83% of flights leaving Laredo (LRD) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 7 points better than the national average of 76%. About 8 flights leave LRD on a typical day; 1.8% were cancelled. 85% 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: 7 a.m. (89% on time). Worst: 6 p.m. (76%).
- Best month: February (89%). Worst: May (74%).
- Most reliable airline here: United Airlines (84%), vs American Airlines at 83%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (38% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: about the same (82% → 83%).
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 LRD: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 49% of the time. About 1 in 16 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 74 three hours or more; 1.9% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early83%
- 15–30 min late5.1%
- 30–60 min late3.7%
- 1–2 hours late3.5%
- 2–3 hours late1.5%
- 3+ hours late1.4%
- Diverted0.2%
- Cancelled1.9%
Share of all 2,808 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of LRD
Departure time makes a real difference at LRD. Flights scheduled to leave at 7 a.m. arrived on time 89% of the time; at 6 p.m. it was 76%, a 13-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 89% on time against 74% 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. Cancellations cluster too: 6 p.m. departures were cancelled 4.1% of the time, against 1.8% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at LRD was a 2 p.m. departure in February (92% on time); the least, 2 p.m. in June (68%). 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
May is the hardest month at LRD, with 74% of flights on time across 2023–2026; February is the best at 89%. Summer (June–August) runs 7 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Cancellations peak in May (5.3% of flights).
Airlines at LRD
American Airlines runs 55% of departures from LRD, so LRD is effectively its hub. When American Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, United Airlines was the most reliable (84% on time) and American Airlines the least (83%), a 1-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 1,545 | 83% | 84% | 2.9% | −10 min |
| United Airlines | 1,152 | 84% | 88% | 0.4% | −8 min |
| Allegiant Air | 111 | 75% | 72% | 1.8% | −5 min |
Why flights are late at LRD
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At LRD, 38% 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 air traffic system at 33%. That's why the first flight of the morning is the safest bet: it has no earlier flight to inherit a delay from. Of the 52 cancellations, 62% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 17 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 83% of LRD departures were on time, against 82% in the 12 months before: essentially unchanged. The best recent month was February 2026 (92%); the worst, November 2025 (74%).
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from LRD, each airline's final departure was cancelled 2.7% of the time, against 1.5% for its earlier flights (1.8× as often). Late in the day crews run short on duty hours, aircraft arrive late from elsewhere, and with no later flight to fold passengers into, cancelling is easier for the airline. 1.2% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to Dallas (4.9% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 8:09 p.m. | 4.9% | 1.4% | 76% |
| IAH Houston | United Airlines | 2:06 p.m. | 0.5% | 1.1% | 77% |
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 LRD
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At LRD the 7 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in May? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Choosing between airlines? United Airlines has the better record here.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of LRD; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at LRD come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from LRD
Where you're going matters too. From LRD, the most reliable busy route was to Houston (IAH, 84% on time) and the least reliable to Dallas (DFW, 83%). Flights into congested airports inherit their delays: an air traffic program at the destination holds planes on the ground here.
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 1,545 | 83% | 2.9% | −10 min |
| IAH Houston | 1,152 | 84% | 0.4% | −8 min |
Flights into LRD
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Laredo, least reliable first. The weakest is from Dallas (82% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 1,545 | 82% | 3.0% |
| IAH Houston | 1,153 | 85% | 0.8% |
Questions about LRD delays
What is the best time to fly out of LRD?
Flights scheduled at 7 a.m.: over the past year 89% of LRD departures at that hour arrived on time, against 76% at 6 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at LRD?
May (74% on time). February is the best month (89%).
Which airline is most on time at LRD?
United Airlines: 84% of its LRD departures arrived on time over the past year. American Airlines had the weakest record at 83%.
Why are flights delayed at LRD?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (38% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the air traffic system (33%).
How often are flights cancelled at LRD?
1.8% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in May at 5.3%.
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.