FlightRecord

Chicago (ORD) to Albany (ALB): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on ORD–ALB. March 2025 flights landed on schedule 85% of the time, but December 2024 dropped to 61% — a gap of 24 points. Across the full period the route averages 76% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (82% vs 68%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
76%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
16 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.6%
Flights/day
6.3
last 12 months
Duration
2h 10m
scheduled
Distance
723 mi

Best airline from ORD to ALB

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

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Republic Airwaysmost reliable79%16 min3.3%782
Envoy Air78%12 min1.8%851
SkyWest Airlines76%16 min0.4%508
United Airlines73%19 min0.9%1,382

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for ORD to ALB flights50%75%100%June 2024: 77% on-time (114 flights)77Jun 2024July 2024: 70% on-time (119 flights)70August 2024: 68% on-time (120 flights)68September 2024: 79% on-time (140 flights)79Sep 2024October 2024: 81% on-time (136 flights)81November 2024: 81% on-time (86 flights)81December 2024: 61% on-time (74 flights)61Dec 2024January 2025: 75% on-time (67 flights)75February 2025: 81% on-time (63 flights)81March 2025: 85% on-time (84 flights)85Mar 2025April 2025: 85% on-time (100 flights)85May 2025: 83% on-time (127 flights)83June 2025: 74% on-time (198 flights)74Jun 2025July 2025: 73% on-time (198 flights)73August 2025: 76% on-time (192 flights)76September 2025: 83% on-time (193 flights)83Sep 2025October 2025: 77% on-time (209 flights)77November 2025: 76% on-time (217 flights)76December 2025: 64% on-time (170 flights)64Dec 2025January 2026: 68% on-time (118 flights)68February 2026: 73% on-time (132 flights)73March 2026: 70% on-time (184 flights)70Mar 2026April 2026: 76% on-time (222 flights)76May 2026: 84% on-time (260 flights)84

Best time to fly from ORD to ALB

Aim for departures around 10 a.m. (91% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (64%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, ORD to ALB7 a.m.: 90% on-time (349 flights)78 a.m.: 82% on-time (307 flights)89 a.m.: 82% on-time (172 flights)910 a.m.: 91% on-time (70 flights)1011 a.m.: 76% on-time (583 flights)1112 p.m.: 77% on-time (159 flights)121 p.m.: 74% on-time (145 flights)132 p.m.: 77% on-time (501 flights)143 p.m.: 81% on-time (44 flights)156 p.m.: 67% on-time (767 flights)187 p.m.: 64% on-time (50 flights)198 p.m.: 70% on-time (270 flights)209 p.m.: 69% on-time (77 flights)21scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday77%15 min
Tuesdaybest79%16 min
Wednesday76%17 min
Thursday78%14 min
Friday72%18 min
Saturday77%16 min
Sunday73%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 aircraft48%
  • Airline operations26%
  • National airspace system18%
  • Weather9%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from ORD to ALB delayed?
24% of ORD–ALB 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 16 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from ORD to ALB?
Republic Airways has the best on-time record on this route at 79%, based on 782 flights. 4 airlines flew ORD–ALB frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from ORD to ALB?
Departures around 10 a.m. have the best record (91% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (64%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from ORD to ALB?
The scheduled ORD–ALB flight time averages 2h 10m over 723 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 24% of the time.
How often are ORD to ALB flights cancelled?
1.6% 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 ORD to ALB?
December 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 61% of arrivals on time. The best was March 2025 at 85%. If your dates are flexible, that 24-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 3,523 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.