FlightRecord

Columbia (CAE) to Chicago (ORD): On-Time Performance

Data through July 2026

When you fly CAE to ORD matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 94% on-time in October 2024 to just 63% in January 2026. Across the full period the route averages 79% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (90% vs 68%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
79%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
22 min
completed flights
Cancelled
2.2%
Flights/day
1.4
last 12 months
Duration
2h 29m
scheduled
Distance
666 mi

Best airline from CAE to ORD

2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Envoy Airmost reliable84%30 min4.9%143
SkyWest Airlines78%20 min1.7%813

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for CAE to ORD flights50%75%100%July 2024: 67% on-time (61 flights)67Jul 2024August 2024: 71% on-time (62 flights)71September 2024: 85% on-time (60 flights)85October 2024: 94% on-time (62 flights)94Oct 2024November 2024: 83% on-time (60 flights)83December 2024: 83% on-time (59 flights)83January 2025: 84% on-time (56 flights)84Jan 2025February 2025: 83% on-time (23 flights)83September 2025: 90% on-time (29 flights)90October 2025: 80% on-time (84 flights)80Oct 2025November 2025: 78% on-time (90 flights)78December 2025: 70% on-time (79 flights)70January 2026: 63% on-time (50 flights)63Jan 2026February 2026: 88% on-time (17 flights)88April 2026: 0% on-time (1 flights)0May 2026: 66% on-time (41 flights)66May 2026June 2026: 86% on-time (60 flights)86July 2026: 83% on-time (62 flights)83

Best time to fly from CAE to ORD

Aim for departures around 11 a.m. (92% on-time); avoid 2 p.m. departures (64%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, CAE to ORD6 a.m.: 91% on-time (318 flights)68 a.m.: 77% on-time (31 flights)810 a.m.: 86% on-time (57 flights)1011 a.m.: 92% on-time (49 flights)112 p.m.: 64% on-time (93 flights)143 p.m.: 91% on-time (21 flights)154 p.m.: 72% on-time (39 flights)165 p.m.: 68% on-time (336 flights)17scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday74%17 min
Tuesday81%22 min
Wednesday80%28 min
Thursdaybest85%16 min
Friday74%31 min
Saturday82%16 min
Sunday76%20 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft29%
  • Airline operations49%
  • National airspace system19%
  • Weather3%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from CAE to ORD delayed?
21% of CAE–ORD flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 22 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from CAE to ORD?
Envoy Air has the best on-time record on this route at 84%, based on 143 flights. 2 airlines flew CAE–ORD frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from CAE to ORD?
Departures around 11 a.m. have the best record (92% on-time), while departures around 2 p.m. have the worst (64%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from CAE to ORD?
The scheduled CAE–ORD flight time averages 2h 29m over 666 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 21% of the time.
How often are CAE to ORD flights cancelled?
2.2% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from CAE to ORD?
January 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 63% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 30-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 956 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.