FlightRecord

Newark (EWR) to Wilmington (ILM): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

Newark (EWR) to Wilmington (ILM) is a thinner route than most in this dataset — 278 departures over the past year, roughly 5 a week — so treat these numbers as indicative rather than definitive. Of the flights that did operate, 81% arrived on time. Cancellations are the bigger caveat: 3.9% of scheduled flights never departed.

On-time
81%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
10 min
completed flights
Cancelled
3.9%
Flights/day
0.76
last 12 months
Duration
1h 51m
scheduled
Distance
488 mi

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for EWR to ILM flights50%75%100%October 2024: 90% on-time (10 flights)90Oct 2024November 2024: 76% on-time (59 flights)76December 2024: 79% on-time (59 flights)79January 2025: 90% on-time (10 flights)90Jan 2025March 2025: 50% on-time (5 flights)50April 2025: 88% on-time (43 flights)88May 2025: 86% on-time (27 flights)86May 2025June 2025: 83% on-time (12 flights)83October 2025: 58% on-time (13 flights)58November 2025: 73% on-time (56 flights)73Nov 2025December 2025: 71% on-time (58 flights)71January 2026: 89% on-time (9 flights)89February 2026: 100% on-time (1 flights)100Feb 2026March 2026: 71% on-time (7 flights)71April 2026: 88% on-time (60 flights)88May 2026: 93% on-time (62 flights)93May 2026

Best time to fly from EWR to ILM

Aim for departures around 11 a.m. (86% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (78%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, EWR to ILM11 a.m.: 86% on-time (51 flights)1112 p.m.: 86% on-time (21 flights)121 p.m.: 84% on-time (76 flights)132 p.m.: 82% on-time (115 flights)149 p.m.: 78% on-time (209 flights)21scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday70%16 min
Tuesdaybest88%7 min
Wednesday83%6 min
Thursday82%13 min
Friday81%13 min
Saturday80%9 min
Sunday84%7 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft49%
  • Airline operations22%
  • National airspace system30%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from EWR to ILM delayed?
19% of EWR–ILM 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 10 minutes.
What is the best time of day to fly from EWR to ILM?
Departures around 11 a.m. have the best record (86% on-time), while departures around 9 p.m. have the worst (78%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from EWR to ILM?
The scheduled EWR–ILM flight time averages 1h 51m over 488 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 19% of the time.
How often are EWR to ILM flights cancelled?
3.9% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05 — several times the typical US rate, so consider earlier departures or backup options.
What day of the week is most reliable for EWR to ILM?
Tuesday flights have the best record at 88% on-time. Day-of-week differences on this route are meaningful — Monday trails at 70%.

Based on 491 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.