Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG): Delays & On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 90% on-time in October 2024 but sank to 72% in July 2025. Across the year it averages 81% against a national 78%, over roughly 93 departures a day to 52 destinations.
- Departures on-time
- 81%
- left <15 min late
- Avg dep delay
- 16 min
- Arrivals on-time
- 76%
- Cancelled
- 1.8%
- Destinations
- 52
- nonstop
- Airlines
- 12
Plan your departure from CVG
The choices most likely to improve your odds, based on this airport’s historical record.
- Best departure time
- Around 5 a.m.
- 91% on-time
- Best day to fly
- Wednesday
- 82% on-time
- Cancellation risk
- 1.8%
- close to the US average
Monthly on-time trend
Best time of day to depart from CVG
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 78% | 20 min |
| Tuesday | 82% | 15 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 82% | 14 min |
| Thursday | 79% | 16 min |
| Friday | 78% | 18 min |
| Saturday | 80% | 16 min |
| Sunday | 76% | 21 min |
Busiest routes from CVG
Where flights into CVG come from
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| ORD (Chicago) → CVG | 4,672 | 75% | 19 min |
| ATL (Atlanta) → CVG | 3,016 | 81% | 13 min |
| BOS (Boston) → CVG | 2,000 | 80% | 14 min |
| MCO (Orlando) → CVG | 1,793 | 74% | 23 min |
| CLT (Charlotte) → CVG | 1,785 | 72% | 20 min |
| DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) → CVG | 1,707 | 69% | 23 min |
| DEN (Denver) → CVG | 1,502 | 76% | 16 min |
| PHL (Philadelphia) → CVG | 1,256 | 72% | 26 min |
What causes delays at CVG
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing CVG.
- Late-arriving aircraft35%
- Airline operations33%
- National airspace system25%
- Weather6%
Alternative airports near Cincinnati
Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.
| Airport | Distance | On-time departures | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAY — James M. Cox Dayton International Airport | 64 mi | 82% | 20 min |
| LEX — Blue Grass Airport | 70 mi | 80% | 18 min |
| SDF — Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport | 84 mi | 82% | 16 min |
| IND — Indianapolis International Airport | 98 mi | 82% | 14 min |
| LCK — Rickenbacker International Airport | 107 mi | 71% | 29 min |
Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.
Airline performance at CVG
| Airline | On-time departures | Avg delay | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 86% | 13 min | 4,618 |
| Endeavor Air | 84% | 13 min | 3,041 |
| Republic Airways | 84% | 12 min | 10,541 |
| Delta Air Lines | 84% | 13 min | 15,564 |
| Envoy Air | 83% | 15 min | 5,289 |
| Frontier Airlines | 81% | 17 min | 7,600 |
| Allegiant Air | 78% | 19 min | 7,342 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 78% | 25 min | 2,181 |
| Southwest Airlines | 77% | 14 min | 4,774 |
| American Airlines | 77% | 22 min | 6,349 |
| PSA Airlines | 75% | 28 min | 6,059 |
| Alaska Airlines | 74% | 16 min | 849 |
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights delayed at CVG?
- 19% of departures from Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport left 15+ minutes late between 2024-07 and 2026-07, with an average departure delay of 16 minutes. The national on-time average over the same period was 78%.
- What is the best time of day to depart from CVG?
- Flights scheduled around 5 a.m. depart on time 91% of the time at CVG, versus 60% around 9 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
- What is the worst month for delays at CVG?
- In this dataset, July 2025 was the weakest month at CVG, with 72% of departures on time.
- How often are flights cancelled at CVG?
- 1.8% of scheduled departures from CVG were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.
Popular route pages from this airport
Related guides
Based on 74,207 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.