LaGuardia Airport (LGA): Delays & On-Time Performance
Data through July 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 372 departures a day to 87 destinations.
- Departures on-time
- 79%
- left <15 min late
- Avg dep delay
- 18 min
- Arrivals on-time
- 75%
- Cancelled
- 3.7%
- 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 5 a.m.
- 93% on-time
- Best day to fly
- Saturday
- 80% on-time
- Cancellation risk
- 3.7%
- 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 | 75% | 21 min |
| Tuesday | 79% | 17 min |
| Wednesday | 77% | 18 min |
| Thursday | 75% | 20 min |
| Friday | 75% | 20 min |
| Saturdaybest | 80% | 16 min |
| Sunday | 72% | 22 min |
Busiest routes from LGA
Where flights into LGA come from
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| ORD (Chicago) → LGA | 11,611 | 71% | 24 min |
| ATL (Atlanta) → LGA | 8,413 | 74% | 20 min |
| BOS (Boston) → LGA | 7,342 | 80% | 16 min |
| DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) → LGA | 6,705 | 70% | 23 min |
| MIA (Miami) → LGA | 5,990 | 70% | 24 min |
| MCO (Orlando) → LGA | 5,216 | 71% | 23 min |
| DCA (Washington) → LGA | 4,832 | 71% | 23 min |
| FLL (Fort Lauderdale) → LGA | 4,690 | 70% | 22 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 | 79% | 20 min |
| ISP — Long Island MacArthur Airport | 40 mi | 76% | 19 min |
| SWF — New York Stewart International Airport | 52 mi | 72% | 29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endeavor Air | 83% | 13 min | 15,648 |
| United Airlines | 82% | 18 min | 18,597 |
| Republic Airways | 81% | 14 min | 109,288 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 80% | 23 min | 4,228 |
| Spirit Airlines | 79% | 18 min | 12,163 |
| Delta Air Lines | 78% | 19 min | 60,297 |
| American Airlines | 77% | 23 min | 34,864 |
| JetBlue Airways | 73% | 24 min | 11,325 |
| Southwest Airlines | 70% | 21 min | 24,421 |
| Frontier Airlines | 63% | 39 min | 5,376 |
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights delayed at LGA?
- 22% of departures from LaGuardia Airport left 15+ minutes late between 2024-07 and 2026-07, with an average departure delay of 18 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 5 a.m. depart on time 93% of the time at LGA, versus 56% 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?
- 3.7% 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 296,207 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.