John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK): Delays & On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 89% on-time in October 2024 but sank to 70% in July 2025. Across the year it averages 79% against a national 78%, over roughly 282 departures a day to 81 destinations.
- Departures on-time
- 79%
- left <15 min late
- Avg dep delay
- 17 min
- Arrivals on-time
- 78%
- Cancelled
- 2.4%
- Destinations
- 81
- nonstop
- Airlines
- 9
Plan your departure from JFK
The choices most likely to improve your odds, based on this airport’s historical record.
- Best departure time
- Around 7 a.m.
- 91% on-time
- Best day to fly
- Tuesday
- 81% on-time
- Cancellation risk
- 2.4%
- above the US average
Monthly on-time trend
Best time of day to depart from JFK
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 77% | 18 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 81% | 14 min |
| Wednesday | 80% | 16 min |
| Thursday | 75% | 19 min |
| Friday | 77% | 18 min |
| Saturday | 75% | 19 min |
| Sunday | 72% | 23 min |
Busiest routes from JFK
Where flights into JFK come from
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAX (Los Angeles) → JFK | 10,337 | 81% | 18 min |
| SFO (San Francisco) → JFK | 6,705 | 81% | 17 min |
| BOS (Boston) → JFK | 5,756 | 77% | 18 min |
| MCO (Orlando) → JFK | 4,943 | 74% | 22 min |
| MIA (Miami) → JFK | 4,608 | 72% | 23 min |
| ATL (Atlanta) → JFK | 4,284 | 75% | 22 min |
| FLL (Fort Lauderdale) → JFK | 3,886 | 73% | 22 min |
| SJU (San Juan) → JFK | 3,718 | 80% | 17 min |
What causes delays at JFK
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing JFK.
- Late-arriving aircraft33%
- Airline operations35%
- National airspace system28%
- Weather3%
Alternative airports near New York
Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.
| Airport | Distance | On-time departures | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| LGA — LaGuardia Airport | 11 mi | 79% | 17 min |
| EWR — Newark Liberty International Airport | 21 mi | 79% | 18 min |
| HPN — Westchester County Airport | 30 mi | 80% | 20 min |
| ISP — Long Island MacArthur Airport | 37 mi | 76% | 19 min |
| TTN — Trenton Mercer Airport | 60 mi | 78% | 20 min |
Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.
Airline performance at JFK
| Airline | On-time departures | Avg delay | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endeavor Air | 84% | 13 min | 9,847 |
| American Airlines | 84% | 17 min | 28,806 |
| Republic Airways | 83% | 13 min | 32,892 |
| Delta Air Lines | 81% | 16 min | 61,026 |
| Alaska Airlines | 80% | 14 min | 7,717 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 79% | 24 min | 2,472 |
| Frontier Airlines | 76% | 22 min | 4,676 |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 74% | 19 min | 583 |
| JetBlue Airways | 74% | 20 min | 71,105 |
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights delayed at JFK?
- 21% of departures from John F. Kennedy International Airport left 15+ minutes late between 2024-06 and 2026-05, 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 JFK?
- Flights scheduled around 7 a.m. depart on time 91% of the time at JFK, versus 67% around 10 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
- What is the worst month for delays at JFK?
- In this dataset, July 2025 was the weakest month at JFK, with 70% of departures on time.
- How often are flights cancelled at JFK?
- 2.4% of scheduled departures from JFK were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.
Popular route pages from this airport
Related guides
Based on 219,124 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.