73% of flights leaving Miami (MIA) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 3 points worse than the national average of 76%. That ranks 68 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 305 flights leave MIA on a typical day; 1.6% 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 hour to fly: 6 a.m. (89% on time). Worst: 6 p.m. (62%).
- Best month: October (81%). Worst: July (62%).
- Most reliable airline here: United Airlines (77%), vs Spirit Airlines at 62%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (40% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (74% → 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 MIA: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 52% of the time. About 1 in 11 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 59 three hours or more; 1.6% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early73%
- 15–30 min late8.4%
- 30–60 min late7.7%
- 1–2 hours late5.6%
- 2–3 hours late1.9%
- 3+ hours late1.7%
- Diverted0.4%
- Cancelled1.6%
Share of all 111,148 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of MIA
Time of day matters more at MIA than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. arrived on time 89% of the time; at 6 p.m. it was 62%, a 27-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 88% on time against 65% 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 2.6% of the time, against 1.6% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at MIA was a 7 a.m. departure in October (92% on time); the least, 5 p.m. in July (46%). 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
July is the hardest month at MIA, with 62% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 81%. Summer (June–August) runs 14 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 6 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (3.2% of flights).
Airlines at MIA
American Airlines runs 72% of departures from MIA, so MIA 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 (77% on time) and Spirit Airlines the least (62%), a 16-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 | 79,490 | 73% | 74% | 1.5% | −5 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 11,830 | 73% | 73% | 2.2% | −5 min |
| United Airlines | 6,757 | 77% | 79% | 1.1% | −8 min |
| Southwest Airlines | 5,373 | 69% | 63% | 1.2% | 0 min |
| Frontier Airlines | 4,358 | 72% | 74% | 2.4% | −7 min |
| Spirit Airlines | 2,803 | 62% | 65% | 5.3% | +1 min |
| Alaska Airlines | 533 | 71% | 71% | 1.3% | −2 min |
Why flights are late at MIA
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At MIA, 40% 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 32%. 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 1,822 cancellations, 68% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 21 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.
MIA vs nearby airports
MIA isn't the only option in South Florida. Over the past year FLL ran 68% on time with 2.5% of flights cancelled; PBI ran 73% on time with 2.6% of flights cancelled, against 73% and 1.6% at MIA. There's little to choose between them on reliability; pick on fares and convenience.
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIA Miami | — | 111,148 | 73% | 1.6% |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 21 mi | 90,845 | 68% | 2.5% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 73% of MIA departures were on time, against 74% in the 12 months before, a decline of 1 points. The best recent month was September 2025 (78%); the worst, July 2026 (62%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Monday, Mar 16, 2026, when 42% of 342 scheduled departures were cancelled. Days like that are usually a major storm, a system outage or a holiday peak hitting bad weather. No average predicts them, so on a stormy forecast, check your airline's travel waivers.
| Date | Departures | Cancelled | On time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2026 | 342 | 42% | 20% |
| Jan 25, 2026 | 344 | 41% | 31% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 335 | 33% | 33% |
| Jan 27, 2026 | 313 | 31% | 38% |
| Feb 23, 2026 | 336 | 21% | 66% |
| Jan 24, 2026 | 354 | 18% | 67% |
| Mar 15, 2026 | 344 | 17% | 25% |
| Nov 9, 2025 | 317 | 15% | 36% |
| Feb 22, 2026 | 338 | 14% | 49% |
| Jul 21, 2026 | 282 | 12% | 65% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from MIA, each airline's final departure was cancelled 1.8% of the time, against 1.6% for its earlier flights, about the same. 1.8% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was Spirit Airlines to New York (9.5% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGA New York | Spirit Airlines | — | 9.5% | 5.2% | 44% |
| ATL Atlanta | Frontier Airlines | 5:28 p.m. | 2.4% | 5.9% | 54% |
| LGA New York | American Airlines | 8:40 p.m. | 6.3% | 1.9% | 54% |
| EWR Newark | United Airlines | 8:36 p.m. | 4.4% | 3.8% | 64% |
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 10:46 p.m. | 4.7% | 1.9% | 67% |
| DCA Washington | American Airlines | 10:10 p.m. | 3.8% | 2.7% | 72% |
| EWR Newark | American Airlines | 9:52 p.m. | 4.1% | 1.6% | 61% |
| JFK New York | Delta Air Lines | 7:59 p.m. | 3.6% | 2.2% | 53% |
| LGA New York | Delta Air Lines | 7:40 p.m. | 4.9% | 0.8% | 55% |
| CHS Charleston | American Airlines | 10:15 p.m. | 1.5% | 4.2% | 59% |
| ORD Chicago | United Airlines | 5:32 p.m. | 0.9% | 4.6% | 54% |
| ORD Chicago | American Airlines | 9:50 p.m. | 2.5% | 3.0% | 70% |
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.
MIA at the holidays
On the busy Thanksgiving travel days, flights from MIA arrived on time 72% of the time, against 82% normally (−10.5 points; 25th of the 30 busiest airports). On the busy Christmas–New Year travel days, flights from MIA arrived on time 66% of the time, against 74% normally (−8.5 points; 29th of the 30 busiest airports).
Thanksgiving: best days to fly → · Christmas: best days to fly →
Tips for flying out of MIA
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At MIA 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.
- Choosing between airlines? United Airlines has the better record here.
- Connecting here? See how long a layover you need at MIA.
- Delayed already? Most delays at MIA come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Delayed at MIA right now? See how much later MIA delays usually get, and what to do →
Routes from MIA
Where you're going matters too. From MIA, the most reliable busy route was to Key West (EYW, 86% on time) and the least reliable to New York (LGA, 64%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEM Memphis | 529 | 62% | 1.5% | +3 min |
| SDF Louisville | 408 | 63% | 1.5% | +1 min |
| LGA New York | 5,955 | 64% | 4.2% | −1 min |
| MDW Chicago | 505 | 66% | 1.6% | +1 min |
| CHS Charleston | 952 | 67% | 1.3% | −1 min |
| SEA Seattle | 1,233 | 68% | 1.1% | 0 min |
| DAL Dallas | 419 | 68% | 0.7% | −2 min |
| BOS Boston | 3,366 | 68% | 2.2% | −3 min |
| RIC Richmond | 588 | 69% | 1.7% | −2 min |
| SAT San Antonio | 495 | 69% | 0.6% | −4 min |
| ORD Chicago | 4,464 | 69% | 1.9% | −4 min |
| BNA Nashville | 2,533 | 69% | 1.2% | −2 min |
| JFK New York | 4,526 | 69% | 3.1% | −4 min |
| EWR Newark | 3,913 | 70% | 2.9% | −5 min |
| SFO San Francisco | 1,740 | 70% | 0.6% | −5 min |
| RDU Raleigh | 2,381 | 70% | 1.6% | −4 min |
| BDL Hartford | 428 | 70% | 1.6% | −3 min |
| TPA Tampa | 2,927 | 71% | 1.1% | −3 min |
| CLE Cleveland | 891 | 71% | 1.0% | −4 min |
| LAS Las Vegas | 1,379 | 71% | 0.8% | −4 min |
| BWI Baltimore | 2,291 | 71% | 2.1% | −4 min |
| AUS Austin | 2,236 | 71% | 0.9% | −5 min |
| PIT Pittsburgh | 735 | 72% | 1.6% | −6 min |
| MCI Kansas City | 872 | 72% | 1.3% | −4 min |
| IND Indianapolis | 908 | 72% | 1.3% | −5 min |
| MSP Minneapolis | 1,139 | 72% | 0.9% | −4 min |
| DTW Detroit | 1,755 | 72% | 1.5% | −4 min |
| MCO Orlando | 3,700 | 72% | 1.1% | −4 min |
| PHL Philadelphia | 3,289 | 73% | 3.3% | −6 min |
| DFW Dallas | 4,804 | 73% | 2.4% | −5 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 6,271 | 73% | 1.6% | −6 min |
| ORF Norfolk | 657 | 73% | 1.2% | −5 min |
| MSY New Orleans | 1,480 | 73% | 1.1% | −4 min |
| JAX Jacksonville | 1,483 | 74% | 0.7% | −4 min |
| DCA Washington | 3,954 | 74% | 2.1% | −6 min |
| LAX Los Angeles | 3,251 | 75% | 0.7% | −7 min |
| TYS Knoxville | 506 | 75% | 0.6% | −6 min |
| SAN San Diego | 680 | 75% | 1.0% | −8 min |
| STL St. Louis | 1,197 | 75% | 0.7% | −6 min |
| SJU San Juan | 2,645 | 76% | 0.9% | −6 min |
| DEN Denver | 2,444 | 76% | 0.5% | −7 min |
| SLC Salt Lake City | 818 | 77% | 0.6% | −5 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 3,733 | 77% | 1.6% | −7 min |
| STX Christiansted | 688 | 77% | 0.4% | −10 min |
| STT Charlotte Amalie | 941 | 78% | 0.4% | −6 min |
| GNV Gainesville | 384 | 78% | 0.0% | −4 min |
| ILM Wilmington | 460 | 78% | 1.5% | −9 min |
| IAH Houston | 3,667 | 78% | 1.2% | −10 min |
| CMH Columbus | 1,179 | 78% | 0.4% | −8 min |
| GSP Greer | 724 | 78% | 1.2% | −7 min |
| GSO Greensboro | 539 | 78% | 2.2% | −9 min |
| PHX Phoenix | 1,826 | 79% | 0.8% | −9 min |
| SAV Savannah | 808 | 80% | 1.6% | −7 min |
| CVG Cincinnati | 989 | 81% | 0.9% | −8 min |
| BHM Birmingham | 617 | 82% | 0.7% | −5 min |
| TLH Tallahassee | 1,198 | 82% | 0.4% | −7 min |
| PNS Pensacola | 1,185 | 82% | 0.9% | −7 min |
| IAD Washington | 603 | 84% | 0.7% | −11 min |
| SRQ Sarasota | 369 | 85% | 0.0% | −9 min |
| EYW Key West | 1,274 | 86% | 0.4% | −10 min |
Flights into MIA
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Miami, least reliable first. The weakest is from New York (67% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| LGA New York | 5,951 | 67% | 4.3% |
| DFW Dallas | 4,804 | 67% | 2.4% |
| DAL Dallas | 417 | 69% | 2.2% |
| ATL Atlanta | 6,280 | 70% | 1.6% |
| ORD Chicago | 4,465 | 72% | 1.9% |
| MDW Chicago | 505 | 72% | 1.2% |
| BWI Baltimore | 2,294 | 73% | 2.4% |
| MCO Orlando | 3,700 | 74% | 1.2% |
| BNA Nashville | 2,534 | 74% | 1.2% |
| DEN Denver | 2,443 | 74% | 0.5% |
| JFK New York | 4,526 | 74% | 3.1% |
| PHL Philadelphia | 3,286 | 75% | 2.9% |
| DCA Washington | 3,954 | 75% | 2.1% |
| EWR Newark | 3,914 | 75% | 3.0% |
| CLT Charlotte | 3,731 | 75% | 1.8% |
| SFO San Francisco | 1,741 | 76% | 0.6% |
| BOS Boston | 3,368 | 76% | 2.2% |
| RDU Raleigh | 2,383 | 76% | 1.7% |
| PHX Phoenix | 1,825 | 77% | 0.9% |
| IAH Houston | 3,665 | 77% | 1.3% |
| LAX Los Angeles | 3,256 | 78% | 0.8% |
| TPA Tampa | 2,924 | 78% | 1.1% |
| PIT Pittsburgh | 736 | 78% | 1.2% |
| SJU San Juan | 2,650 | 78% | 0.9% |
| GSP Greer | 723 | 78% | 1.2% |
Showing the 25 least reliable of 60 routes into MIA.
Questions about MIA delays
What is the best time to fly out of MIA?
Flights scheduled at 6 a.m.: over the past year 89% of MIA departures at that hour arrived on time, against 62% at 6 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at MIA?
July (62% on time). October is the best month (81%).
Which airline is most on time at MIA?
United Airlines: 77% of its MIA departures arrived on time over the past year. Spirit Airlines had the weakest record at 62%.
Why are flights delayed at MIA?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (40% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (32%).
Is MIA or FLL or PBI more reliable?
Over the past year: MIA 73% on time, FLL 68%, PBI 73%.
How often are flights cancelled at MIA?
1.6% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 3.2%.
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.