Kansas City (MCI) to Los Angeles (LAX): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on MCI–LAX. January 2025 flights landed on schedule 93% of the time, but December 2025 dropped to 70% — a gap of 23 points. Across the full period the route averages 83% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (92% vs 65%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 83%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 12 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.0%
- Flights/day
- 3.6
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 3h 36m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,363 mi
Best airline from MCI to LAX
4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlinesmost reliable | 94% | 5 min | 0.0% | 116 |
| Delta Air Lines | 91% | 7 min | 1.1% | 1,084 |
| Spirit Airlines | 83% | 17 min | 2.4% | 377 |
| Southwest Airlines | 73% | 15 min | 0.4% | 996 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from MCI to LAX
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (95% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (59%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 80% | 14 min |
| Tuesday | 83% | 16 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 87% | 6 min |
| Thursday | 86% | 8 min |
| Friday | 86% | 10 min |
| Saturday | 81% | 13 min |
| Sunday | 77% | 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 aircraft49%
- Airline operations36%
- National airspace system11%
- Weather3%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from MCI to LAX delayed?
- 17% of MCI–LAX flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 12 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from MCI to LAX?
- SkyWest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 94%, based on 116 flights. 4 airlines flew MCI–LAX frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from MCI to LAX?
- Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (95% on-time), while departures around 8 p.m. have the worst (59%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from MCI to LAX?
- The scheduled MCI–LAX flight time averages 3h 36m over 1,363 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 17% of the time.
- How often are MCI to LAX flights cancelled?
- 1% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from MCI to LAX?
- December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 70% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 93%. If your dates are flexible, that 23-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 2,573 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.