FlightRecord

Omaha (OMA) to Chicago (ORD): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on OMA–ORD. December 2024 flights landed on schedule 89% of the time, but December 2025 dropped to 64% — 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 (85% vs 66%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
77%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
19 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.9%
Flights/day
8.2
last 12 months
Duration
1h 46m
scheduled
Distance
416 mi

Best airline from OMA to ORD

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

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
United Airlinesmost reliable79%19 min1.2%2,359
American Airlines78%24 min1.9%594
Republic Airways78%15 min2.5%525
Envoy Air75%17 min2.6%1,113
SkyWest Airlines75%22 min2.8%759

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for OMA to ORD flights50%75%100%June 2024: 78% on-time (206 flights)78Jun 2024July 2024: 74% on-time (187 flights)74August 2024: 76% on-time (209 flights)76September 2024: 83% on-time (180 flights)83Sep 2024October 2024: 88% on-time (185 flights)88November 2024: 83% on-time (177 flights)83December 2024: 89% on-time (170 flights)89Dec 2024January 2025: 87% on-time (196 flights)87February 2025: 79% on-time (187 flights)79March 2025: 80% on-time (212 flights)80Mar 2025April 2025: 86% on-time (211 flights)86May 2025: 80% on-time (238 flights)80June 2025: 70% on-time (258 flights)70Jun 2025July 2025: 65% on-time (267 flights)65August 2025: 78% on-time (255 flights)78September 2025: 80% on-time (247 flights)80Sep 2025October 2025: 77% on-time (266 flights)77November 2025: 75% on-time (240 flights)75December 2025: 64% on-time (220 flights)64Dec 2025January 2026: 69% on-time (210 flights)69February 2026: 85% on-time (201 flights)85March 2026: 67% on-time (249 flights)67Mar 2026April 2026: 74% on-time (300 flights)74May 2026: 80% on-time (287 flights)80

Best time to fly from OMA to ORD

Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (89% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (55%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, OMA to ORD5 a.m.: 89% on-time (346 flights)56 a.m.: 85% on-time (350 flights)67 a.m.: 84% on-time (237 flights)78 a.m.: 89% on-time (658 flights)89 a.m.: 84% on-time (145 flights)910 a.m.: 82% on-time (140 flights)1011 a.m.: 82% on-time (713 flights)1112 p.m.: 72% on-time (240 flights)121 p.m.: 76% on-time (206 flights)132 p.m.: 79% on-time (158 flights)143 p.m.: 71% on-time (794 flights)154 p.m.: 75% on-time (74 flights)165 p.m.: 62% on-time (208 flights)176 p.m.: 71% on-time (800 flights)187 p.m.: 55% on-time (285 flights)19scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday77%17 min
Tuesdaybest81%17 min
Wednesday78%17 min
Thursday77%22 min
Friday75%19 min
Saturday80%16 min
Sunday73%24 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft40%
  • Airline operations20%
  • National airspace system33%
  • Weather6%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from OMA to ORD delayed?
23% of OMA–ORD 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 19 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from OMA to ORD?
United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 79%, based on 2,359 flights. 5 airlines flew OMA–ORD frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from OMA to ORD?
Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (89% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (55%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from OMA to ORD?
The scheduled OMA–ORD flight time averages 1h 46m over 416 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 23% of the time.
How often are OMA to ORD flights cancelled?
1.9% 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 OMA to ORD?
December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 64% of arrivals on time. The best was December 2024 at 89%. If your dates are flexible, that 25-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 5,358 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.