05/19/2026
If you flew a couple of times last year, or know someone who did, it shouldn’t surprise you that air travel was less reliable than in 2024. In fact, both cancellations and delays increased in 2025, leading to the worst on-time performance since 2014.
More than 100,000 flights were canceled by the largest U.S. operating carriers. Overall, nearly one-fourth of flights – about 1.66 million flights including delays, cancellations and diversions – did not arrive on time in 2025, according to new data from the Department of Transportation. While late departures can be annoying, late arrivals are what really matter when it comes to making connections or being on time for other plans.
An arrival that’s 60 minutes or more late can cross that threshold. Last year, one in 12 flights on the 10 largest airlines arrived an hour or more late.
Check out our new report, Plane Truth (in comments)