Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP): Delays & On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 87% on-time in November 2024 but sank to 64% in December 2025. Across the year it averages 76% against a national 78%, over roughly 14 departures a day to 10 destinations.
- Departures on-time
- 76%
- left <15 min late
- Avg dep delay
- 19 min
- Arrivals on-time
- 76%
- Cancelled
- 1.8%
- Destinations
- 10
- nonstop
- Airlines
- 3
Plan your departure from ISP
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
- 80% on-time
- Cancellation risk
- 1.8%
- close to the US average
Monthly on-time trend
Best time of day to depart from ISP
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 74% | 22 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 80% | 16 min |
| Wednesday | 78% | 14 min |
| Thursday | 76% | 18 min |
| Friday | 77% | 20 min |
| Saturday | 78% | 17 min |
| Sunday | 72% | 22 min |
Busiest routes from ISP
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISP → MCO (Orlando) | 1,424 | 74% | 21 min |
| ISP → BWI (Baltimore) | 1,235 | 85% | 12 min |
| ISP → PBI (West Palm Beach/Palm Beach) | 1,221 | 73% | 21 min |
| ISP → TPA (Tampa) | 445 | 72% | 21 min |
| ISP → FLL (Fort Lauderdale) | 405 | 71% | 23 min |
| ISP → MYR (Myrtle Beach) | 121 | 80% | 18 min |
| ISP → RSW (Fort Myers) | 111 | 66% | 26 min |
Where flights into ISP come from
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCO (Orlando) → ISP | 1,423 | 77% | 15 min |
| BWI (Baltimore) → ISP | 1,236 | 76% | 14 min |
| PBI (West Palm Beach/Palm Beach) → ISP | 1,222 | 74% | 18 min |
| TPA (Tampa) → ISP | 442 | 77% | 17 min |
| FLL (Fort Lauderdale) → ISP | 406 | 74% | 18 min |
| MYR (Myrtle Beach) → ISP | 121 | 71% | 35 min |
| RSW (Fort Myers) → ISP | 111 | 67% | 22 min |
What causes delays at ISP
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing ISP.
- Late-arriving aircraft45%
- Airline operations27%
- National airspace system23%
- Weather4%
Alternative airports near Islip
Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.
| Airport | Distance | On-time departures | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| HPN — Westchester County Airport | 37 mi | 79% | 20 min |
| JFK — John F. Kennedy International Airport | 37 mi | 79% | 17 min |
| LGA — LaGuardia Airport | 40 mi | 79% | 18 min |
| EWR — Newark Liberty International Airport | 56 mi | 79% | 18 min |
| SWF — New York Stewart International Airport | 72 mi | 72% | 29 min |
Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.
Airline performance at ISP
| Airline | On-time departures | Avg delay | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| JetBlue Airways | 77% | 21 min | 2,256 |
| Southwest Airlines | 76% | 16 min | 5,848 |
| Frontier Airlines | 73% | 25 min | 2,300 |
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights delayed at ISP?
- 24% of departures from Long Island MacArthur Airport left 15+ minutes late between 2024-07 and 2026-07, with an average departure delay of 19 minutes. The national on-time average over the same period was 78%.
- What is the best time of day to depart from ISP?
- Flights scheduled around 5 a.m. depart on time 93% of the time at ISP, versus 59% around 3 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
- What is the worst month for delays at ISP?
- In this dataset, December 2025 was the weakest month at ISP, with 64% of departures on time.
- How often are flights cancelled at ISP?
- 1.8% of scheduled departures from ISP were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.
Popular route pages from this airport
Related guides
Based on 10,404 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.