How often are airline flights delayed?

“It is 'normal' to expect around 1 to 2 percent of flights to be canceled,” said Gary Leff, author of ViewFromTheWing.com. He added that around 20 to 25 percent of flights are late by at least 15 minutes, though it's harder to track the range of how delayed flights are.



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JetBlue holds the dubious distinction of being at the top of the rankings for most delayed flights right now. Just 53.01% of all JetBlue flights arrived on time in July, meaning that nearly half were delayed.

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CBS News analysis of the data provided by FlightAware shows that the number of delays caused by issues within air carriers' control has jumped from 5.2% in 2018 to 7.6% in 2023, a rise of thousands of delayed flights.

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BTS data from July 2021 to June 2022 shows Hawaiian performed best of all U.S. airlines with just a 0.81% cancellation rate. Delta took second place again — with a cancellation rate of 1.63%. Meanwhile, merger partners JetBlue (3.81%) and Spirit Airlines (4.11%) canceled the highest percentage of all flights.

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Here is the overview: Average delay: 12.4 minutes. Cost per minute: $74,20 USD. Average number of delayed flights per month: 34.9.

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Your chances of being involved in a fatal plane crash are incredibly small – around 1 in 11 million, according to Harvard researchers. While your odds of being in a plane accident are about 1 in 1.2 million, survivability rates are about 95.7% – so the odds are with you no matter how you look at it.

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Most Punctual Airlines 2023
  • KLM (89.7%)
  • Iberia (89.6%)
  • Avianca (87.9%)
  • Japan Airlines (85.8%)
  • Air China (85.5%)


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If there is a flight delay of 2 hours, the airline staff will usually provide you with vouchers that can be redeemed at local airport restaurants and snack bars.

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“Roughly, you've got a 30% less chance of getting a long delay or cancellation if you go out in the morning,” said Kathleen Bangs, a former commercial airline pilot and current spokesperson for the flight-tracking site FlightAware.

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Running since 1929, Hawaiian is among the oldest airlines in the world but, remarkably, it has never suffered a single fatal crash or hull loss.

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Top 10 safest airlines to fly on right now
  • Delta Airlines. Major crashes in the last 50 years: 7. ...
  • American Airlines. Major crashes in the last 50 years: 14. ...
  • International: Qatar Airways. Major crashes in the last 50 years: 0. ...
  • International: Etihad Airways. Major crashes since operations started: 0.


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The overall worst airport in the US for delays is JFK, based on our study of over 40,000 flights from the summer of 2022. JFK is followed by Chicago Midway, Newark, Orlando International, LaGuardia, and Denver.

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When a flight delay occurs, you are entitled to assistance and a choice between rerouting, reimbursement, or rebooking. If you arrive at your destination more than 3 hours after your scheduled arrival time, you are entitled to the same reimbursement, rerouting, and rebooking structure as a denied boarding.

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Another 23 percent of all domestic flights were delayed, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Already in 2023, the United States has seen nearly 27,000 cancellations (which amounts to 1.66 percent of all flights).

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The Most Common Reasons For Flight Delays
  • Adverse weather conditions.
  • Bird Strikes.
  • Strikes.
  • Waiting for Connecting Luggage.
  • Waiting for Cargo.
  • Missing Crew.
  • Complying with Flight Crew Rest Requirements.
  • Waiting for Catering.


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U.S. airlines aren't required to compensate passengers for flight delays. Refunds are only guaranteed for entirely canceled flights (assuming the passenger opts not to be rebooked by the airline). There's also no legal requirement for airlines to offer additional flight delay compensation.

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