78% of flights leaving Elmira (ELM) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 2 points better than the national average of 76%. About 4 flights leave ELM on a typical day; 1.4% 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: 6 a.m. (87% on time). Worst: 6 a.m. (87%).
- Best month: September (90%). Worst: December (71%).
- Biggest delay cause: the airlines themselves (46% of delay minutes).
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 ELM: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 41% of the time. About 1 in 11 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 44 three hours or more; 1.4% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early78%
- 15–30 min late6.0%
- 30–60 min late5.4%
- 1–2 hours late5.2%
- 2–3 hours late2.0%
- 3+ hours late2.3%
- Diverted0.0%
- Cancelled1.4%
Share of all 1,310 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of ELM
ELM is unusually consistent through the day. Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. arrived on time 87% of the time; at 6 a.m. it was 87%, a 0-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 87% on time against 81% 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 a.m. departures were cancelled 1.9% of the time, against 1.4% overall.
Hour × month
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
December is the hardest month at ELM, with 71% of flights on time across 2023–2026; September is the best at 90%. Summer (June–August) runs 9 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 11 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (3.2% of flights).
Airlines at ELM
Delta Air Lines runs 71% of departures from ELM, so ELM is effectively its hub. When Delta Air Lines has a bad day, so does the airport.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 936 | 82% | 81% | 1.6% | −13 min |
| Allegiant Air | 374 | 67% | 69% | 0.8% | +2 min |
Why flights are late at ELM
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At ELM, 46% of delay minutes came from the airlines themselves: crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Next is late-arriving aircraft at 26%.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 17 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
ELM vs nearby airports
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELM Elmira Corning | — | 1,310 | 78% | 1.4% |
| ITH Ithaca Tompkins | 32 mi | 1,585 | 76% | 4.9% |
Month by month
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from ELM, each airline's final departure was cancelled 0.8% of the time, against 2.1% for its earlier flights, so at ELM the last flight is actually the steadier one. 1.4% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was Delta Air Lines to Detroit (0.8% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DTW Detroit | Delta Air Lines | 5:42 p.m. | 0.8% | 1.4% | 79% |
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 ELM
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At ELM the 6 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in December? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Delayed already? Most delays at ELM come from the airlines themselves. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from ELM
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DTW Detroit | 936 | 82% | 1.6% | −13 min |
Flights into ELM
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Elmira Corning, least reliable first. The weakest is from Detroit (76% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| DTW Detroit | 936 | 76% | 1.4% |
Questions about ELM delays
What is the best time to fly out of ELM?
Flights scheduled at 6 a.m.: over the past year 87% of ELM departures at that hour arrived on time, against 87% at 6 a.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at ELM?
December (71% on time). September is the best month (90%).
Why are flights delayed at ELM?
The biggest cause was the airlines themselves (46% of delay minutes): crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Then late-arriving aircraft (26%).
How often are flights cancelled at ELM?
1.4% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 3.2%.
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.