Houston (IAH) to Atlanta (ATL): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on IAH–ATL. September 2025 flights landed on schedule 91% of the time, but July 2024 dropped to 58% — a gap of 33 points. Across the full period the route averages 77% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (83% vs 68%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 77%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 18 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.1%
- Flights/day
- 13
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 7m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 689 mi
Best airline from IAH to ATL
5 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlinesmost reliable | 87% | 10 min | 0.0% | 115 |
| Delta Air Lines | 81% | 15 min | 2.0% | 4,790 |
| United Airlines | 78% | 17 min | 1.3% | 2,171 |
| Spirit Airlines | 73% | 17 min | 3.3% | 1,110 |
| Frontier Airlines | 59% | 34 min | 2.8% | 1,240 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from IAH to ATL
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (88% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (57%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 75% | 20 min |
| Tuesday | 79% | 16 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 81% | 17 min |
| Thursday | 77% | 18 min |
| Friday | 77% | 18 min |
| Saturday | 77% | 17 min |
| Sunday | 72% | 21 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft43%
- Airline operations31%
- National airspace system23%
- Weather3%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from IAH to ATL delayed?
- 23% of IAH–ATL 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 18 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from IAH to ATL?
- SkyWest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 87%, based on 115 flights. 5 airlines flew IAH–ATL frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from IAH to ATL?
- Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (88% on-time), while departures around 9 p.m. have the worst (57%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from IAH to ATL?
- The scheduled IAH–ATL flight time averages 2h 7m over 689 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 23% of the time.
- How often are IAH to ATL flights cancelled?
- 2.1% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from IAH to ATL?
- July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 58% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2025 at 91%. If your dates are flexible, that 33-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
More routes from IAH
Based on 9,426 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.