What "on-time" means in US flight data
A US flight is counted as on-time when it arrives at the gate less than 15 minutes after its scheduled time and is not cancelled or diverted. This is the Bureau of Transportation Statistics standard used across every route and airport page on this site.
Why it matters
How the US DOT defines an on-time flight, and why the 15-minute threshold matters when you read delay statistics. Use this alongside the route on-time pages and hub airport delay pages to interpret the numbers in context.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the data behind "What "on-time" means in US flight data" come from?
From the US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics Airline On-Time Performance record. RouteOnTime's airport on-time and cancellation figures are real BTS data for full-year 2024; per-route figures are estimates derived from the endpoint airports. See the methodology page for details.
Is this guide specific to one airline?
No — these definitions apply across all US reporting carriers. Per-route and per-airport figures are on the route and airport pages.
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Last updated: 2026-06-13