FlightRecord

Cleveland (CLE) to Phoenix (PHX): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on CLE–PHX. July 2025 flights landed on schedule 89% of the time, but December 2025 dropped to 60% — a gap of 29 points. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (82% vs 68%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
78%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
13 min
completed flights
Cancelled
0.6%
Flights/day
2.6
last 12 months
Duration
4h 31m
scheduled
Distance
1,737 mi

Best airline from CLE to PHX

3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
American Airlinesmost reliable81%13 min0.4%468
Southwest Airlines80%10 min0.0%661
Frontier Airlines75%16 min1.5%612

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for CLE to PHX flights50%75%100%June 2024: 72% on-time (45 flights)72Jun 2024July 2024: 71% on-time (39 flights)71August 2024: 82% on-time (27 flights)82September 2024: 83% on-time (36 flights)83Sep 2024October 2024: 83% on-time (75 flights)83November 2024: 75% on-time (93 flights)75December 2024: 85% on-time (75 flights)85Dec 2024January 2025: 73% on-time (59 flights)73February 2025: 77% on-time (69 flights)77March 2025: 81% on-time (105 flights)81Mar 2025April 2025: 79% on-time (92 flights)79May 2025: 72% on-time (93 flights)72June 2025: 82% on-time (65 flights)82Jun 2025July 2025: 89% on-time (61 flights)89August 2025: 84% on-time (51 flights)84September 2025: 72% on-time (46 flights)72Sep 2025October 2025: 78% on-time (89 flights)78November 2025: 77% on-time (93 flights)77December 2025: 60% on-time (80 flights)60Dec 2025January 2026: 73% on-time (81 flights)73February 2026: 78% on-time (82 flights)78March 2026: 81% on-time (101 flights)81Mar 2026April 2026: 83% on-time (92 flights)83May 2026: 86% on-time (92 flights)86

Best time to fly from CLE to PHX

Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (89% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (61%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, CLE to PHX5 a.m.: 86% on-time (29 flights)56 a.m.: 86% on-time (71 flights)67 a.m.: 80% on-time (472 flights)78 a.m.: 89% on-time (47 flights)811 a.m.: 82% on-time (142 flights)1112 p.m.: 83% on-time (167 flights)121 p.m.: 83% on-time (167 flights)132 p.m.: 74% on-time (124 flights)143 p.m.: 66% on-time (93 flights)154 p.m.: 84% on-time (56 flights)165 p.m.: 70% on-time (110 flights)176 p.m.: 57% on-time (23 flights)187 p.m.: 61% on-time (38 flights)198 p.m.: 71% on-time (56 flights)209 p.m.: 71% on-time (71 flights)2110 p.m.: 65% on-time (48 flights)22scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday79%12 min
Tuesday80%11 min
Wednesdaybest82%10 min
Thursday74%18 min
Friday75%15 min
Saturday78%13 min
Sunday78%12 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft32%
  • Airline operations43%
  • National airspace system23%
  • Weather1%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from CLE to PHX delayed?
22% of CLE–PHX flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-06 and 2026-05. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 13 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from CLE to PHX?
American Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 81%, based on 468 flights. 3 airlines flew CLE–PHX frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from CLE to PHX?
Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (89% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (61%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from CLE to PHX?
The scheduled CLE–PHX flight time averages 4h 31m over 1,737 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
How often are CLE to PHX flights cancelled?
0.6% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from CLE to PHX?
December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 60% of arrivals on time. The best was July 2025 at 89%. If your dates are flexible, that 29-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 1,741 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.