Wilmington International Airport (ILM): Delays & On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
Wilmington International Airport (ILM) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 91% on-time in October 2024 but sank to 71% in July 2026. Across the year it averages 81% against a national 78%, over roughly 21 departures a day to 12 destinations.
- Departures on-time
- 81%
- left <15 min late
- Avg dep delay
- 17 min
- Arrivals on-time
- 77%
- Cancelled
- 3.1%
- Destinations
- 12
- nonstop
- Airlines
- 8
Plan your departure from ILM
The choices most likely to improve your odds, based on this airport’s historical record.
- Best departure time
- Around 5 a.m.
- 94% on-time
- Best day to fly
- Tuesday
- 84% on-time
- Cancellation risk
- 3.1%
- above the US average
Monthly on-time trend
Best time of day to depart from ILM
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 80% | 21 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 84% | 16 min |
| Wednesday | 83% | 13 min |
| Thursday | 79% | 16 min |
| Friday | 77% | 20 min |
| Saturday | 81% | 17 min |
| Sunday | 76% | 21 min |
Busiest routes from ILM
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| ILM → CLT (Charlotte) | 1,820 | 84% | 16 min |
| ILM → ATL (Atlanta) | 1,149 | 86% | 12 min |
| ILM → LGA (New York) | 1,027 | 79% | 16 min |
| ILM → DCA (Washington) | 880 | 69% | 31 min |
| ILM → DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) | 708 | 81% | 14 min |
| ILM → ORD (Chicago) | 542 | 73% | 23 min |
| ILM → MIA (Miami) | 456 | 87% | 11 min |
| ILM → BOS (Boston) | 433 | 67% | 27 min |
| ILM → EWR (Newark) | 386 | 81% | 16 min |
Where flights into ILM come from
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLT (Charlotte) → ILM | 1,822 | 76% | 19 min |
| ATL (Atlanta) → ILM | 1,149 | 83% | 12 min |
| LGA (New York) → ILM | 1,027 | 78% | 15 min |
| DCA (Washington) → ILM | 880 | 73% | 20 min |
| DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) → ILM | 708 | 73% | 23 min |
| ORD (Chicago) → ILM | 542 | 79% | 15 min |
| MIA (Miami) → ILM | 456 | 75% | 18 min |
| BOS (Boston) → ILM | 433 | 85% | 9 min |
What causes delays at ILM
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing ILM.
- Late-arriving aircraft42%
- Airline operations28%
- National airspace system20%
- Weather9%
Alternative airports near Wilmington
Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.
| Airport | Distance | On-time departures | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| OAJ — Albert J Ellis Airport | 42 mi | 82% | 20 min |
| MYR — Myrtle Beach International Airport | 72 mi | 79% | 19 min |
Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.
Airline performance at ILM
| Airline | On-time departures | Avg delay | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Envoy Air | 83% | 13 min | 2,392 |
| Delta Air Lines | 83% | 14 min | 2,034 |
| Republic Airways | 83% | 14 min | 3,364 |
| Endeavor Air | 83% | 11 min | 799 |
| American Airlines | 81% | 19 min | 4,123 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 78% | 24 min | 233 |
| PSA Airlines | 77% | 23 min | 3,070 |
| JetBlue Airways | 64% | 35 min | 273 |
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights delayed at ILM?
- 19% of departures from Wilmington International Airport 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 ILM?
- Flights scheduled around 5 a.m. depart on time 94% of the time at ILM, versus 65% around 8 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
- What is the worst month for delays at ILM?
- In this dataset, July 2026 was the weakest month at ILM, with 71% of departures on time.
- How often are flights cancelled at ILM?
- 3.1% of scheduled departures from ILM were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.
Popular route pages from this airport
Related guides
Based on 16,288 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.