FlightRecord

New York (JFK) to Cleveland (CLE): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

When you fly JFK to CLE matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 96% on-time in November 2024 to just 67% in July 2025. Across the full period the route averages 83% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (89% vs 71%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
83%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
12 min
completed flights
Cancelled
2.6%
Flights/day
1.7
last 12 months
Duration
1h 57m
scheduled
Distance
425 mi

Best airline from JFK to CLE

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

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Republic Airwaysmost reliable85%10 min2.1%1,460
Endeavor Air81%13 min4.2%330
JetBlue Airways76%18 min0.0%63
SkyWest Airlines67%27 min5.8%156

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for JFK to CLE flights50%75%100%June 2024: 70% on-time (154 flights)70Jun 2024July 2024: 74% on-time (159 flights)74August 2024: 76% on-time (160 flights)76September 2024: 84% on-time (150 flights)84Sep 2024October 2024: 92% on-time (157 flights)92November 2024: 96% on-time (149 flights)96December 2024: 78% on-time (133 flights)78Dec 2024January 2025: 91% on-time (66 flights)91February 2025: 91% on-time (58 flights)91March 2025: 93% on-time (67 flights)93Mar 2025April 2025: 94% on-time (64 flights)94May 2025: 91% on-time (67 flights)91June 2025: 70% on-time (64 flights)70Jun 2025July 2025: 67% on-time (66 flights)67August 2025: 81% on-time (68 flights)81September 2025: 92% on-time (60 flights)92Sep 2025October 2025: 85% on-time (62 flights)85November 2025: 88% on-time (34 flights)88December 2025: 75% on-time (42 flights)75Dec 2025January 2026: 71% on-time (36 flights)71February 2026: 96% on-time (28 flights)96March 2026: 70% on-time (33 flights)70Mar 2026April 2026: 80% on-time (60 flights)80May 2026: 82% on-time (72 flights)82

Best time to fly from JFK to CLE

Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (95% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (70%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, JFK to CLE7 a.m.: 95% on-time (136 flights)78 a.m.: 90% on-time (89 flights)89 a.m.: 85% on-time (196 flights)911 a.m.: 90% on-time (41 flights)1112 p.m.: 88% on-time (510 flights)121 p.m.: 81% on-time (139 flights)132 p.m.: 77% on-time (277 flights)143 p.m.: 82% on-time (284 flights)159 p.m.: 70% on-time (293 flights)21scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday84%11 min
Tuesdaybest87%10 min
Wednesday85%10 min
Thursday83%11 min
Friday83%12 min
Saturday79%18 min
Sunday78%13 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft36%
  • Airline operations30%
  • National airspace system26%
  • Weather8%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from JFK to CLE delayed?
17% of JFK–CLE 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 12 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from JFK to CLE?
Republic Airways has the best on-time record on this route at 85%, based on 1,460 flights. 4 airlines flew JFK–CLE frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from JFK to CLE?
Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (95% on-time), while departures around 9 p.m. have the worst (70%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from JFK to CLE?
The scheduled JFK–CLE flight time averages 1h 57m over 425 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 17% of the time.
How often are JFK to CLE flights cancelled?
2.6% 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 JFK to CLE?
July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 67% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2024 at 96%. If your dates are flexible, that 29-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 2,009 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.