78% of flights leaving Columbus (GTR) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 2 points better than the national average of 76%. About 3 flights leave GTR on a typical day; 1.8% 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. (85% on time). Worst: 3 p.m. (72%).
- Best month: October (94%). Worst: July (71%).
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (36% 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 GTR: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 41% of the time. About 1 in 10 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 30 three hours or more; 1.8% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early78%
- 15–30 min late6.2%
- 30–60 min late4.3%
- 1–2 hours late4.6%
- 2–3 hours late2.0%
- 3+ hours late3.3%
- Diverted0.2%
- Cancelled1.8%
Share of all 1,097 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of GTR
Departure time makes a real difference at GTR. Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. arrived on time 85% of the time; at 3 p.m. it was 72%, a 14-point gap. 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: 3 p.m. departures were cancelled 2.6% of the time, against 1.8% 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
July is the hardest month at GTR, with 71% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 94%. Summer (June–August) runs 13 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 7 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (6.9% of flights).
Airlines at GTR
Delta Air Lines runs 67% of departures from GTR, so GTR 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 | 730 | 81% | 82% | 1.2% | −13 min |
| American Airlines | 367 | 72% | 71% | 3.0% | −9 min |
Why flights are late at GTR
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At GTR, 36% 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 32%. That's why the first flight of the morning is the safest bet: it has no earlier flight to inherit a delay from.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 18 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
Month by month
Not enough months with data to draw a trend.
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from GTR, each airline's final departure was cancelled 1.6% of the time, against 0.8% for its earlier flights (2.0× 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. 2.7% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was Delta Air Lines to Atlanta (1.6% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL Atlanta | Delta Air Lines | 2:25 p.m. | 1.6% | 2.7% | 76% |
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 GTR
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At GTR the 6 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.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of GTR; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at GTR come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from GTR
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 367 | 72% | 3.0% | −9 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 730 | 81% | 1.2% | −13 min |
Flights into GTR
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Golden Triangle, least reliable first. The weakest is from Atlanta (76% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATL Atlanta | 730 | 76% | 1.2% |
| DFW Dallas | 367 | 77% | 3.0% |
Questions about GTR delays
What is the best time to fly out of GTR?
Flights scheduled at 6 a.m.: over the past year 85% of GTR departures at that hour arrived on time, against 72% at 3 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at GTR?
July (71% on time). October is the best month (94%).
Why are flights delayed at GTR?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (36% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (32%).
How often are flights cancelled at GTR?
1.8% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 6.9%.
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.