77% of flights leaving Cincinnati (CVG) arrived on time over the past 12 months, right at the national average of 76%. That ranks 35 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 120 flights leave CVG on a typical day; 2.3% were cancelled. 79% 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. (88% on time). Worst: 9 p.m. (61%).
- Best month: October (85%). Worst: July (71%).
- Most reliable airline here: Delta Air Lines (79%), vs American Airlines at 74%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (37% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: about the same (78% → 77%).
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 CVG: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 49% of the time. About 1 in 12 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 53 three hours or more; 2.3% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early77%
- 15–30 min late6.6%
- 30–60 min late5.6%
- 1–2 hours late4.5%
- 2–3 hours late1.7%
- 3+ hours late1.9%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled2.3%
Share of all 43,862 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of CVG
Time of day matters more at CVG than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 88% of the time; at 9 p.m. it was 61%, a 27-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 84% on time against 66% 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: 8 p.m. departures were cancelled 4.7% of the time, against 2.3% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at CVG was a 9 a.m. departure in October (95% on time); the least, 9 p.m. in July (48%). 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 CVG, with 71% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 85%. Summer (June–August) runs 10 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 7 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (4.3% of flights).
Airlines at CVG
Delta Air Lines runs 38% of departures from CVG. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, Delta Air Lines was the most reliable (79% on time) and American Airlines the least (74%), a 5-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 16,657 | 79% | 81% | 2.3% | −10 min |
| American Airlines | 10,903 | 74% | 76% | 3.1% | −8 min |
| United Airlines | 6,758 | 77% | 81% | 2.8% | −7 min |
| Allegiant Air | 3,488 | 76% | 79% | 0.4% | −5 min |
| Frontier Airlines | 3,096 | 77% | 79% | 1.4% | −8 min |
| Southwest Airlines | 2,529 | 79% | 76% | 0.9% | −3 min |
| Alaska Airlines | 431 | 70% | 76% | 1.9% | −1 min |
Why flights are late at CVG
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At CVG, 37% 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 30%. 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 993 cancellations, 52% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 17 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 77% of CVG departures were on time, against 78% in the 12 months before: essentially unchanged. The best recent month was September 2025 (86%); the worst, December 2025 (66%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Sunday, Jan 25, 2026, when 82% of 115 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 25, 2026 | 115 | 82% | 3% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 111 | 33% | 28% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 140 | 24% | 30% |
| Feb 23, 2026 | 126 | 23% | 44% |
| Jan 27, 2026 | 93 | 22% | 42% |
| Jul 21, 2026 | 121 | 17% | 56% |
| Jul 28, 2026 | 121 | 16% | 52% |
| Feb 24, 2026 | 97 | 14% | 58% |
| Nov 10, 2025 | 125 | 14% | 33% |
| Nov 9, 2025 | 129 | 13% | 53% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from CVG, each airline's final departure was cancelled 3.4% of the time, against 2.3% 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. 2.5% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to Washington (8.1% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DCA Washington | American Airlines | 5:12 p.m. | 8.1% | 5.9% | 51% |
| ORD Chicago | American Airlines | 8:27 p.m. | 7.4% | 5.8% | 51% |
| EWR Newark | United Airlines | 6:06 p.m. | 8.5% | 3.0% | 57% |
| JFK New York | Delta Air Lines | 6:00 p.m. | 7.5% | 3.9% | 68% |
| ORD Chicago | United Airlines | 7:54 p.m. | 6.0% | 5.2% | 52% |
| DCA Washington | Delta Air Lines | 5:10 p.m. | 4.9% | 6.0% | 51% |
| EWR Newark | Delta Air Lines | 5:31 p.m. | 9.1% | 1.3% | 61% |
| LGA New York | Delta Air Lines | 5:30 p.m. | 7.5% | 2.2% | 63% |
| PHL Philadelphia | American Airlines | 6:32 p.m. | 5.2% | 3.0% | 69% |
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 8:00 p.m. | 4.7% | 1.9% | 63% |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | Delta Air Lines | 3:53 p.m. | 0.6% | 5.0% | 70% |
| JFK New York | American Airlines | 11:49 a.m. | 5.6% | 0.0% | 77% |
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 CVG
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At CVG 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? Delta Air Lines has the better record here.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of CVG; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at CVG come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from CVG
Where you're going matters too. From CVG, the most reliable busy route was to Atlanta (ATL, 84% on time) and the least reliable to Washington (DCA, 60%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DCA Washington | 2,017 | 60% | 4.3% | +3 min |
| ORD Chicago | 4,874 | 68% | 3.6% | −1 min |
| DFW Dallas | 1,697 | 74% | 2.8% | −7 min |
| LGA New York | 1,857 | 74% | 5.8% | −12 min |
| EWR Newark | 2,108 | 74% | 5.0% | −11 min |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 975 | 75% | 1.0% | −6 min |
| SEA Seattle | 793 | 76% | 1.4% | −4 min |
| VPS Valparaiso | 414 | 77% | 0.7% | −6 min |
| BOS Boston | 2,059 | 77% | 3.2% | −11 min |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,520 | 77% | 3.6% | −10 min |
| LAS Las Vegas | 682 | 78% | 1.5% | −6 min |
| MCO Orlando | 1,833 | 78% | 1.4% | −7 min |
| PHX Phoenix | 591 | 79% | 0.5% | −8 min |
| MDW Chicago | 560 | 79% | 1.1% | −3 min |
| BNA Nashville | 552 | 79% | 0.5% | −3 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 1,772 | 80% | 2.0% | −10 min |
| JFK New York | 1,740 | 80% | 4.8% | −12 min |
| MIA Miami | 989 | 81% | 0.8% | −7 min |
| TPA Tampa | 744 | 81% | 0.8% | −10 min |
| DTW Detroit | 1,943 | 81% | 0.7% | −10 min |
| MSP Minneapolis | 1,356 | 82% | 1.3% | −10 min |
| DEN Denver | 1,498 | 82% | 0.8% | −7 min |
| RSW Fort Myers | 741 | 83% | 0.8% | −11 min |
| BWI Baltimore | 720 | 83% | 1.1% | −6 min |
| IAD Washington | 1,207 | 83% | 1.3% | −8 min |
| IAH Houston | 1,044 | 83% | 0.9% | −13 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 3,012 | 84% | 1.2% | −11 min |
| SLC Salt Lake City | 817 | 85% | 0.5% | −7 min |
| AUS Austin | 558 | 85% | 0.5% | −12 min |
Flights into CVG
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Cincinnati Northern Kentucky, least reliable first. The weakest is from Washington (65% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCA Washington | 2,019 | 65% | 3.5% |
| DFW Dallas | 1,696 | 69% | 2.6% |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 975 | 69% | 1.0% |
| ORD Chicago | 4,878 | 69% | 3.4% |
| LGA New York | 1,855 | 70% | 6.0% |
| CLT Charlotte | 1,773 | 72% | 2.0% |
| MDW Chicago | 560 | 72% | 1.8% |
| EWR Newark | 2,108 | 73% | 5.3% |
| MCO Orlando | 1,832 | 73% | 1.6% |
| VPS Valparaiso | 414 | 74% | 0.7% |
| TPA Tampa | 746 | 74% | 0.8% |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,517 | 74% | 3.9% |
| JFK New York | 1,741 | 75% | 4.6% |
| DTW Detroit | 1,945 | 76% | 0.7% |
| BNA Nashville | 552 | 76% | 0.5% |
| BOS Boston | 2,060 | 76% | 2.9% |
| PHX Phoenix | 593 | 77% | 0.7% |
| MSP Minneapolis | 1,357 | 77% | 1.2% |
| RSW Fort Myers | 742 | 78% | 1.2% |
| IAD Washington | 1,205 | 78% | 1.4% |
| AUS Austin | 558 | 78% | 0.5% |
| BWI Baltimore | 721 | 79% | 2.2% |
| IAH Houston | 1,045 | 79% | 0.8% |
| DEN Denver | 1,496 | 79% | 0.7% |
| ATL Atlanta | 3,009 | 80% | 1.2% |
Showing the 25 least reliable of 29 routes into CVG.
Questions about CVG delays
What is the best time to fly out of CVG?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 88% of CVG departures at that hour arrived on time, against 61% at 9 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at CVG?
July (71% on time). October is the best month (85%).
Which airline is most on time at CVG?
Delta Air Lines: 79% of its CVG departures arrived on time over the past year. American Airlines had the weakest record at 74%.
Why are flights delayed at CVG?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (37% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (30%).
How often are flights cancelled at CVG?
2.3% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 4.3%.
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.