Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI): Delays & On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 84% on-time in November 2024 but sank to 56% in July 2024. Across the year it averages 73% against a national 78%, over roughly 262 departures a day to 76 destinations.
- Departures on-time
- 73%
- left <15 min late
- Avg dep delay
- 17 min
- Arrivals on-time
- 80%
- Cancelled
- 1.5%
- Destinations
- 76
- nonstop
- Airlines
- 13
Plan your departure from BWI
The choices most likely to improve your odds, based on this airport’s historical record.
- Best departure time
- Around 5 a.m.
- 93% on-time
- Best day to fly
- Tuesday
- 82% on-time
- Cancellation risk
- 1.5%
- close to the US average
Monthly on-time trend
Best time of day to depart from BWI
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 76% | 18 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 82% | 12 min |
| Wednesday | 81% | 13 min |
| Thursday | 77% | 15 min |
| Friday | 76% | 17 min |
| Saturday | 77% | 15 min |
| Sunday | 73% | 19 min |
Busiest routes from BWI
Where flights into BWI come from
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATL (Atlanta) → BWI | 5,430 | 75% | 18 min |
| MCO (Orlando) → BWI | 4,753 | 77% | 15 min |
| BOS (Boston) → BWI | 3,605 | 80% | 15 min |
| FLL (Fort Lauderdale) → BWI | 3,156 | 76% | 16 min |
| CLT (Charlotte) → BWI | 3,042 | 73% | 20 min |
| DEN (Denver) → BWI | 2,925 | 77% | 13 min |
| TPA (Tampa) → BWI | 2,766 | 80% | 14 min |
| ORD (Chicago) → BWI | 2,694 | 76% | 17 min |
What causes delays at BWI
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing BWI.
- Late-arriving aircraft40%
- Airline operations34%
- National airspace system21%
- Weather5%
Alternative airports near Baltimore
Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.
| Airport | Distance | On-time departures | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCA — Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport | 30 mi | 76% | 20 min |
| IAD — Washington Dulles International Airport | 45 mi | 83% | 15 min |
| MDT — Harrisburg International Airport | 70 mi | 79% | 21 min |
| PHL — Philadelphia International Airport | 90 mi | 77% | 20 min |
| ACY — Atlantic City International Airport | 113 mi | 82% | 15 min |
Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.
Airline performance at BWI
| Airline | On-time departures | Avg delay | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 87% | 12 min | 7,945 |
| Delta Air Lines | 84% | 14 min | 10,608 |
| Republic Airways | 84% | 15 min | 2,388 |
| Endeavor Air | 82% | 21 min | 278 |
| Envoy Air | 80% | 16 min | 1,718 |
| American Airlines | 79% | 22 min | 7,233 |
| PSA Airlines | 78% | 13 min | 140 |
| Spirit Airlines | 77% | 19 min | 10,269 |
| Southwest Airlines | 71% | 17 min | 144,738 |
| Alaska Airlines | 70% | 16 min | 1,195 |
| Frontier Airlines | 70% | 30 min | 6,103 |
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights delayed at BWI?
- 27% of departures from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport left 15+ minutes late between 2024-06 and 2026-05, with an average departure delay of 17 minutes. The national on-time average over the same period was 78%.
- What is the best time of day to depart from BWI?
- Flights scheduled around 5 a.m. depart on time 93% of the time at BWI, versus 46% around 10 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
- What is the worst month for delays at BWI?
- In this dataset, July 2024 was the weakest month at BWI, with 56% of departures on time.
- How often are flights cancelled at BWI?
- 1.5% of scheduled departures from BWI were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.
Popular route pages from this airport
Related guides
Based on 192,758 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.