86% of flights leaving Lynchburg (LYH) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 10 points better than the national average of 76%. About 6 flights leave LYH 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: 6 a.m. (92% on time). Worst: 6 a.m. (92%).
- Best month: October (94%). Worst: July (76%).
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (49% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: improving (83% → 86%).
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 LYH: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 35% of the time. About 1 in 15 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 45 three hours or more; 1.8% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early86%
- 15–30 min late3.0%
- 30–60 min late2.4%
- 1–2 hours late3.4%
- 2–3 hours late1.3%
- 3+ hours late2.2%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled1.8%
Share of all 2,287 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of LYH
LYH is unusually consistent through the day. Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. arrived on time 92% of the time; at 6 a.m. it was 92%, a 0-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 92% on time against 75% 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
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 LYH, with 76% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 94%. Summer (June–August) runs 12 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 8 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (5.9% of flights).
Airlines at LYH
American Airlines runs 86% of departures from LYH, so LYH is effectively its hub. When American Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 1,965 | 88% | 88% | 1.8% | −18 min |
| United Airlines | 322 | 70% | 67% | 1.9% | −12 min |
Why flights are late at LYH
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At LYH, 49% 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 22%. 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 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.
LYH vs nearby airports
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LYH Lynchburg - Preston Glenn | — | 2,287 | 86% | 1.8% |
| ROA Roanoke–Blacksburg | 43 mi | 8,323 | 76% | 2.5% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 86% of LYH departures were on time, against 83% in the 12 months before, an improvement of 3 points. The best recent month was October 2025 (96%); the worst, August 2026 (77%).
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from LYH, each airline's final departure was cancelled 3.0% of the time, against 1.6% for its earlier flights (1.9× 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. 1.1% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to Charlotte (3.0% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLT Charlotte | American Airlines | 6:10 p.m. | 3.0% | 1.1% | 82% |
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 LYH
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At LYH the 6 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in July? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of LYH; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at LYH come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from LYH
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLT Charlotte | 1,965 | 88% | 1.8% | −18 min |
Flights into LYH
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Lynchburg - Preston Glenn, least reliable first. The weakest is from Charlotte (83% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLT Charlotte | 1,965 | 83% | 1.9% |
Questions about LYH delays
What is the best time to fly out of LYH?
Flights scheduled at 6 a.m.: over the past year 92% of LYH departures at that hour arrived on time, against 92% at 6 a.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at LYH?
July (76% on time). October is the best month (94%).
Why are flights delayed at LYH?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (49% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (22%).
How often are flights cancelled at LYH?
1.8% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 5.9%.
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.