85% of flights leaving Provo (PVU) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 10 points better than the national average of 76%. About 7 flights leave PVU on a typical day; 0.7% were cancelled. 86% 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: 8 a.m. (94% on time). Worst: 7 a.m. (90%).
- Best month: February (87%). Worst: July (78%).
- Biggest delay cause: the airlines themselves (74% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: improving (78% → 85%).
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 PVU: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 49% of the time. About 1 in 18 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 46 three hours or more; 0.6% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early85%
- 15–30 min late5.0%
- 30–60 min late3.3%
- 1–2 hours late2.3%
- 2–3 hours late1.0%
- 3+ hours late2.2%
- Diverted0.4%
- Cancelled0.6%
Share of all 2,619 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of PVU
PVU is unusually consistent through the day. Flights scheduled to leave at 8 a.m. arrived on time 94% of the time; at 7 a.m. it was 90%, a 3-point gap. 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
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at PVU was a 8 a.m. departure in December (91% on time); the least, 11 a.m. in July (75%). 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 PVU, with 78% of flights on time across 2023–2026; February is the best at 87%. Cancellations peak in January (1.6% of flights).
Airlines at PVU
Allegiant Air runs 62% of departures from PVU, so PVU 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 | 1,626 | 88% | 89% | 0.3% | −8 min |
| American Airlines | 993 | 82% | 81% | 1.3% | −13 min |
Why flights are late at PVU
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At PVU, 74% of delay minutes came from the airlines themselves: crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Next is late-arriving aircraft at 14%.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 19 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
PVU vs nearby airports
PVU isn't the only option in Salt Lake City. Over the past year SLC ran 83% on time with 0.8% of flights cancelled, against 85% and 0.7% at PVU. There's little to choose between them on reliability; pick on fares and convenience.
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PVU Provo | — | 2,619 | 85% | 0.7% |
| SLC Salt Lake City | 42 mi | 118,602 | 83% | 0.8% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 85% of PVU departures were on time, against 78% in the 12 months before, an improvement of 7 points. The best recent month was February 2026 (90%); the worst, June 2026 (80%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Sunday, Jul 19, 2026, when 20% of 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 2026 | 10 | 20% | 30% |
| Jun 26, 2026 | 10 | 10% | 80% |
| Jun 22, 2026 | 10 | 10% | 70% |
| Jul 3, 2026 | 10 | 0% | 80% |
| Jan 2, 2026 | 11 | 0% | 64% |
| Jun 19, 2026 | 10 | 0% | 70% |
| Mar 22, 2026 | 10 | 0% | 90% |
| Apr 3, 2026 | 10 | 0% | 80% |
| Aug 9, 2026 | 10 | 0% | 100% |
| Dec 18, 2025 | 10 | 0% | 80% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from PVU, each airline's final departure was cancelled 1.7% of the time, against 0.5% for its earlier flights (3.3× 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. 3.2% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to Dallas (2.8% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 1:34 p.m. | 2.8% | 3.4% | 73% |
| AZA Phoenix | Allegiant Air | 12:02 p.m. | 0.7% | 4.0% | 80% |
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 PVU
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At PVU the 8 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 PVU; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at PVU come from the airlines themselves. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from PVU
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 723 | 82% | 1.8% | −14 min |
| AZA Phoenix | 709 | 87% | 0.4% | −7 min |
| SNA Santa Ana | 412 | 91% | 0.0% | −10 min |
Flights into PVU
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Provo, least reliable first. The weakest is from Santa Ana (73% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| SNA Santa Ana | 412 | 73% | 0.2% |
| DFW Dallas | 723 | 74% | 1.7% |
| AZA Phoenix | 708 | 79% | 0.4% |
Questions about PVU delays
What is the best time to fly out of PVU?
Flights scheduled at 8 a.m.: over the past year 94% of PVU departures at that hour arrived on time, against 90% at 7 a.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at PVU?
July (78% on time). February is the best month (87%).
Why are flights delayed at PVU?
The biggest cause was the airlines themselves (74% of delay minutes): crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Then late-arriving aircraft (14%).
Is PVU or SLC more reliable?
Over the past year: PVU 85% on time, SLC 83%.
How often are flights cancelled at PVU?
0.7% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 1.6%.
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.