Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal (BMI): Delays & On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal (BMI) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 94% on-time in September 2024 but sank to 75% in July 2025. Across the year it averages 85% against a national 78%, over roughly 6 departures a day to 7 destinations.
- Departures on-time
- 85%
- left <15 min late
- Avg dep delay
- 15 min
- Arrivals on-time
- 82%
- Cancelled
- 1.5%
- Destinations
- 7
- nonstop
- Airlines
- 5
Plan your departure from BMI
The choices most likely to improve your odds, based on this airport’s historical record.
- Best departure time
- Around 7 a.m.
- 95% on-time
- Best day to fly
- Tuesday
- 88% on-time
- Cancellation risk
- 1.5%
- close to the US average
Monthly on-time trend
Best time of day to depart from BMI
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 82% | 19 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 88% | 13 min |
| Wednesday | 86% | 16 min |
| Thursday | 83% | 18 min |
| Friday | 82% | 16 min |
| Saturday | 83% | 11 min |
| Sunday | 80% | 16 min |
Busiest routes from BMI
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMI → ORD (Chicago) | 880 | 83% | 16 min |
| BMI → DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) | 730 | 87% | 10 min |
| BMI → ATL (Atlanta) | 143 | 86% | 15 min |
| BMI → SFB (Sanford) | 127 | 69% | 31 min |
| BMI → PIE (St. Petersburg) | 111 | 75% | 31 min |
Where flights into BMI come from
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| ORD (Chicago) → BMI | 880 | 78% | 14 min |
| DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) → BMI | 730 | 84% | 11 min |
| ATL (Atlanta) → BMI | 143 | 83% | 18 min |
| SFB (Sanford) → BMI | 127 | 77% | 20 min |
| PIE (St. Petersburg) → BMI | 111 | 87% | 12 min |
What causes delays at BMI
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing BMI.
- Late-arriving aircraft37%
- Airline operations32%
- National airspace system16%
- Weather15%
Alternative airports near Bloomington/Normal
Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.
| Airport | Distance | On-time departures | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| PIA — General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport | 43 mi | 78% | 23 min |
| DEC — Decatur Airport | 44 mi | 81% | 27 min |
| CMI — University of Illinois Willard Airport | 45 mi | 83% | 17 min |
| SPI — Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport | 59 mi | 78% | 19 min |
| MLI — Quad City International Airport | 107 mi | 81% | 19 min |
Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.
Airline performance at BMI
| Airline | On-time departures | Avg delay | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endeavor Air | 91% | 11 min | 427 |
| Envoy Air | 87% | 12 min | 2,479 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 80% | 27 min | 143 |
| Allegiant Air | 73% | 32 min | 496 |
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights delayed at BMI?
- 15% of departures from Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal left 15+ minutes late between 2024-06 and 2026-05, with an average departure delay of 15 minutes. The national on-time average over the same period was 78%.
- What is the best time of day to depart from BMI?
- Flights scheduled around 7 a.m. depart on time 95% of the time at BMI, versus 55% around 8 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
- What is the worst month for delays at BMI?
- In this dataset, July 2025 was the weakest month at BMI, with 75% of departures on time.
- How often are flights cancelled at BMI?
- 1.5% of scheduled departures from BMI were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.
Popular route pages from this airport
Related guides
Based on 3,586 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.