78% of flights leaving Pittsburgh (PIT) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 3 points better than the national average of 76%. That ranks 30 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 128 flights leave PIT on a typical day; 2.3% were cancelled. 80% 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. (92% on time). Worst: 8 p.m. (61%).
- Best month: October (87%). Worst: July (73%).
- Most reliable airline here: United Airlines (81%), vs JetBlue at 75%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (38% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (81% → 78%).
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 PIT: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 51% of the time. About 1 in 14 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 61 three hours or more; 2.3% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early78%
- 15–30 min late6.6%
- 30–60 min late5.3%
- 1–2 hours late3.9%
- 2–3 hours late1.6%
- 3+ hours late1.6%
- Diverted0.2%
- Cancelled2.3%
Share of all 46,626 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of PIT
Time of day matters more at PIT than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 92% of the time; at 8 p.m. it was 61%, a 30-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 88% on time against 66% 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 3.9% of the time, against 2.3% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at PIT was a 5 a.m. departure in April (97% on time); the least, 6 p.m. in July (51%). 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 PIT, with 73% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 87%. Summer (June–August) runs 11 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 8 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in July (3.9% of flights).
Airlines at PIT
American Airlines runs 28% of departures from PIT. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, United Airlines was the most reliable (81% on time) and JetBlue the least (75%), a 6-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 | 12,884 | 77% | 79% | 2.7% | −9 min |
| Southwest Airlines | 10,398 | 79% | 76% | 0.7% | −5 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 9,829 | 80% | 81% | 2.9% | −11 min |
| United Airlines | 8,479 | 81% | 84% | 2.4% | −10 min |
| JetBlue | 1,761 | 75% | 77% | 4.9% | −8 min |
| Allegiant Air | 1,607 | 78% | 81% | 0.9% | −9 min |
| Spirit Airlines | 935 | 75% | 75% | 4.7% | −7 min |
| Alaska Airlines | 474 | 73% | 76% | 1.1% | −4 min |
| Frontier Airlines | 259 | 71% | 70% | 1.5% | −8 min |
Why flights are late at PIT
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At PIT, 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 29%. 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 1,066 cancellations, 50% 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 78% of PIT departures were on time, against 81% in the 12 months before, a decline of 2 points. The best recent month was September 2025 (86%); the worst, August 2026 (71%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Sunday, Jan 25, 2026, when 86% of 124 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25, 2026 | 124 | 86% | 3% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 120 | 43% | 13% |
| Feb 23, 2026 | 125 | 28% | 48% |
| Jul 21, 2026 | 130 | 27% | 50% |
| Jul 28, 2026 | 130 | 22% | 54% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 132 | 20% | 36% |
| Feb 24, 2026 | 108 | 18% | 69% |
| Feb 22, 2026 | 125 | 17% | 42% |
| Jan 27, 2026 | 108 | 17% | 37% |
| Jul 18, 2026 | 128 | 15% | 51% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from PIT, each airline's final departure was cancelled 3.3% of the time, against 2.2% for its earlier flights (1.5× 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. 2.3% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was Delta Air Lines to New York (11.1% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGA New York | Delta Air Lines | 6:40 p.m. | 11.1% | 2.2% | 64% |
| EWR Newark | United Airlines | 7:21 p.m. | 9.6% | 3.0% | 59% |
| LGA New York | American Airlines | 4:54 p.m. | 7.2% | 4.6% | 61% |
| JFK New York | Delta Air Lines | 5:04 p.m. | 5.3% | 5.3% | 67% |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | Spirit Airlines | — | 7.1% | 1.8% | 63% |
| BOS Boston | JetBlue | 8:28 p.m. | 5.3% | 3.4% | 63% |
| DCA Washington | American Airlines | 5:44 p.m. | 3.3% | 5.0% | 54% |
| PHL Philadelphia | American Airlines | 7:45 p.m. | 6.0% | 1.9% | 67% |
| ORD Chicago | American Airlines | 8:49 p.m. | 4.4% | 3.0% | 54% |
| BOS Boston | Delta Air Lines | 7:07 p.m. | 5.8% | 1.4% | 68% |
| JFK New York | American Airlines | 12:13 p.m. | 5.7% | 1.1% | 74% |
| ORD Chicago | United Airlines | 7:40 p.m. | 4.7% | 2.2% | 61% |
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 PIT
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At PIT the 5 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.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of PIT; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at PIT come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from PIT
Where you're going matters too. From PIT, the most reliable busy route was to Atlanta (ATL, 87% on time) and the least reliable to Washington (DCA, 65%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DCA Washington | 1,413 | 65% | 3.4% | 0 min |
| SEA Seattle | 474 | 73% | 1.1% | −4 min |
| LGA New York | 3,365 | 75% | 5.8% | −9 min |
| BOS Boston | 2,162 | 75% | 3.8% | −11 min |
| ORD Chicago | 4,052 | 75% | 2.3% | −7 min |
| MDW Chicago | 1,097 | 75% | 1.1% | −2 min |
| PHX Phoenix | 804 | 76% | 0.5% | −3 min |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 1,102 | 76% | 3.1% | −7 min |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,961 | 76% | 3.7% | −10 min |
| RSW Fort Myers | 475 | 77% | 0.8% | −4 min |
| EWR Newark | 2,302 | 78% | 5.4% | −14 min |
| MCO Orlando | 2,238 | 78% | 1.3% | −6 min |
| MIA Miami | 736 | 78% | 1.2% | −10 min |
| TPA Tampa | 814 | 78% | 0.3% | −7 min |
| DTW Detroit | 1,582 | 79% | 1.6% | −9 min |
| LAX Los Angeles | 429 | 79% | 0.5% | −9 min |
| DAL Dallas | 365 | 79% | 0.5% | −6 min |
| JFK New York | 2,254 | 79% | 4.7% | −10 min |
| MSP Minneapolis | 1,264 | 80% | 1.3% | −8 min |
| DFW Dallas | 1,511 | 80% | 1.5% | −13 min |
| DEN Denver | 1,623 | 80% | 0.7% | −6 min |
| SFO San Francisco | 553 | 80% | 0.5% | −6 min |
| STL St. Louis | 521 | 80% | 0.2% | −8 min |
| BNA Nashville | 1,101 | 81% | 0.7% | −7 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 1,981 | 81% | 1.7% | −10 min |
| LAS Las Vegas | 678 | 83% | 0.1% | −6 min |
| BWI Baltimore | 1,071 | 84% | 1.4% | −9 min |
| RDU Raleigh | 725 | 84% | 1.2% | −10 min |
| IAH Houston | 1,035 | 86% | 0.4% | −15 min |
| IAD Washington | 1,455 | 86% | 1.4% | −11 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 2,737 | 87% | 1.9% | −15 min |
Flights into PIT
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Pittsburgh, least reliable first. The weakest is from Fort Lauderdale (63% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 1,107 | 63% | 2.5% |
| DCA Washington | 1,413 | 70% | 4.3% |
| DAL Dallas | 366 | 70% | 0.8% |
| JFK New York | 2,254 | 71% | 5.7% |
| RSW Fort Myers | 475 | 71% | 0.4% |
| BNA Nashville | 1,103 | 71% | 0.5% |
| ORD Chicago | 4,050 | 72% | 2.3% |
| MIA Miami | 735 | 72% | 1.6% |
| DFW Dallas | 1,512 | 72% | 1.3% |
| BOS Boston | 2,163 | 73% | 3.8% |
| MCO Orlando | 2,234 | 74% | 1.4% |
| DEN Denver | 1,622 | 74% | 0.5% |
| LAS Las Vegas | 676 | 74% | 0.6% |
| LGA New York | 3,365 | 74% | 5.4% |
| PHX Phoenix | 804 | 74% | 0.5% |
| CLT Charlotte | 1,980 | 74% | 1.6% |
| TPA Tampa | 814 | 75% | 0.7% |
| EWR Newark | 2,303 | 75% | 5.2% |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,963 | 76% | 3.6% |
| DTW Detroit | 1,583 | 76% | 1.1% |
| BWI Baltimore | 1,071 | 76% | 2.2% |
| MSP Minneapolis | 1,264 | 77% | 1.1% |
| STL St. Louis | 522 | 78% | 0.0% |
| SEA Seattle | 474 | 78% | 0.6% |
| MDW Chicago | 1,096 | 79% | 1.3% |
Showing the 25 least reliable of 31 routes into PIT.
Questions about PIT delays
What is the best time to fly out of PIT?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 92% of PIT departures at that hour arrived on time, against 61% at 8 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at PIT?
July (73% on time). October is the best month (87%).
Which airline is most on time at PIT?
United Airlines: 81% of its PIT departures arrived on time over the past year. JetBlue had the weakest record at 75%.
Why are flights delayed at PIT?
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 (29%).
How often are flights cancelled at PIT?
2.3% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in July at 3.9%.
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.