70% of flights leaving Marquette (MQT) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 6 points worse than the national average of 76%. About 4 flights leave MQT on a typical day; 5.7% were cancelled. 71% 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: 7 a.m. (73% on time). Worst: 7 a.m. (73%).
- Best month: September (83%). Worst: January (62%).
- Biggest delay cause: the airlines themselves (39% of delay minutes).
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 MQT: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 32% of the time. About 1 in 7 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 19 three hours or more; 5.7% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early70%
- 15–30 min late4.8%
- 30–60 min late4.8%
- 1–2 hours late6.3%
- 2–3 hours late3.4%
- 3+ hours late5.2%
- Diverted0.1%
- Cancelled5.7%
Share of all 1,427 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of MQT
MQT is unusually consistent through the day. Flights scheduled to leave at 7 a.m. arrived on time 73% of the time; at 7 a.m. it was 73%, a 0-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 72% on time against 60% 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 MQT was a 7 a.m. departure in July (82% on time); the least, 7 a.m. in July (82%). 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
January is the hardest month at MQT, with 62% of flights on time across 2023–2026; September is the best at 83%. Summer (June–August) runs 4 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 16 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in March (14.0% of flights).
Airlines at MQT
American Airlines runs 52% of departures from MQT, so MQT is effectively its hub. When American Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 748 | 68% | 70% | 5.1% | −8 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 679 | 71% | 72% | 6.3% | −10 min |
Why flights are late at MQT
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At MQT, 39% of delay minutes came from the airlines themselves: crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Next is severe weather at 30%. Of the 81 cancellations, 94% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 18 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
Month by month
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from MQT, each airline's final departure was cancelled 7.2% of the time, against 3.6% for its earlier flights (2.0× 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. 4.7% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to Chicago (7.3% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago | American Airlines | 4:25 p.m. | 7.3% | 4.4% | 64% |
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 MQT
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At MQT the 7 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in January? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of MQT; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at MQT come from the airlines themselves. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from MQT
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago | 748 | 68% | 5.1% | −8 min |
Flights into MQT
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Marquette Sawyer, least reliable first. The weakest is from Chicago (68% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago | 748 | 68% | 5.1% |
Questions about MQT delays
What is the best time to fly out of MQT?
Flights scheduled at 7 a.m.: over the past year 73% of MQT departures at that hour arrived on time, against 73% at 7 a.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at MQT?
January (62% on time). September is the best month (83%).
Why are flights delayed at MQT?
The biggest cause was the airlines themselves (39% of delay minutes): crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Then severe weather (30%).
How often are flights cancelled at MQT?
5.7% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in March at 14.0%.
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.