71% of flights leaving Columbus (LCK) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 5 points worse than the national average of 76%. About 3 flights leave LCK on a typical day; 0.6% were cancelled. 73% 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 month: November (83%). Worst: July (63%).
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (55% of delay minutes).
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 LCK: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 49% of the time. About 1 in 9 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 44 three hours or more; 0.6% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early71%
- 15–30 min late9.0%
- 30–60 min late8.1%
- 1–2 hours late6.8%
- 2–3 hours late1.8%
- 3+ hours late2.3%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled0.6%
Share of all 1,133 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of LCK
Not enough flights at each hour to compare times of day reliably.
Hour × month
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
July is the hardest month at LCK, with 63% of flights on time across 2023–2026; November is the best at 83%. Summer (June–August) runs 18 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 11 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in August (2.5% of flights).
Airlines at LCK
Allegiant Air runs 100% of departures from LCK, so LCK is effectively its hub. When Allegiant Air has a bad day, so does the airport.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegiant Air | 1,133 | 71% | 73% | 0.6% | −5 min |
Why flights are late at LCK
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At LCK, 55% of delay minutes came from late-arriving aircraft: the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Next is the airlines themselves at 30%. That's why the first flight of the morning is the safest bet: it has no earlier flight to inherit a delay from.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 14 minutes, shorter than at most large U.S. airports.
LCK vs nearby airports
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCK Rickenbacker | — | 1,133 | 71% | 0.6% |
| CMH John Glenn Columbus | 13 mi | 47,242 | 78% | 2.1% |
Month by month
Tips for flying out of LCK
- Traveling in July? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Delayed already? Most delays at LCK come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Questions about LCK delays
What month has the most flight delays at LCK?
July (63% on time). November is the best month (83%).
Why are flights delayed at LCK?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (55% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (30%).
How often are flights cancelled at LCK?
0.6% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in August at 2.5%.
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.