76% of flights leaving Richmond (RIC) arrived on time over the past 12 months, right at the national average of 76%. That ranks 44 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 73 flights leave RIC on a typical day; 2.9% were cancelled. 77% 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: 6 p.m. (62%).
- Best month: October (85%). Worst: July (68%).
- Most reliable airline here: Delta Air Lines (79%), vs Southwest Airlines at 71%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (39% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (79% → 76%).
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 RIC: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 46% of the time. About 1 in 11 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 43 three hours or more; 2.9% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early76%
- 15–30 min late6.2%
- 30–60 min late5.5%
- 1–2 hours late4.5%
- 2–3 hours late2.0%
- 3+ hours late2.3%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled2.9%
Share of all 26,711 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of RIC
Time of day matters more at RIC than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 91% of the time; at 6 p.m. it was 62%, a 28-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 85% on time against 64% 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: 7 p.m. departures were cancelled 6.1% of the time, against 2.9% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at RIC was a 5 a.m. departure in April (96% on time); the least, 7 p.m. in July (43%). 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 RIC, with 68% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 85%. Summer (June–August) runs 11 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 8 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (4.6% of flights).
Airlines at RIC
American Airlines runs 32% of departures from RIC. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, Delta Air Lines was the most reliable (79% on time) and Southwest Airlines the least (71%), a 9-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 | 8,540 | 75% | 75% | 3.1% | −10 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 7,637 | 79% | 80% | 3.4% | −11 min |
| United Airlines | 5,545 | 79% | 81% | 2.6% | −12 min |
| Southwest Airlines | 2,144 | 71% | 68% | 1.2% | 0 min |
| JetBlue | 2,115 | 73% | 74% | 3.3% | −5 min |
| Spirit Airlines | 371 | 57% | 63% | 4.9% | +5 min |
| Frontier Airlines | 185 | 65% | 69% | 1.1% | 0 min |
| Allegiant Air | 174 | 67% | 67% | 1.1% | +2 min |
Why flights are late at RIC
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At RIC, 39% 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 786 cancellations, 51% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 18 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
RIC vs nearby airports
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIC Richmond | — | 26,711 | 76% | 2.9% |
| PHF Newport News Williamsburg | 52 mi | 1,441 | 85% | 2.3% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 76% of RIC departures were on time, against 79% in the 12 months before, a decline of 2 points. The best recent month was September 2025 (84%); the worst, December 2025 (65%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Sunday, Jan 25, 2026, when 97% of 66 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 | 66 | 97% | 0% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 72 | 64% | 8% |
| Feb 23, 2026 | 75 | 37% | 52% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 79 | 27% | 30% |
| Jan 27, 2026 | 62 | 26% | 35% |
| Jul 21, 2026 | 73 | 23% | 45% |
| Jan 24, 2026 | 54 | 22% | 61% |
| Dec 14, 2025 | 81 | 21% | 43% |
| Nov 9, 2025 | 81 | 21% | 41% |
| Feb 22, 2026 | 71 | 20% | 49% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from RIC, each airline's final departure was cancelled 4.5% of the time, against 2.6% for its earlier flights (1.7× 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. 2.9% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to New York (11.7% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGA New York | American Airlines | 7:30 p.m. | 11.7% | 3.4% | 56% |
| LGA New York | Delta Air Lines | 7:56 p.m. | 11.4% | 1.9% | 57% |
| ORD Chicago | American Airlines | 8:01 p.m. | 9.2% | 2.5% | 57% |
| EWR Newark | United Airlines | 6:30 p.m. | 7.4% | 4.1% | 62% |
| JFK New York | Delta Air Lines | 4:58 p.m. | 8.1% | 3.3% | 66% |
| MCO Orlando | JetBlue | 1:51 p.m. | 3.2% | 5.3% | 59% |
| BOS Boston | JetBlue | 6:20 p.m. | 6.0% | 2.0% | 57% |
| PHL Philadelphia | American Airlines | 5:34 p.m. | 3.9% | 3.9% | 70% |
| BOS Boston | Delta Air Lines | 6:59 p.m. | 4.7% | 2.4% | 62% |
| IAD Washington | United Airlines | 7:59 p.m. | 2.5% | 3.8% | 75% |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | JetBlue | 12:17 p.m. | 2.9% | 3.3% | 63% |
| MIA Miami | American Airlines | 12:30 p.m. | 3.2% | 2.8% | 67% |
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 RIC
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At RIC 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 RIC; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at RIC come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from RIC
Where you're going matters too. From RIC, the most reliable busy route was to Atlanta (ATL, 87% on time) and the least reliable to New York (LGA, 67%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGA New York | 2,973 | 67% | 6.8% | −6 min |
| DEN Denver | 818 | 68% | 0.9% | −1 min |
| MCO Orlando | 1,190 | 70% | 2.3% | −1 min |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 808 | 71% | 3.8% | −3 min |
| DFW Dallas | 1,071 | 72% | 2.1% | −4 min |
| BWI Baltimore | 730 | 73% | 1.8% | −2 min |
| EWR Newark | 1,630 | 74% | 4.5% | −11 min |
| BOS Boston | 1,693 | 74% | 3.7% | −8 min |
| MDW Chicago | 413 | 75% | 1.0% | −2 min |
| ORD Chicago | 2,555 | 75% | 3.8% | −10 min |
| JFK New York | 980 | 76% | 5.4% | −12 min |
| BNA Nashville | 466 | 77% | 0.4% | +1 min |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,849 | 77% | 1.8% | −12 min |
| MIA Miami | 587 | 79% | 2.2% | −11 min |
| IAD Washington | 1,390 | 81% | 1.4% | −15 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 2,461 | 81% | 2.0% | −13 min |
| MSP Minneapolis | 518 | 83% | 0.8% | −10 min |
| DTW Detroit | 1,027 | 83% | 1.0% | −11 min |
| IAH Houston | 708 | 85% | 0.6% | −12 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 2,668 | 87% | 2.0% | −13 min |
Flights into RIC
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Richmond, least reliable first. The weakest is from Fort Lauderdale (62% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 809 | 62% | 3.2% |
| EWR Newark | 1,623 | 67% | 5.0% |
| MCO Orlando | 1,189 | 68% | 2.3% |
| MIA Miami | 588 | 69% | 1.7% |
| LGA New York | 2,972 | 69% | 7.4% |
| ORD Chicago | 2,560 | 69% | 2.8% |
| DFW Dallas | 1,071 | 69% | 2.1% |
| MDW Chicago | 413 | 70% | 1.0% |
| DEN Denver | 818 | 71% | 0.7% |
| BNA Nashville | 466 | 72% | 0.4% |
| MSP Minneapolis | 518 | 72% | 0.6% |
| BOS Boston | 1,691 | 74% | 3.7% |
| CLT Charlotte | 2,459 | 75% | 1.9% |
| BWI Baltimore | 730 | 76% | 2.2% |
| JFK New York | 980 | 76% | 5.3% |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,850 | 76% | 1.8% |
| IAD Washington | 1,393 | 78% | 1.6% |
| ATL Atlanta | 2,668 | 80% | 2.0% |
| DTW Detroit | 1,027 | 81% | 0.8% |
| IAH Houston | 708 | 81% | 0.6% |
Questions about RIC delays
What is the best time to fly out of RIC?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 91% of RIC departures at that hour arrived on time, against 62% at 6 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at RIC?
July (68% on time). October is the best month (85%).
Which airline is most on time at RIC?
Delta Air Lines: 79% of its RIC departures arrived on time over the past year. Southwest Airlines had the weakest record at 71%.
Why are flights delayed at RIC?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (39% 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 RIC?
2.9% 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.