LaGuardia Airport (LGA): Delays & On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 89% on-time in September 2024 but sank to 67% in March 2026. Across the year it averages 79% against a national 78%, over roughly 375 departures a day to 87 destinations.
- Departures on-time
- 79%
- left <15 min late
- Avg dep delay
- 17 min
- Arrivals on-time
- 76%
- Cancelled
- 3.4%
- Destinations
- 87
- nonstop
- Airlines
- 10
Plan your departure from LGA
The choices most likely to improve your odds, based on this airport’s historical record.
- Best departure time
- Around 6 a.m.
- 93% on-time
- Best day to fly
- Saturday
- 81% on-time
- Cancellation risk
- 3.4%
- above the US average
Monthly on-time trend
Best time of day to depart from LGA
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 76% | 20 min |
| Tuesday | 79% | 16 min |
| Wednesday | 78% | 18 min |
| Thursday | 75% | 20 min |
| Friday | 75% | 20 min |
| Saturdaybest | 81% | 16 min |
| Sunday | 73% | 22 min |
Busiest routes from LGA
Where flights into LGA come from
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| ORD (Chicago) → LGA | 11,634 | 71% | 24 min |
| ATL (Atlanta) → LGA | 8,278 | 74% | 19 min |
| BOS (Boston) → LGA | 7,147 | 80% | 15 min |
| DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) → LGA | 6,856 | 71% | 22 min |
| MIA (Miami) → LGA | 6,036 | 70% | 23 min |
| MCO (Orlando) → LGA | 5,302 | 72% | 22 min |
| DCA (Washington) → LGA | 4,818 | 72% | 22 min |
| DEN (Denver) → LGA | 4,673 | 73% | 19 min |
What causes delays at LGA
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing LGA.
- Late-arriving aircraft41%
- Airline operations27%
- National airspace system28%
- Weather4%
Alternative airports near New York
Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.
| Airport | Distance | On-time departures | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| JFK — John F. Kennedy International Airport | 11 mi | 79% | 17 min |
| EWR — Newark Liberty International Airport | 17 mi | 79% | 18 min |
| HPN — Westchester County Airport | 22 mi | 80% | 20 min |
| ISP — Long Island MacArthur Airport | 40 mi | 76% | 19 min |
| SWF — New York Stewart International Airport | 52 mi | 73% | 27 min |
Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.
Airline performance at LGA
| Airline | On-time departures | Avg delay | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 83% | 17 min | 17,651 |
| Endeavor Air | 82% | 13 min | 18,549 |
| Republic Airways | 82% | 13 min | 103,223 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 79% | 24 min | 4,609 |
| Spirit Airlines | 79% | 19 min | 12,852 |
| Delta Air Lines | 78% | 19 min | 57,641 |
| American Airlines | 77% | 23 min | 33,215 |
| JetBlue Airways | 74% | 23 min | 11,360 |
| Southwest Airlines | 71% | 20 min | 23,369 |
| Frontier Airlines | 64% | 38 min | 5,254 |
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights delayed at LGA?
- 21% of departures from LaGuardia 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 LGA?
- Flights scheduled around 6 a.m. depart on time 93% of the time at LGA, versus 57% around 10 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
- What is the worst month for delays at LGA?
- In this dataset, March 2026 was the weakest month at LGA, with 67% of departures on time.
- How often are flights cancelled at LGA?
- 3.4% of scheduled departures from LGA were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.
Popular route pages from this airport
Related guides
Based on 287,723 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.