US Flight Delays in May 2026
By Sharon Ben-Moshe · US DOT data · last updated 2026-09-28
In May 2026, US airlines operated 611,735 domestic flights and 78% arrived on time, down 1.3 points from April 2026. Republic Airways led the reporting carriers at 84% on time; Southwest Airlines trailed at 72%.
- Flights
- 611,735
- On-time
- 78%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 15 min
- Cancelled
- 0.9%
- vs Apr 2026
- -1.3 pts
- on-time change
Airline on-time rates in May 2026
Reporting carriers with at least 1,000 flights in the month.
| Airline | On-time | vs prior month | Avg delay | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Airways | 84% | +2.6 pts | 11 min | 32,203 |
| Alaska Airlines | 83% | -1.0 pts | 9 min | 29,184 |
| Envoy Air | 83% | +1.8 pts | 13 min | 28,806 |
| Delta Air Lines | 82% | -2.8 pts | 12 min | 91,955 |
| JetBlue Airways | 81% | +5.5 pts | 13 min | 19,806 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 80% | +0.3 pts | 17 min | 75,994 |
| United Airlines | 80% | -2.6 pts | 14 min | 74,200 |
| Frontier Airlines | 77% | +2.4 pts | 19 min | 18,423 |
| PSA Airlines | 76% | -0.2 pts | 20 min | 20,854 |
| American Airlines | 76% | -1.3 pts | 20 min | 88,740 |
| Allegiant Air | 73% | -2.9 pts | 25 min | 10,570 |
| Southwest Airlines | 72% | -5.3 pts | 16 min | 120,646 |
Most delayed large airports
Most reliable large airports
Most delay-prone routes in May 2026
Routes with at least 60 flights in the month.
National figures are flight-weighted averages across all reporting carriers for the month; see the methodology for definitions and limitations.
More reports
Based on 611,735 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.