Houston (IAH) to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on IAH–DFW. February 2026 flights landed on schedule 85% of the time, but July 2024 dropped to 57% — a gap of 29 points. Across the full period the route averages 74% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (82% vs 64%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 74%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 26 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.9%
- Flights/day
- 16
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 25m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 224 mi
Best airline from IAH to DFW
6 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit Airlinesmost reliable | 87% | 7 min | 1.0% | 195 |
| Envoy Air | 79% | 20 min | 4.0% | 1,583 |
| United Airlines | 75% | 20 min | 1.8% | 3,968 |
| American Airlines | 74% | 33 min | 3.6% | 5,127 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 74% | 18 min | 3.8% | 158 |
| Frontier Airlines | 54% | 39 min | 2.2% | 449 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from IAH to DFW
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (89% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (53%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 71% | 31 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 77% | 29 min |
| Wednesday | 75% | 23 min |
| Thursday | 76% | 24 min |
| Friday | 76% | 21 min |
| Saturday | 75% | 27 min |
| Sunday | 71% | 28 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft44%
- Airline operations28%
- National airspace system17%
- Weather11%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from IAH to DFW delayed?
- 26% of IAH–DFW 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 26 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from IAH to DFW?
- Spirit Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 87%, based on 195 flights. 6 airlines flew IAH–DFW frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from IAH to DFW?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (89% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (53%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from IAH to DFW?
- The scheduled IAH–DFW flight time averages 1h 25m over 224 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 26% of the time.
- How often are IAH to DFW flights cancelled?
- 2.9% 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 DFW?
- July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 57% of arrivals on time. The best was February 2026 at 85%. If your dates are flexible, that 29-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Based on 11,492 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.