72% of flights leaving Rochester (RST) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 4 points worse than the national average of 76%. About 6 flights leave RST on a typical day; 3.2% were cancelled. 74% 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: 11 a.m. (74% on time). Worst: 6 p.m. (54%).
- Best month: September (84%). Worst: June (68%).
- Most reliable airline here: Delta Air Lines (80%), vs American Airlines at 63%.
- Biggest delay cause: the airlines themselves (39% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (76% → 72%).
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 RST: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 45% of the time. About 1 in 9 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 33 three hours or more; 3.2% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early72%
- 15–30 min late7.3%
- 30–60 min late6.1%
- 1–2 hours late5.8%
- 2–3 hours late2.8%
- 3+ hours late3.1%
- Diverted0.1%
- Cancelled3.2%
Share of all 2,119 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of RST
Time of day matters more at RST than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 11 a.m. arrived on time 74% of the time; at 6 p.m. it was 54%, a 20-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 79% on time against 54% 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 5.9% of the time, against 3.2% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at RST was a 5 a.m. departure in February (92% on time); the least, 11 a.m. in March (67%). 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
June is the hardest month at RST, with 68% of flights on time across 2023–2026; September is the best at 84%. Summer (June–August) runs 12 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 9 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in March (5.0% of flights).
Airlines at RST
American Airlines runs 50% of departures from RST, so RST is effectively its hub. When American Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, Delta Air Lines was the most reliable (80% on time) and American Airlines the least (63%), a 17-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 | 1,067 | 63% | 66% | 4.8% | 0 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 1,052 | 80% | 81% | 1.6% | −10 min |
Why flights are late at RST
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At RST, 39% of delay minutes came from the airlines themselves: crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Next is late-arriving aircraft at 32%. Of the 68 cancellations, 68% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 19 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 72% of RST departures were on time, against 76% in the 12 months before, a decline of 5 points. The best recent month was May 2026 (83%); the worst, December 2025 (48%).
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from RST, each airline's final departure was cancelled 4.1% of the time, against 2.7% 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. 3.4% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to Chicago (7.1% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago | American Airlines | 7:02 p.m. | 7.1% | 4.7% | 52% |
| MSP Minneapolis | Delta Air Lines | 4:44 p.m. | 1.1% | 2.2% | 76% |
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 RST
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At RST the 11 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in June? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Choosing between airlines? Delta Air Lines has the better record here.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of RST; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at RST come from the airlines themselves. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from RST
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago | 1,067 | 63% | 4.8% | 0 min |
| MSP Minneapolis | 1,052 | 80% | 1.6% | −10 min |
Flights into RST
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Rochester, least reliable first. The weakest is from Chicago (62% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago | 1,067 | 62% | 5.0% |
| MSP Minneapolis | 1,052 | 76% | 1.5% |
Questions about RST delays
What is the best time to fly out of RST?
Flights scheduled at 11 a.m.: over the past year 74% of RST departures at that hour arrived on time, against 54% at 6 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at RST?
June (68% on time). September is the best month (84%).
Which airline is most on time at RST?
Delta Air Lines: 80% of its RST departures arrived on time over the past year. American Airlines had the weakest record at 63%.
Why are flights delayed at RST?
The biggest cause was the airlines themselves (39% of delay minutes): crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Then late-arriving aircraft (32%).
How often are flights cancelled at RST?
3.2% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in March at 5.0%.
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.