79% of flights leaving Savannah (SAV) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 3 points better than the national average of 76%. That ranks 27 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 64 flights leave SAV on a typical day; 2.5% were cancelled. 78% 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: 4 p.m. (66%).
- Best month: October (86%). Worst: July (68%).
- Most reliable airline here: United Airlines (81%), vs JetBlue at 67%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (39% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: about the same (78% → 79%).
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 SAV: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 49% of the time. About 1 in 13 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 54 three hours or more; 2.5% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early79%
- 15–30 min late5.8%
- 30–60 min late5.3%
- 1–2 hours late4.1%
- 2–3 hours late1.5%
- 3+ hours late1.9%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled2.5%
Share of all 23,318 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of SAV
Time of day matters more at SAV than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 92% of the time; at 4 p.m. it was 66%, a 26-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 89% on time against 68% 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 4.5% of the time, against 2.5% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at SAV was a 5 a.m. departure in February (96% on time); the least, 6 p.m. in July (43%). 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 SAV, with 68% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 86%. Summer (June–August) runs 12 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 5 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (6.7% of flights).
Airlines at SAV
American Airlines runs 31% of departures from SAV. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, United Airlines was the most reliable (81% on time) and JetBlue the least (67%), a 14-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 | 7,274 | 80% | 80% | 2.7% | −11 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 6,614 | 79% | 77% | 3.3% | −10 min |
| United Airlines | 4,355 | 81% | 83% | 1.6% | −10 min |
| Southwest Airlines | 2,934 | 77% | 74% | 0.9% | −4 min |
| JetBlue | 1,067 | 67% | 65% | 4.9% | −5 min |
| Allegiant Air | 869 | 78% | 78% | 0.6% | −6 min |
| Spirit Airlines | 192 | 64% | 57% | 5.7% | −6 min |
Why flights are late at SAV
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At SAV, 39% 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 33%. 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 579 cancellations, 53% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 16 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
SAV vs nearby airports
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAV Savannah Hilton Head | — | 23,318 | 79% | 2.5% |
| HHH Hilton Head | 30 mi | 2,405 | 79% | 1.9% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 79% of SAV departures were on time, against 78% in the 12 months before: essentially unchanged. The best recent month was September 2025 (85%); the worst, July 2026 (68%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Saturday, Jan 31, 2026, when 65% of 49 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 31, 2026 | 49 | 65% | 31% |
| Jan 25, 2026 | 59 | 64% | 17% |
| Feb 1, 2026 | 58 | 36% | 43% |
| Feb 23, 2026 | 63 | 32% | 56% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 71 | 27% | 18% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 57 | 25% | 28% |
| Feb 22, 2026 | 65 | 23% | 38% |
| Jan 24, 2026 | 49 | 20% | 73% |
| Jul 21, 2026 | 59 | 20% | 59% |
| Jan 27, 2026 | 47 | 19% | 55% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from SAV, each airline's final departure was cancelled 4.0% of the time, against 2.1% 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. 2.4% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was JetBlue to New York (14.3% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JFK New York | JetBlue | 7:17 p.m. | 14.3% | 7.9% | 40% |
| LGA New York | Delta Air Lines | 6:52 p.m. | 10.4% | 2.5% | 58% |
| JFK New York | Delta Air Lines | 5:59 p.m. | 10.2% | 1.7% | 70% |
| EWR Newark | United Airlines | 3:23 p.m. | 3.6% | 6.6% | 62% |
| DCA Washington | American Airlines | 7:31 p.m. | 7.7% | 2.5% | 57% |
| PHL Philadelphia | American Airlines | 6:31 p.m. | 5.8% | 2.8% | 72% |
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 7:24 p.m. | 4.4% | 3.6% | 62% |
| ORD Chicago | United Airlines | 4:53 p.m. | 2.8% | 3.0% | 58% |
| DTW Detroit | Delta Air Lines | 6:10 p.m. | 0.4% | 4.7% | 64% |
| CLT Charlotte | American Airlines | 5:56 p.m. | 2.5% | 1.9% | 77% |
| BOS Boston | JetBlue | 9:43 a.m. | 2.5% | 1.5% | 59% |
| IAD Washington | United Airlines | 7:15 p.m. | 1.6% | 1.6% | 84% |
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 SAV
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At SAV 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 SAV; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at SAV come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from SAV
Where you're going matters too. From SAV, the most reliable busy route was to Washington (IAD, 87% on time) and the least reliable to New York (LGA, 69%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOS Boston | 1,023 | 66% | 3.4% | −4 min |
| LGA New York | 1,114 | 69% | 6.6% | −6 min |
| DEN Denver | 370 | 71% | 0.5% | −1 min |
| JFK New York | 1,572 | 73% | 6.4% | −9 min |
| DCA Washington | 1,105 | 74% | 4.9% | −8 min |
| DFW Dallas | 1,022 | 74% | 2.8% | −7 min |
| EWR Newark | 1,080 | 75% | 3.8% | −10 min |
| ORD Chicago | 1,568 | 76% | 1.7% | −6 min |
| MDW Chicago | 388 | 76% | 0.5% | −3 min |
| DTW Detroit | 620 | 76% | 1.5% | −9 min |
| BNA Nashville | 922 | 79% | 0.8% | −4 min |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,157 | 79% | 3.6% | −10 min |
| BWI Baltimore | 987 | 80% | 1.5% | −7 min |
| MIA Miami | 808 | 85% | 1.6% | −7 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 2,673 | 85% | 1.9% | −14 min |
| IAH Houston | 916 | 85% | 0.7% | −15 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 3,064 | 86% | 1.6% | −13 min |
| IAD Washington | 1,144 | 87% | 1.2% | −13 min |
Flights into SAV
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Savannah Hilton Head, least reliable first. The weakest is from Dallas (64% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 1,023 | 64% | 2.7% |
| DCA Washington | 1,104 | 64% | 4.8% |
| LGA New York | 1,114 | 64% | 6.6% |
| JFK New York | 1,572 | 73% | 6.2% |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,154 | 73% | 3.1% |
| BNA Nashville | 921 | 74% | 0.7% |
| MDW Chicago | 388 | 76% | 0.8% |
| CLT Charlotte | 2,677 | 76% | 1.8% |
| DTW Detroit | 620 | 76% | 1.3% |
| ORD Chicago | 1,566 | 77% | 1.8% |
| EWR Newark | 1,081 | 77% | 3.3% |
| BOS Boston | 1,023 | 77% | 2.6% |
| BWI Baltimore | 988 | 79% | 1.0% |
| MIA Miami | 808 | 80% | 1.6% |
| ATL Atlanta | 3,064 | 81% | 1.5% |
| DEN Denver | 370 | 82% | 0.0% |
| IAD Washington | 1,139 | 83% | 1.1% |
| IAH Houston | 921 | 83% | 0.9% |
Questions about SAV delays
What is the best time to fly out of SAV?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 92% of SAV departures at that hour arrived on time, against 66% at 4 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at SAV?
July (68% on time). October is the best month (86%).
Which airline is most on time at SAV?
United Airlines: 81% of its SAV departures arrived on time over the past year. JetBlue had the weakest record at 67%.
Why are flights delayed at SAV?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (39% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (33%).
How often are flights cancelled at SAV?
2.5% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 6.7%.
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.