How often are flights delayed at DAL?

27% of departures from Dallas Love Field left 15+ minutes late between 2024-06 and 2026-05, 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 DAL?

Flights scheduled around 6 a.m. depart on time 94% of the time at DAL, versus 51% around 10 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.

What is the worst month for delays at DAL?

In this dataset, May 2026 was the weakest month at DAL, with 58% 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 May 2026

Dallas Love Field (DAL) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 84% on-time in October 2024 but sank to 58% in May 2026. Across the year it averages 73% against a national 78%, over roughly 194 departures a day to 83 destinations.

Departures on-time: 73%; left <15 min late
Avg dep delay: 16 min
Arrivals on-time: 79%
Cancelled: 1.3%
Destinations: 83; 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.; 94% on-time
Best day to fly: Tuesday; 81% on-time
Most reliable airline here: Alaska Airlines; 81% 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	76%	15 min
Tuesdaybest	81%	13 min
Wednesday	78%	13 min
Thursday	73%	16 min
Friday	75%	15 min
Saturday	77%	14 min
Sunday	72%	18 min

Next: compare the busiest routes from DAL ↓

Busiest routes from DAL

Route	Flights/12mo	On-time	Avg delay
DAL → HOU (Houston)	4,075	76%	15 min
DAL → ATL (Atlanta)	3,441	79%	17 min
DAL → DEN (Denver)	3,017	74%	16 min
DAL → PHX (Phoenix)	2,890	78%	13 min
DAL → LAS (Las Vegas)	2,881	79%	13 min
DAL → SAT (San Antonio)	2,716	81%	12 min
DAL → MCO (Orlando)	2,650	73%	17 min
DAL → BNA (Nashville)	2,408	76%	14 min
DAL → AUS (Austin)	2,333	79%	13 min
DAL → MSY (New Orleans)	2,293	77%	14 min
DAL → MDW (Chicago)	2,156	75%	16 min
DAL → MCI (Kansas City)	2,036	77%	13 min
DAL → STL (St. Louis)	1,913	80%	13 min
DAL → BWI (Baltimore)	1,827	76%	16 min
DAL → ELP (El Paso)	1,768	76%	14 min
DAL → DCA (Washington)	1,735	70%	20 min
DAL → ABQ (Albuquerque)	1,653	78%	13 min
DAL → SAN (San Diego)	1,576	74%	15 min
DAL → LBB (Lubbock)	1,549	79%	12 min
DAL → LGA (New York)	1,492	69%	21 min
DAL → LAX (Los Angeles)	1,469	74%	15 min
DAL → MAF (Midland/Odessa)	1,350	80%	12 min
DAL → TPA (Tampa)	1,320	71%	18 min
DAL → AMA (Amarillo)	1,261	79%	13 min
DAL → TUL (Tulsa)	1,047	80%	13 min
DAL → LIT (Little Rock)	1,029	76%	14 min
DAL → BHM (Birmingham)	971	75%	15 min
DAL → COS (Colorado Springs)	840	76%	14 min
DAL → IND (Indianapolis)	675	77%	15 min
DAL → SLC (Salt Lake City)	674	77%	13 min
DAL → ECP (Panama City)	669	74%	15 min
DAL → SMF (Sacramento)	661	75%	14 min
DAL → ORD (Chicago)	622	78%	15 min
DAL → FLL (Fort Lauderdale)	598	71%	18 min
DAL → LGB (Long Beach)	562	78%	12 min
DAL → CMH (Columbus)	495	73%	17 min
DAL → PNS (Pensacola)	490	78%	14 min
DAL → SJC (San Jose)	487	75%	14 min
DAL → OAK (Oakland)	471	71%	16 min
DAL → MEM (Memphis)	459	74%	17 min
DAL → RDU (Raleigh/Durham)	438	73%	14 min
DAL → BUR (Burbank)	436	75%	17 min
DAL → OMA (Omaha)	428	78%	12 min
DAL → VPS (Valparaiso)	428	80%	13 min
DAL → MIA (Miami)	417	73%	21 min
DAL → MKE (Milwaukee)	409	78%	12 min
DAL → ONT (Ontario)	408	70%	17 min
DAL → HRL (Harlingen/San Benito)	379	73%	16 min
DAL → CLT (Charlotte)	377	66%	21 min
DAL → PIT (Pittsburgh)	366	74%	17 min

Compare airlines departing DAL ↓

Where flights into DAL come from

Route	Flights/12mo	On-time	Avg delay
HOU (Houston) → DAL	4,075	81%	12 min
ATL (Atlanta) → DAL	3,441	80%	13 min
DEN (Denver) → DAL	3,014	73%	16 min
PHX (Phoenix) → DAL	2,892	79%	12 min
LAS (Las Vegas) → DAL	2,877	75%	14 min
SAT (San Antonio) → DAL	2,717	84%	10 min
MCO (Orlando) → DAL	2,656	74%	16 min
BNA (Nashville) → DAL	2,412	79%	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 operations29%
National airspace system17%
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	80%	19 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
Alaska Airlines	81%	10 min	312
Delta Air Lines	80%	19 min	3,812
Southwest Airlines	73%	16 min	138,758

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights delayed at DAL?: 27% of departures from Dallas Love Field left 15+ minutes late between 2024-06 and 2026-05, 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 DAL?: Flights scheduled around 6 a.m. depart on time 94% of the time at DAL, versus 51% around 10 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
What is the worst month for delays at DAL?: In this dataset, May 2026 was the weakest month at DAL, with 58% 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 142,882 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.