FlightRecord

Dallas (DAL) to Atlanta (ATL): On-Time Performance

Data through July 2026

The calendar drives reliability on DAL–ATL. September 2025 flights landed on schedule 88% of the time, but June 2025 dropped to 65% — a gap of 23 points. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (87% vs 66%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
78%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
17 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.8%
Flights/day
9.2
last 12 months
Duration
2h 4m
scheduled
Distance
721 mi

Best airline from DAL to ATL

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

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Delta Air Linesmost reliable81%19 min2.0%3,910
Southwest Airlines75%16 min1.6%3,334

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for DAL to ATL flights50%75%100%August 2024: 87% on-time (312 flights)87Aug 2024September 2024: 83% on-time (306 flights)83October 2024: 85% on-time (316 flights)85November 2024: 82% on-time (296 flights)82Nov 2024December 2024: 77% on-time (287 flights)77January 2025: 83% on-time (263 flights)83February 2025: 83% on-time (247 flights)83Feb 2025March 2025: 81% on-time (294 flights)81April 2025: 73% on-time (279 flights)73May 2025: 71% on-time (309 flights)71May 2025June 2025: 65% on-time (308 flights)65July 2025: 77% on-time (315 flights)77August 2025: 82% on-time (313 flights)82Aug 2025September 2025: 88% on-time (305 flights)88October 2025: 82% on-time (316 flights)82November 2025: 78% on-time (283 flights)78Nov 2025December 2025: 84% on-time (270 flights)84January 2026: 82% on-time (258 flights)82February 2026: 82% on-time (244 flights)82Feb 2026March 2026: 79% on-time (274 flights)79April 2026: 75% on-time (263 flights)75May 2026: 69% on-time (292 flights)69May 2026June 2026: 70% on-time (265 flights)70July 2026: 67% on-time (267 flights)67

Best time to fly from DAL to ATL

Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (91% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (56%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, DAL to ATL5 a.m.: 82% on-time (140 flights)56 a.m.: 90% on-time (954 flights)67 a.m.: 88% on-time (482 flights)78 a.m.: 91% on-time (334 flights)89 a.m.: 90% on-time (262 flights)910 a.m.: 83% on-time (698 flights)1011 a.m.: 84% on-time (451 flights)1112 p.m.: 80% on-time (710 flights)121 p.m.: 71% on-time (115 flights)132 p.m.: 79% on-time (370 flights)143 p.m.: 70% on-time (644 flights)154 p.m.: 67% on-time (464 flights)165 p.m.: 61% on-time (325 flights)176 p.m.: 73% on-time (834 flights)187 p.m.: 56% on-time (235 flights)198 p.m.: 56% on-time (140 flights)209 p.m.: 61% on-time (46 flights)2110 p.m.: 60% on-time (40 flights)22scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday79%16 min
Tuesdaybest83%14 min
Wednesday79%18 min
Thursday77%18 min
Friday78%18 min
Saturday77%20 min
Sunday73%19 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft42%
  • Airline operations36%
  • National airspace system14%
  • Weather8%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from DAL to ATL delayed?
22% of DAL–ATL 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 17 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from DAL to ATL?
Delta Air Lines has the best on-time record on this route at 81%, based on 3,910 flights. 2 airlines flew DAL–ATL frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from DAL to ATL?
Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (91% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (56%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from DAL to ATL?
The scheduled DAL–ATL flight time averages 2h 4m over 721 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
How often are DAL to ATL flights cancelled?
1.8% 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 DAL to ATL?
June 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 65% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2025 at 88%. If your dates are flexible, that 23-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 7,244 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.