How often are flights delayed at MCI?

19% of departures from Kansas City International Airport left 15+ minutes late between 2024-06 and 2026-05, with an average departure delay of 15 minutes. The national on-time average over the same period was 78%.

What is the best time of day to depart from MCI?

Flights scheduled around 6 a.m. depart on time 94% of the time at MCI, versus 56% around 10 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.

What is the worst month for delays at MCI?

In this dataset, June 2025 was the weakest month at MCI, with 74% of departures on time.

How often are flights cancelled at MCI?

1.5% of scheduled departures from MCI were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.

Kansas City International Airport (MCI): Delays & On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

Kansas City International Airport (MCI) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 90% on-time in October 2024 but sank to 74% in June 2025. Across the year it averages 81% against a national 78%, over roughly 134 departures a day to 61 destinations.

Departures on-time: 81%; left <15 min late
Avg dep delay: 15 min
Arrivals on-time: 78%
Cancelled: 1.5%
Destinations: 61; nonstop
Airlines: 14

Plan your departure from MCI

The choices most likely to improve your odds, based on this airport’s historical record.

Best departure time: Around 6 a.m.; 94% on-time
Best day to fly: Wednesday; 84% on-time
Most reliable airline here: Alaska Airlines; 88% on-time from MCI
Cancellation risk: 1.5%; close to the US average

Check routes from MCI ↓Compare nearby airports ↓

Monthly on-time trend

Best time of day to depart from MCI

By day of week

Day	On-time	Avg delay
Monday	79%	16 min
Tuesday	83%	13 min
Wednesdaybest	84%	13 min
Thursday	81%	14 min
Friday	80%	15 min
Saturday	81%	14 min
Sunday	78%	16 min

Next: compare the busiest routes from MCI ↓

Busiest routes from MCI

Route	Flights/12mo	On-time	Avg delay
MCI → DEN (Denver)	4,233	77%	16 min
MCI → ORD (Chicago)	4,118	79%	20 min
MCI → ATL (Atlanta)	3,290	87%	11 min
MCI → DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth)	2,545	75%	24 min
MCI → PHX (Phoenix)	2,468	82%	14 min
MCI → MDW (Chicago)	2,097	83%	10 min
MCI → DAL (Dallas)	2,033	83%	12 min
MCI → LAS (Las Vegas)	1,986	82%	11 min
MCI → DCA (Washington)	1,926	77%	19 min
MCI → LGA (New York)	1,765	80%	19 min
MCI → MCO (Orlando)	1,567	81%	13 min
MCI → BNA (Nashville)	1,391	84%	9 min
MCI → DTW (Detroit)	1,361	89%	10 min
MCI → LAX (Los Angeles)	1,260	82%	13 min
MCI → CLT (Charlotte)	1,241	79%	22 min
MCI → SEA (Seattle)	1,132	83%	12 min
MCI → MSP (Minneapolis)	1,031	83%	15 min
MCI → STL (St. Louis)	1,020	88%	7 min
MCI → SLC (Salt Lake City)	1,015	88%	10 min
MCI → HOU (Houston)	1,003	82%	11 min
MCI → PHL (Philadelphia)	903	77%	24 min
MCI → BWI (Baltimore)	891	81%	11 min
MCI → AUS (Austin)	853	83%	10 min
MCI → MIA (Miami)	759	83%	12 min
MCI → TPA (Tampa)	672	79%	13 min
MCI → BOS (Boston)	595	79%	19 min
MCI → FLL (Fort Lauderdale)	582	76%	18 min
MCI → EWR (Newark)	467	80%	21 min
MCI → IAH (Houston)	418	85%	13 min
MCI → SAN (San Diego)	395	78%	13 min
MCI → MSY (New Orleans)	381	79%	12 min
MCI → SFO (San Francisco)	365	85%	12 min
MCI → IND (Indianapolis)	350	78%	13 min
MCI → MKE (Milwaukee)	350	79%	12 min
MCI → PDX (Portland)	286	88%	7 min
MCI → SAT (San Antonio)	279	77%	15 min
MCI → ABQ (Albuquerque)	267	87%	9 min
MCI → RSW (Fort Myers)	236	80%	14 min
MCI → OAK (Oakland)	220	68%	15 min
MCI → SMF (Sacramento)	209	73%	15 min
MCI → PNS (Pensacola)	184	86%	9 min

Compare airlines departing MCI ↓

Where flights into MCI come from

Route	Flights/12mo	On-time	Avg delay
DEN (Denver) → MCI	4,229	77%	15 min
ORD (Chicago) → MCI	4,116	74%	20 min
ATL (Atlanta) → MCI	3,291	80%	13 min
DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) → MCI	2,548	69%	24 min
PHX (Phoenix) → MCI	2,468	79%	13 min
MDW (Chicago) → MCI	2,093	81%	11 min
DAL (Dallas) → MCI	2,036	77%	13 min
LAS (Las Vegas) → MCI	1,985	80%	11 min

Most reliable routes

Most delay-prone routes

What causes delays at MCI

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing MCI.

Late-arriving aircraft44%
Airline operations29%
National airspace system22%
Weather6%

Alternative airports near Kansas City

Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.

Airport	Distance	On-time departures	Avg delay
MHK — Manhattan Regional Airport	105 mi	84%	16 min

Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.

Airline performance at MCI

Airline	On-time departures	Avg delay	Flights
Alaska Airlines	88%	9 min	1,749
Delta Air Lines	88%	13 min	15,718
United Airlines	87%	12 min	6,878
Republic Airways	86%	14 min	3,312
SkyWest Airlines	82%	19 min	3,209
Envoy Air	82%	13 min	3,042
Endeavor Air	81%	20 min	636
Spirit Airlines	79%	19 min	2,580
American Airlines	79%	23 min	10,805
Southwest Airlines	79%	13 min	47,077
PSA Airlines	76%	30 min	1,695
Frontier Airlines	72%	25 min	759
Allegiant Air	71%	24 min	514

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights delayed at MCI?: 19% of departures from Kansas City International Airport left 15+ minutes late between 2024-06 and 2026-05, with an average departure delay of 15 minutes. The national on-time average over the same period was 78%.
What is the best time of day to depart from MCI?: Flights scheduled around 6 a.m. depart on time 94% of the time at MCI, versus 56% around 10 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
What is the worst month for delays at MCI?: In this dataset, June 2025 was the weakest month at MCI, with 74% of departures on time.
How often are flights cancelled at MCI?: 1.5% of scheduled departures from MCI were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.

Popular route pages from this airport

Related guides

Based on 97,986 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.