United Airlines: On-Time Performance & Delay Statistics
Data through May 2026
United Airlines performs about in line with the industry: 80% of flights on time against a national 78%, 1.1% cancelled, and an average delay of 16 minutes when late. That puts it mid-pack — #6 of 15 US reporting carriers.
- On-time
- 80%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 16 min
- Cancelled
- 1.1%
- Diverted
- 0.3%
- Flights/12mo
- 814,574
- Routes
- 1,128
- Airports
- 133
Monthly on-time trend
United Airlines’s most reliable routes
Best airports for United Airlines
Worst airports for United Airlines
Where United Airlines flies most
| Route | Flights | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| ORD → LGA | 9,126 | 72% | 23 min |
| LGA → ORD | 9,126 | 73% | 24 min |
| ORD → EWR | 8,634 | 72% | 26 min |
| EWR → ORD | 8,629 | 72% | 21 min |
| IAH → ORD | 7,785 | 80% | 15 min |
| ORD → IAH | 7,776 | 79% | 14 min |
| DEN → IAH | 7,718 | 78% | 15 min |
| IAH → DEN | 7,717 | 81% | 14 min |
| EWR → MCO | 7,695 | 78% | 17 min |
| MCO → EWR | 7,695 | 76% | 24 min |
| SFO → ORD | 7,312 | 81% | 13 min |
| ORD → SFO | 7,310 | 75% | 18 min |
| ORD → DEN | 7,303 | 79% | 16 min |
| DEN → ORD | 7,297 | 74% | 20 min |
| EWR → SFO | 7,280 | 73% | 26 min |
| SFO → EWR | 7,276 | 75% | 22 min |
| EWR → IAH | 6,941 | 77% | 18 min |
| IAH → EWR | 6,939 | 73% | 22 min |
| SFO → IAH | 6,869 | 84% | 10 min |
| IAH → SFO | 6,867 | 79% | 15 min |
| IAH → LAX | 6,845 | 83% | 12 min |
| LAX → IAH | 6,843 | 87% | 8 min |
| SFO → DEN | 6,830 | 83% | 11 min |
| DEN → SFO | 6,829 | 76% | 17 min |
| EWR → LAX | 6,788 | 73% | 23 min |
| LAX → EWR | 6,785 | 78% | 19 min |
| ORD → DCA | 6,689 | 73% | 19 min |
| DCA → ORD | 6,687 | 77% | 20 min |
| SFO → LAX | 6,595 | 82% | 10 min |
| LAX → SFO | 6,590 | 74% | 16 min |
| ORD → LAX | 6,514 | 80% | 15 min |
| LAX → ORD | 6,511 | 84% | 12 min |
| EWR → DEN | 6,453 | 76% | 18 min |
| DEN → EWR | 6,442 | 74% | 22 min |
| LAX → DEN | 6,288 | 87% | 10 min |
| DEN → LAX | 6,285 | 83% | 12 min |
| MSY → IAH | 5,461 | 84% | 13 min |
| IAH → MSY | 5,456 | 82% | 13 min |
| EWR → BOS | 5,443 | 72% | 23 min |
| BOS → EWR | 5,442 | 76% | 22 min |
| PBI → EWR | 5,408 | 74% | 27 min |
| EWR → PBI | 5,406 | 77% | 16 min |
| IAD → DEN | 5,289 | 82% | 13 min |
| DEN → IAD | 5,285 | 83% | 12 min |
| EWR → FLL | 5,217 | 76% | 18 min |
| FLL → EWR | 5,215 | 76% | 21 min |
| SFO → IAD | 5,181 | 85% | 11 min |
| IAD → SFO | 5,175 | 81% | 15 min |
| LAS → IAH | 5,158 | 86% | 11 min |
| IAH → LAS | 5,157 | 82% | 12 min |
Frequently asked questions
- Is United Airlines usually on time?
- United Airlines arrived on time (within 15 minutes of schedule) on 80% of flights between 2024-06 and 2026-05, ranking 6 of 15 US airlines by on-time percentage. The national average over the same period was 78%.
- How often does United Airlines cancel flights?
- 1.1% of United Airlines flights were cancelled in this period, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- Which routes is United Airlines most reliable on?
- United Airlines’s best on-time record is on LIH–DEN, at 95% based on 758 flights in this period.
- Which airports does United Airlines perform best and worst at?
- United Airlines is most reliable out of Lihue (LIH) at 95% on-time, and weakest out of Panama City (ECP) at 70%.
Airport hubs where this airline operates
Related guides
Based on 1,587,899 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.