MLB?
2.1% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 4.6%.
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.