Philadelphia International Airport (PHL): Delays & On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 87% on-time in November 2024 but sank to 65% in July 2026. Across the year it averages 77% against a national 78%, over roughly 276 departures a day to 96 destinations.
- Departures on-time
- 77%
- left <15 min late
- Avg dep delay
- 20 min
- Arrivals on-time
- 76%
- Cancelled
- 2.5%
- Destinations
- 96
- nonstop
- Airlines
- 13
Plan your departure from PHL
The choices most likely to improve your odds, based on this airport’s historical record.
- Best departure time
- Around 5 a.m.
- 90% on-time
- Best day to fly
- Tuesday
- 80% on-time
- Cancellation risk
- 2.5%
- above the US average
Monthly on-time trend
Best time of day to depart from PHL
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 74% | 24 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 80% | 17 min |
| Wednesday | 80% | 16 min |
| Thursday | 73% | 22 min |
| Friday | 73% | 22 min |
| Saturday | 75% | 21 min |
| Sunday | 72% | 24 min |
Busiest routes from PHL
Where flights into PHL come from
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATL (Atlanta) → PHL | 5,749 | 73% | 22 min |
| MCO (Orlando) → PHL | 5,330 | 73% | 24 min |
| ORD (Chicago) → PHL | 5,008 | 72% | 26 min |
| BOS (Boston) → PHL | 4,981 | 77% | 20 min |
| CLT (Charlotte) → PHL | 3,520 | 73% | 21 min |
| FLL (Fort Lauderdale) → PHL | 3,508 | 73% | 27 min |
| DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) → PHL | 3,470 | 71% | 23 min |
| MIA (Miami) → PHL | 3,249 | 75% | 21 min |
What causes delays at PHL
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing PHL.
- Late-arriving aircraft43%
- Airline operations30%
- National airspace system21%
- Weather5%
Alternative airports near Philadelphia
Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.
| Airport | Distance | On-time departures | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| TTN — Trenton Mercer Airport | 36 mi | 78% | 21 min |
| ACY — Atlantic City International Airport | 46 mi | 81% | 17 min |
| ABE — Lehigh Valley International Airport | 55 mi | 82% | 20 min |
| EWR — Newark Liberty International Airport | 80 mi | 79% | 18 min |
| MDT — Harrisburg International Airport | 83 mi | 79% | 21 min |
Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.
Airline performance at PHL
| Airline | On-time departures | Avg delay | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Airways | 85% | 12 min | 15,626 |
| United Airlines | 84% | 16 min | 8,796 |
| Delta Air Lines | 82% | 17 min | 13,235 |
| JetBlue Airways | 77% | 19 min | 2,869 |
| PSA Airlines | 76% | 24 min | 33,123 |
| American Airlines | 76% | 21 min | 97,178 |
| Alaska Airlines | 75% | 16 min | 1,437 |
| Spirit Airlines | 74% | 20 min | 6,608 |
| Southwest Airlines | 72% | 18 min | 10,536 |
| Frontier Airlines | 71% | 26 min | 20,631 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 69% | 38 min | 204 |
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights delayed at PHL?
- 23% of departures from Philadelphia International Airport left 15+ minutes late between 2024-07 and 2026-07, with an average departure delay of 20 minutes. The national on-time average over the same period was 78%.
- What is the best time of day to depart from PHL?
- Flights scheduled around 5 a.m. depart on time 90% of the time at PHL, versus 60% around 8 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
- What is the worst month for delays at PHL?
- In this dataset, July 2026 was the weakest month at PHL, with 65% of departures on time.
- How often are flights cancelled at PHL?
- 2.5% of scheduled departures from PHL were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.
Popular route pages from this airport
Related guides
Based on 210,351 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.