ON TIMEBOARD

MSN → CLT on time

Dane Truax (Madison, WI) to Charlotte Douglas (Charlotte, NC). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
82%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
1.9%
1,010 flights
Typical arrival
−15 min
median vs schedule
When late
+102 min
average delay
Flights / day
3
1 airline

82% of flights from Madison to Charlotte arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is better than the typical U.S. route. The 7 a.m. departures ran on time 91% of the time; the 4 p.m. ones 65%. 9% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.

How late?

The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for MSN → CLT: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 42% of the time. About 1 in 14 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 39 three hours or more; 1.9% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 1,010 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
American Airlines1,01082%1.9%−15 min7.0%+102 minAmerican Airlines 57%, PSA Airlines 43%

Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.

Best time of day to fly

On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at MSN). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%6 a.m. departures: too few flights (80 flights)6a7 a.m. departures: 91% on time (215 flights)917a8 a.m. departures: too few flights (70 flights)8a9 a.m. departures: too few flights (4 flights)9a10 a.m. departures: too few flights (75 flights)10a11 a.m. departures: too few flights (86 flights)11anoon departures: 84% on time (159 flights)8412p1 p.m. departures: too few flights (8 flights)1p2 p.m. departures: too few flights2p3 p.m. departures: too few flights (52 flights)3p4 p.m. departures: 65% on time (127 flights)654p5 p.m. departures: 70% on time (131 flights)705p
MSN → CLT, share of flights arriving on time, by departure hour. Hours with under 100 flights are greyed out.
82%+ on time76–82%68–76%under 68%too few flights

Last flight of the day

On MSN → CLT, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 2.5% of the time, against 1.4% for its earlier flights (1.8× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 4.7% of the time (earlier flights: 1.6%). It matters more than the numbers suggest. Miss an earlier flight and there's another one that evening; miss the last one and you're usually waiting until morning.

AirlineLast departureLast: cancelledLast: 3h+ lateEarlier: cancelledNext morning
American Airlines4:11 p.m.2.5%4.7%1.4%first flight 7:00 a.m.

Last flight = the airline's last scheduled departure on this route that day, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Times are typical scheduled times over the latest three months.

If you need to be in CLT tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: October (87%). Worst: July (68%).

40%70%100%Jan: 70% on time (215 flights)70JanFeb: 80% on time (210 flights)80FebMar: 78% on time (245 flights)78MarApr: 83% on time (241 flights)83AprMay: 73% on time (274 flights)73MayJun: 77% on time (260 flights)77JunJul: 68% on time (266 flights)68JulAug: 82% on time (244 flights)82AugSep: 83% on time (265 flights)83SepOct: 87% on time (239 flights)87OctNov: 84% on time (231 flights)84NovDec: 79% on time (235 flights)79Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday15083%2.0%
Tuesday14285%2.8%
Wednesday14086%0.7%
Thursday14479%2.1%
Friday14684%1.4%
Saturday13283%2.3%
Sunday15674%1.9%

Why flights were late

Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.

Late inbound plane 55%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 32%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 8%Severe weather 5%

Cancellations: weather 14 · airline 4 · air traffic/airport 1

Month by month

Not enough months with data to draw a trend.

Flight numbers on this route

Regular flights with at least 120 scheduled trips in the past year. Sorted by departure time.

FlightDepartsFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrivalOperated by
AA 10027:00 a.m.20994%0.5%−16 minAmerican Airlines

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Mar 12, 202630%0
Jul 23, 202630%1
Mar 16, 202630%2
May 18, 202630%0
Nov 30, 2025333%0

Questions

How often are flights from MSN to CLT on time?

82% of 1,010 scheduled flights from Madison, WI to Charlotte, NC arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 1.9% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly MSN to CLT?

Flights scheduled to leave at 7 a.m. were the most reliable (91% on time). The 4 p.m. departures were the least (65%).

What month has the most delays from MSN to CLT?

July (68% on time). The best month is October (87%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from MSN to CLT more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last MSN–CLT flight of the day was cancelled 2.5% of the time over the past year, against 1.4% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.

Related

Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.