FlightRecord

Los Angeles (LAX) to Atlanta (ATL): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on LAX–ATL. September 2025 flights landed on schedule 88% of the time, but June 2025 dropped to 63% — a gap of 25 points. Across the full period the route averages 77% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (81% vs 73%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
77%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
17 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.0%
Flights/day
14
last 12 months
Duration
4h 19m
scheduled
Distance
1,947 mi

Best airline from LAX to ATL

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

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Delta Air Linesmost reliable80%14 min0.9%7,844
Spirit Airlines79%12 min1.5%1,036
American Airlines72%27 min0.5%733
Frontier Airlines47%40 min2.3%812

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for LAX to ATL flights50%75%100%June 2024: 71% on-time (461 flights)71Jun 2024July 2024: 66% on-time (471 flights)66August 2024: 80% on-time (465 flights)80September 2024: 83% on-time (456 flights)83Sep 2024October 2024: 85% on-time (467 flights)85November 2024: 83% on-time (440 flights)83December 2024: 74% on-time (466 flights)74Dec 2024January 2025: 76% on-time (434 flights)76February 2025: 81% on-time (385 flights)81March 2025: 79% on-time (414 flights)79Mar 2025April 2025: 77% on-time (419 flights)77May 2025: 79% on-time (484 flights)79June 2025: 63% on-time (510 flights)63Jun 2025July 2025: 73% on-time (498 flights)73August 2025: 81% on-time (483 flights)81September 2025: 88% on-time (455 flights)88Sep 2025October 2025: 84% on-time (424 flights)84November 2025: 75% on-time (427 flights)75December 2025: 72% on-time (441 flights)72Dec 2025January 2026: 72% on-time (363 flights)72February 2026: 77% on-time (324 flights)77March 2026: 70% on-time (360 flights)70Mar 2026April 2026: 81% on-time (378 flights)81May 2026: 78% on-time (427 flights)78

Best time to fly from LAX to ATL

Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (93% on-time); avoid 10 p.m. departures (66%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, LAX to ATL5 a.m.: 93% on-time (85 flights)56 a.m.: 89% on-time (785 flights)67 a.m.: 88% on-time (799 flights)78 a.m.: 75% on-time (769 flights)89 a.m.: 75% on-time (947 flights)910 a.m.: 84% on-time (547 flights)1011 a.m.: 76% on-time (495 flights)1112 p.m.: 76% on-time (773 flights)121 p.m.: 71% on-time (627 flights)132 p.m.: 78% on-time (820 flights)143 p.m.: 84% on-time (207 flights)154 p.m.: 78% on-time (71 flights)165 p.m.: 84% on-time (622 flights)179 p.m.: 75% on-time (885 flights)2110 p.m.: 66% on-time (1,218 flights)2211 p.m.: 72% on-time (725 flights)23scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday77%19 min
Tuesday80%15 min
Wednesdaybest82%13 min
Thursday79%14 min
Friday75%18 min
Saturday75%19 min
Sunday74%18 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 operations48%
  • National airspace system16%
  • Weather1%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from LAX to ATL delayed?
23% of LAX–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 17 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from LAX to ATL?
Delta Air Lines has the best on-time record on this route at 80%, based on 7,844 flights. 4 airlines flew LAX–ATL frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from LAX to ATL?
Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (93% on-time), while departures around 10 p.m. have the worst (66%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from LAX to ATL?
The scheduled LAX–ATL flight time averages 4h 19m over 1,947 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 23% of the time.
How often are LAX to ATL flights cancelled?
1% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from LAX to ATL?
June 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 63% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2025 at 88%. If your dates are flexible, that 25-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 10,452 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.