Delta Air Lines: On-Time Performance & Delay Statistics
Data through July 2026
Delta Air Lines performs about in line with the industry: 81% of flights on time against a national 78%, 1.5% cancelled, and an average delay of 15 minutes when late. That puts it near the top — #3 of 15 US reporting carriers.
- On-time
- 81%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 15 min
- Cancelled
- 1.5%
- Diverted
- 0.3%
- Flights/12mo
- 1,038,644
- Routes
- 1,298
- Airports
- 156
Monthly on-time trend
Delta Air Lines’s most reliable routes
Best airports for Delta Air Lines
Worst airports for Delta Air Lines
Where Delta Air Lines flies most
| Route | Flights | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATL → MCO | 11,393 | 69% | 22 min |
| MCO → ATL | 11,391 | 76% | 22 min |
| ATL → LGA | 10,091 | 76% | 17 min |
| LGA → ATL | 10,086 | 80% | 16 min |
| ATL → TPA | 9,159 | 73% | 18 min |
| TPA → ATL | 9,159 | 78% | 18 min |
| ATL → FLL | 8,838 | 72% | 18 min |
| FLL → ATL | 8,835 | 77% | 19 min |
| ATL → LAX | 8,190 | 78% | 15 min |
| LAX → ATL | 8,181 | 81% | 14 min |
| JAX → ATL | 7,992 | 84% | 13 min |
| ATL → JAX | 7,991 | 75% | 16 min |
| ATL → DCA | 7,977 | 67% | 21 min |
| DCA → ATL | 7,977 | 80% | 19 min |
| PBI → ATL | 7,756 | 82% | 12 min |
| ATL → PBI | 7,756 | 74% | 16 min |
| ATL → RDU | 7,728 | 81% | 12 min |
| RDU → ATL | 7,728 | 87% | 11 min |
| DTW → ATL | 7,701 | 81% | 14 min |
| ATL → DTW | 7,697 | 78% | 15 min |
| ATL → BOS | 7,628 | 76% | 16 min |
| BOS → ATL | 7,621 | 81% | 15 min |
| JFK → LAX | 7,096 | 78% | 17 min |
| LAX → JFK | 7,095 | 80% | 18 min |
| LAS → ATL | 7,062 | 85% | 12 min |
| ATL → LAS | 7,060 | 77% | 15 min |
| ATL → BNA | 6,846 | 80% | 13 min |
| BNA → ATL | 6,842 | 86% | 11 min |
| MIA → ATL | 6,831 | 75% | 23 min |
| ATL → MIA | 6,827 | 71% | 19 min |
| MSY → ATL | 6,796 | 84% | 12 min |
| ATL → MSY | 6,793 | 79% | 14 min |
| MEM → ATL | 6,653 | 87% | 12 min |
| ATL → MEM | 6,651 | 81% | 13 min |
| ATL → MSP | 6,601 | 80% | 13 min |
| MSP → ATL | 6,586 | 83% | 13 min |
| BHM → ATL | 6,556 | 87% | 12 min |
| ATL → BHM | 6,555 | 82% | 13 min |
| ATL → AUS | 6,523 | 77% | 15 min |
| AUS → ATL | 6,521 | 84% | 13 min |
| ATL → CHS | 6,454 | 81% | 12 min |
| CHS → ATL | 6,453 | 88% | 11 min |
| ATL → EWR | 6,357 | 66% | 27 min |
| EWR → ATL | 6,357 | 74% | 25 min |
| PHL → ATL | 6,236 | 82% | 15 min |
| ATL → PHL | 6,233 | 74% | 17 min |
| SAV → ATL | 6,166 | 86% | 12 min |
| ATL → SAV | 6,166 | 81% | 12 min |
| SLC → ATL | 6,151 | 85% | 11 min |
| ATL → SLC | 6,146 | 82% | 12 min |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Delta Air Lines usually on time?
- Delta Air Lines arrived on time (within 15 minutes of schedule) on 81% of flights between 2024-07 and 2026-07, ranking 3 of 15 US airlines by on-time percentage. The national average over the same period was 78%.
- How often does Delta Air Lines cancel flights?
- 1.5% of Delta Air Lines flights were cancelled in this period, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- Which routes is Delta Air Lines most reliable on?
- Delta Air Lines’s best on-time record is on SMF–LAX, at 96% based on 162 flights in this period.
- Which airports does Delta Air Lines perform best and worst at?
- Delta Air Lines is most reliable out of Juneau (JNU) at 94% on-time, and weakest out of Christiansted (STX) at 60%.
Airport hubs where this airline operates
Related guides
Based on 2,150,723 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.