How often are flights delayed at DAL?

28% of departures from Dallas Love Field left 15+ minutes late between 2024-07 and 2026-07, 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 DAL?

Flights scheduled around 6 a.m. depart on time 95% of the time at DAL, versus 49% around 9 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.

What is the worst month for delays at DAL?

In this dataset, June 2026 was the weakest month at DAL, with 51% of departures on time.

How often are flights cancelled at DAL?

1.3% of scheduled departures from DAL were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.

Dallas Love Field (DAL): Delays & On-Time Performance

Data through July 2026

Dallas Love Field (DAL) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 84% on-time in October 2024 but sank to 51% in June 2026. Across the year it averages 72% against a national 78%, over roughly 193 departures a day to 84 destinations.

Departures on-time: 72%; left <15 min late
Avg dep delay: 17 min
Arrivals on-time: 78%
Cancelled: 1.3%
Destinations: 84; nonstop
Airlines: 3

Plan your departure from DAL

The choices most likely to improve your odds, based on this airport’s historical record.

Best departure time: Around 6 a.m.; 95% on-time
Best day to fly: Tuesday; 80% on-time
Most reliable airline here: Delta Air Lines; 80% on-time from DAL
Cancellation risk: 1.3%; below the US average

Check routes from DAL ↓Compare nearby airports ↓

Monthly on-time trend

Best time of day to depart from DAL

By day of week

Day	On-time	Avg delay
Monday	75%	15 min
Tuesdaybest	80%	13 min
Wednesday	78%	13 min
Thursday	72%	17 min
Friday	73%	16 min
Saturday	76%	14 min
Sunday	71%	18 min

Next: compare the busiest routes from DAL ↓

Busiest routes from DAL

Route	Flights/12mo	On-time	Avg delay
DAL → HOU (Houston)	4,053	75%	15 min
DAL → ATL (Atlanta)	3,350	78%	17 min
DAL → DEN (Denver)	2,985	73%	17 min
DAL → PHX (Phoenix)	2,873	77%	14 min
DAL → LAS (Las Vegas)	2,857	77%	14 min
DAL → SAT (San Antonio)	2,742	80%	13 min
DAL → MCO (Orlando)	2,638	72%	17 min
DAL → BNA (Nashville)	2,433	75%	15 min
DAL → AUS (Austin)	2,336	79%	13 min
DAL → MSY (New Orleans)	2,289	76%	15 min
DAL → MDW (Chicago)	2,179	73%	17 min
DAL → MCI (Kansas City)	2,055	76%	14 min
DAL → STL (St. Louis)	1,939	79%	13 min
DAL → BWI (Baltimore)	1,814	75%	16 min
DAL → ELP (El Paso)	1,769	76%	14 min
DAL → DCA (Washington)	1,732	69%	21 min
DAL → ABQ (Albuquerque)	1,626	77%	14 min
DAL → SAN (San Diego)	1,577	73%	15 min
DAL → LGA (New York)	1,536	67%	22 min
DAL → LBB (Lubbock)	1,506	78%	13 min
DAL → LAX (Los Angeles)	1,470	73%	16 min
DAL → MAF (Midland/Odessa)	1,352	79%	13 min
DAL → TPA (Tampa)	1,286	70%	18 min
DAL → AMA (Amarillo)	1,263	77%	14 min
DAL → TUL (Tulsa)	1,049	78%	14 min
DAL → LIT (Little Rock)	1,038	74%	16 min
DAL → BHM (Birmingham)	979	74%	16 min
DAL → COS (Colorado Springs)	799	75%	15 min
DAL → ECP (Panama City)	691	73%	16 min
DAL → IND (Indianapolis)	675	76%	16 min
DAL → SLC (Salt Lake City)	674	75%	14 min
DAL → SMF (Sacramento)	660	74%	15 min
DAL → FLL (Fort Lauderdale)	548	69%	19 min
DAL → CMH (Columbus)	537	72%	18 min
DAL → LGB (Long Beach)	509	77%	13 min
DAL → PNS (Pensacola)	490	75%	15 min
DAL → MEM (Memphis)	457	73%	17 min
DAL → ORD (Chicago)	450	79%	15 min
DAL → VPS (Valparaiso)	445	79%	13 min
DAL → OMA (Omaha)	433	76%	13 min
DAL → SJC (San Jose)	427	73%	15 min
DAL → RDU (Raleigh/Durham)	421	70%	16 min
DAL → MIA (Miami)	417	72%	20 min
DAL → OAK (Oakland)	417	70%	17 min
DAL → MKE (Milwaukee)	401	75%	14 min
DAL → ONT (Ontario)	399	70%	17 min
DAL → BUR (Burbank)	396	74%	18 min
DAL → HRL (Harlingen/San Benito)	378	72%	17 min
DAL → CLT (Charlotte)	377	63%	23 min
DAL → PIT (Pittsburgh)	366	73%	18 min

Compare airlines departing DAL ↓

Where flights into DAL come from

Route	Flights/12mo	On-time	Avg delay
HOU (Houston) → DAL	4,047	81%	12 min
ATL (Atlanta) → DAL	3,350	79%	13 min
DEN (Denver) → DAL	2,983	72%	17 min
PHX (Phoenix) → DAL	2,889	78%	12 min
LAS (Las Vegas) → DAL	2,842	74%	14 min
SAT (San Antonio) → DAL	2,743	83%	11 min
MCO (Orlando) → DAL	2,633	74%	16 min
BNA (Nashville) → DAL	2,447	78%	13 min

Most reliable routes

Most delay-prone routes

What causes delays at DAL

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing DAL.

Late-arriving aircraft50%
Airline operations30%
National airspace system16%
Weather4%

Alternative airports near Dallas

Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.

Airport	Distance	On-time departures	Avg delay
DFW — Dallas Fort Worth International Airport	12 mi	72%	21 min
ACT — Waco Regional Airport	88 mi	81%	18 min
TYR — Tyler Pounds Regional Airport	91 mi	80%	18 min

Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.

Airline performance at DAL

Airline	On-time departures	Avg delay	Flights
Delta Air Lines	80%	20 min	3,910
Alaska Airlines	79%	11 min	284
Southwest Airlines	71%	17 min	144,675

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights delayed at DAL?: 28% of departures from Dallas Love Field left 15+ minutes late between 2024-07 and 2026-07, 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 DAL?: Flights scheduled around 6 a.m. depart on time 95% of the time at DAL, versus 49% around 9 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
What is the worst month for delays at DAL?: In this dataset, June 2026 was the weakest month at DAL, with 51% of departures on time.
How often are flights cancelled at DAL?: 1.3% of scheduled departures from DAL were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.

Popular route pages from this airport

Related guides

Based on 148,869 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.