ON TIMEBOARD

EWR → BUF on time

Newark (Newark, NJ) to Buffalo Niagara (Buffalo, NY). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
72%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
5.6%
1,065 flights
Typical arrival
−9 min
median vs schedule
When late
+83 min
average delay
Flights / day
3
1 airline

72% of flights from Newark to Buffalo arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is worse than the typical U.S. route. The 8 a.m. departures ran on time 84% of the time; the 4 p.m. ones 67%. 16% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.

How late?

The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for EWR → BUF: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 42% of the time. About 1 in 10 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 53 three hours or more; 5.6% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 1,065 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
United Airlines1,06572%5.6%−9 min10.2%+83 minGoJet 55%, Republic Airways 39%, United Airlines 6%

Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.

Best time of day to fly

On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at EWR). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%8 a.m. departures: 84% on time (245 flights)848a9 a.m. departures: too few flights (82 flights)9a10 a.m. departures: too few flights (10 flights)10a11 a.m. departures: too few flights11anoon departures: too few flights12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights (32 flights)1p2 p.m. departures: too few flights (19 flights)2p3 p.m. departures: too few flights (20 flights)3p4 p.m. departures: 67% on time (235 flights)674p5 p.m. departures: too few flights (70 flights)5p6 p.m. departures: too few flights6p7 p.m. departures: too few flights (36 flights)7p8 p.m. departures: too few flights (70 flights)8p9 p.m. departures: 68% on time (225 flights)689p10 p.m. departures: too few flights (21 flights)10p
EWR → BUF, share of flights arriving on time, by departure hour. Hours with under 100 flights are greyed out.
82%+ on time76–82%68–76%under 68%too few flights

Last flight of the day

On EWR → BUF, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 7.7% of the time, against 4.6% for its earlier flights (1.7× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 1.1% of the time (earlier flights: 2.1%). It matters more than the numbers suggest. Miss an earlier flight and there's another one that evening; miss the last one and you're usually waiting until morning.

AirlineLast departureLast: cancelledLast: 3h+ lateEarlier: cancelledNext morning
United Airlines8:59 p.m.7.7%1.1%4.6%first flight 8:25 a.m.

Last flight = the airline's last scheduled departure on this route that day, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Times are typical scheduled times over the latest three months.

If you need to be in BUF tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: October (82%). Worst: July (60%).

40%70%100%Jan: 70% on time (260 flights)70JanFeb: 77% on time (252 flights)77FebMar: 79% on time (269 flights)79MarApr: 82% on time (254 flights)82AprMay: 77% on time (242 flights)77MayJun: 72% on time (236 flights)72JunJul: 60% on time (263 flights)60JulAug: 66% on time (282 flights)66AugSep: 77% on time (327 flights)77SepOct: 82% on time (353 flights)82OctNov: 73% on time (262 flights)73NovDec: 70% on time (228 flights)70Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday16067%7.5%
Tuesday15872%4.4%
Wednesday15776%3.8%
Thursday15668%6.4%
Friday15880%3.8%
Saturday11973%4.2%
Sunday15769%8.9%

Why flights were late

Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.

Late inbound plane 63%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 17%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 15%Severe weather 6%

Cancellations: weather 38 · air traffic/airport 21 · airline 1

Month by month

60%80%100%Sep 2023Jan 2024Jan 2025Jan 2026Sep 2023: 74% on time, 8.6% cancelledOct 2023: 93% on time, 0.0% cancelledAug 2024: 66% on time, 14.6% cancelledSep 2024: 82% on time, 0.0% cancelledOct 2024: 85% on time, 0.0% cancelledOct 2025: 68% on time, 0.9% cancelled
Share of flights on time, by month (hover a point for cancellations)
EWR → BUF, monthly on-time and cancellation rate.

Flight numbers on this route

Regular flights with at least 120 scheduled trips in the past year. Sorted by departure time.

FlightDepartsFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrivalOperated by
UA 35298:25 a.m.14184%1.4%−15 minRepublic Airways

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Nov 3, 202530%0
Jan 18, 202630%0
Oct 27, 202530%0
Jan 26, 202630%3
Nov 8, 202530%2

Nearby airport alternatives

Other ways to make the same trip, using airports within 60 miles of Newark or Buffalo. EWR → ROC has been 6 points more reliable.

RouteFlightsOn timeCancelled
EWR → BUF (this route)1,06572%5.6%
EWR → ROC Newark to Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester1,02378%6.2%
JFK → BUF New York JFK to Buffalo Niagara2,63771%6.9%
LGA → BUF LaGuardia to Buffalo Niagara2,31770%6.7%
JFK → ROC New York JFK to Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester1,67769%5.9%
LGA → ROC LaGuardia to Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester97465%7.2%

Questions

How often are flights from EWR to BUF on time?

72% of 1,065 scheduled flights from Newark, NJ to Buffalo, NY arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 5.6% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly EWR to BUF?

Flights scheduled to leave at 8 a.m. were the most reliable (84% on time). The 4 p.m. departures were the least (67%).

What month has the most delays from EWR to BUF?

July (60% on time). The best month is October (82%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from EWR to BUF more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last EWR–BUF flight of the day was cancelled 7.7% of the time over the past year, against 4.6% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.

Related

Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.