73% of flights leaving Lansing (LAN) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 2 points worse than the national average of 76%. About 6 flights leave LAN on a typical day; 2.7% were cancelled. 75% pushed back from the gate on time, so most of the lateness is already there when the flight leaves the gate.
At a glance
- Best hour to fly: 5 a.m. (82% on time). Worst: 6 p.m. (68%).
- Best month: October (86%). Worst: January (59%).
- Most reliable airline here: Delta Air Lines (74%), vs American Airlines at 73%.
- Biggest delay cause: the airlines themselves (53% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (77% → 73%).
How late?
The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for flights leaving LAN: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 38% of the time. About 1 in 8 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 27 three hours or more; 2.7% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early73%
- 15–30 min late5.7%
- 30–60 min late5.4%
- 1–2 hours late5.6%
- 2–3 hours late3.4%
- 3+ hours late3.7%
- Diverted0.0%
- Cancelled2.7%
Share of all 2,057 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of LAN
Departure time makes a real difference at LAN. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 82% of the time; at 6 p.m. it was 68%, a 14-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 84% on time against 63% for the evening bank (5–10 p.m.). Early planes usually start the day at the airport, so they haven't had a chance to pick up delays elsewhere. By evening a late inbound aircraft, a crew running out of duty hours or an afternoon thunderstorm can push one late flight into the next.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at LAN was a noon departure in October (91% on time); the least, 6 p.m. in April (70%). If you can only move one thing, move the hour. Departure hour usually shifts the odds more than the month does.
Each cell: on-time rate for that departure hour in that calendar month, 2023–2026. Find your travel month, then look along the row for the greenest hour.
Best and worst months
January is the hardest month at LAN, with 59% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 86%. Summer (June–August) runs 9 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 16 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (4.4% of flights).
Airlines at LAN
Delta Air Lines runs 51% of departures from LAN, so LAN is effectively its hub. When Delta Air Lines has a bad day, so does the airport. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, Delta Air Lines was the most reliable (74% on time) and American Airlines the least (73%), a 2-point difference. On a route where both fly, that difference is worth more than a small fare gap.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 1,042 | 74% | 75% | 1.0% | −9 min |
| American Airlines | 1,015 | 73% | 75% | 4.5% | −11 min |
Why flights are late at LAN
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At LAN, 53% of delay minutes came from the airlines themselves: crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Next is late-arriving aircraft at 23%. Of the 56 cancellations, 70% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 20 minutes, longer than at most large U.S. airports. Airlines pad schedules for it, but a long queue on a busy afternoon still eats into the buffer.
LAN vs nearby airports
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAN Capital Region | — | 2,057 | 73% | 2.7% |
| FNT Bishop | 45 mi | 3,468 | 70% | 2.3% |
| GRR Gerald R. Ford | 48 mi | 21,536 | 74% | 2.0% |
| MBS MBS | 58 mi | 2,266 | 73% | 2.0% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 73% of LAN departures were on time, against 77% in the 12 months before, a decline of 3 points. The best recent month was October 2025 (88%); the worst, December 2025 (57%).
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from LAN, each airline's final departure was cancelled 1.7% of the time, against 1.8% for its earlier flights, about the same. 4.0% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was Delta Air Lines to Detroit (0.5% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DTW Detroit | Delta Air Lines | 6:20 p.m. | 0.5% | 5.2% | 70% |
| ORD Chicago | American Airlines | 3:53 p.m. | 2.8% | 2.8% | 68% |
Each airline's last scheduled departure of the day on a route, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Riskiest first.
Tips for flying out of LAN
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At LAN the 5 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in January? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Choosing between airlines? Delta Air Lines has the better record here.
- Delayed already? Most delays at LAN come from the airlines themselves. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from LAN
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DTW Detroit | 1,040 | 74% | 1.0% | −9 min |
| ORD Chicago | 718 | 79% | 2.8% | −13 min |
Flights into LAN
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Capital Region, least reliable first. The weakest is from Chicago (71% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago | 718 | 71% | 2.8% |
| DTW Detroit | 1,040 | 73% | 1.0% |
Questions about LAN delays
What is the best time to fly out of LAN?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 82% of LAN departures at that hour arrived on time, against 68% at 6 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at LAN?
January (59% on time). October is the best month (86%).
Which airline is most on time at LAN?
Delta Air Lines: 74% of its LAN departures arrived on time over the past year. American Airlines had the weakest record at 73%.
Why are flights delayed at LAN?
The biggest cause was the airlines themselves (53% of delay minutes): crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Then late-arriving aircraft (23%).
How often are flights cancelled at LAN?
2.7% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 4.4%.
Hours are scheduled local departure times. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes late at the destination; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Method.