82% of flights leaving Abilene (ABI) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 6 points better than the national average of 76%. About 6 flights leave ABI on a typical day; 1.7% were cancelled. 82% 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: 10 a.m. (86% on time). Worst: 6 p.m. (70%).
- Best month: February (88%). Worst: June (77%).
- Biggest delay cause: the airlines themselves (40% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: about the same (83% → 82%).
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 ABI: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 50% of the time. About 1 in 15 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 63 three hours or more; 1.7% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early82%
- 15–30 min late5.3%
- 30–60 min late4.0%
- 1–2 hours late3.7%
- 2–3 hours late1.4%
- 3+ hours late1.6%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled1.7%
Share of all 2,342 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of ABI
Time of day matters more at ABI than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 10 a.m. arrived on time 86% of the time; at 6 p.m. it was 70%, a 16-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 84% on time against 70% 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 3.1% of the time, against 1.7% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at ABI was a 10 a.m. departure in March (90% on time); the least, 6 p.m. in July (61%). 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 ABI, with 77% of flights on time across 2023–2026; February is the best at 88%. Summer (June–August) runs 4 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Cancellations peak in January (4.5% of flights).
Airlines at ABI
American Airlines runs 78% of departures from ABI, so ABI is effectively its hub. When American Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 1,838 | 82% | 81% | 2.0% | −9 min |
| United Airlines | 504 | 83% | 84% | 0.4% | −12 min |
Why flights are late at ABI
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At ABI, 40% of delay minutes came from the airlines themselves: crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Next is late-arriving aircraft at 27%.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 13 minutes, shorter than at most large U.S. airports.
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 82% of ABI departures were on time, against 83% in the 12 months before: essentially unchanged. The best recent month was February 2026 (88%); the worst, January 2026 (77%).
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from ABI, each airline's final departure was cancelled 3.4% of the time, against 1.4% for its earlier flights (2.5× 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. 2.3% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to Dallas (4.4% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 6:05 p.m. | 4.4% | 1.6% | 70% |
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 ABI
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At ABI the 10 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.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of ABI; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at ABI come from the airlines themselves. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from ABI
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 1,750 | 82% | 2.1% | −9 min |
Flights into ABI
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Abilene, least reliable first. The weakest is from Dallas (81% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 1,750 | 81% | 2.1% |
Questions about ABI delays
What is the best time to fly out of ABI?
Flights scheduled at 10 a.m.: over the past year 86% of ABI departures at that hour arrived on time, against 70% at 6 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at ABI?
June (77% on time). February is the best month (88%).
Why are flights delayed at ABI?
The biggest cause was the airlines themselves (40% of delay minutes): crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Then late-arriving aircraft (27%).
How often are flights cancelled at ABI?
1.7% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 4.5%.
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.