Quad City International Airport (MLI): Delays & On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
Quad City International Airport (MLI) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 92% on-time in October 2024 but sank to 72% in December 2025. Across the year it averages 81% against a national 78%, over roughly 12 departures a day to 11 destinations.
- Departures on-time
- 81%
- left <15 min late
- Avg dep delay
- 19 min
- Arrivals on-time
- 75%
- Cancelled
- 2.3%
- Destinations
- 11
- nonstop
- Airlines
- 6
Plan your departure from MLI
The choices most likely to improve your odds, based on this airport’s historical record.
- Best departure time
- Around 7 a.m.
- 94% on-time
- Best day to fly
- Tuesday
- 83% on-time
- Cancellation risk
- 2.3%
- above the US average
Monthly on-time trend
Best time of day to depart from MLI
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 76% | 24 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 83% | 17 min |
| Wednesday | 79% | 18 min |
| Thursday | 79% | 15 min |
| Friday | 76% | 21 min |
| Saturday | 77% | 22 min |
| Sunday | 75% | 27 min |
Busiest routes from MLI
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| MLI → ORD (Chicago) | 2,189 | 73% | 26 min |
| MLI → DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) | 952 | 82% | 16 min |
| MLI → DEN (Denver) | 367 | 83% | 13 min |
| MLI → CLT (Charlotte) | 278 | 79% | 22 min |
| MLI → LAS (Las Vegas) | 105 | 83% | 14 min |
| MLI → PGD (Punta Gorda) | 101 | 79% | 15 min |
Where flights into MLI come from
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| ORD (Chicago) → MLI | 2,187 | 70% | 23 min |
| DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) → MLI | 954 | 81% | 12 min |
| DEN (Denver) → MLI | 367 | 68% | 23 min |
| CLT (Charlotte) → MLI | 277 | 73% | 20 min |
| LAS (Las Vegas) → MLI | 105 | 90% | 10 min |
| PGD (Punta Gorda) → MLI | 101 | 84% | 10 min |
What causes delays at MLI
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing MLI.
- Late-arriving aircraft37%
- Airline operations34%
- National airspace system18%
- Weather11%
Alternative airports near Moline
Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.
| Airport | Distance | On-time departures | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| PIA — General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport | 69 mi | 78% | 23 min |
| CID — The Eastern Iowa Airport | 69 mi | 80% | 21 min |
| RFD — Chicago Rockford International Airport | 89 mi | 74% | 28 min |
| BMI — Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal | 107 mi | 85% | 15 min |
| SPI — Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport | 119 mi | 78% | 19 min |
Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.
Airline performance at MLI
| Airline | On-time departures | Avg delay | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endeavor Air | 89% | 9 min | 424 |
| Envoy Air | 83% | 13 min | 2,013 |
| PSA Airlines | 81% | 24 min | 1,314 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 80% | 22 min | 3,773 |
| Allegiant Air | 80% | 18 min | 999 |
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights delayed at MLI?
- 19% of departures from Quad City International Airport left 15+ minutes late between 2024-06 and 2026-05, 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 MLI?
- Flights scheduled around 7 a.m. depart on time 94% of the time at MLI, versus 66% around 4 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
- What is the worst month for delays at MLI?
- In this dataset, December 2025 was the weakest month at MLI, with 72% of departures on time.
- How often are flights cancelled at MLI?
- 2.3% of scheduled departures from MLI were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.
Popular route pages from this airport
Related guides
Based on 8,533 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.