81% of flights leaving Gunnison (GUC) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 5 points better than the national average of 76%. About 4 flights leave GUC on a typical day; 2.1% were cancelled. 83% 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: 7 a.m. (88% on time). Worst: 1 p.m. (87%).
- Best month: April (90%). Worst: June (72%).
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (40% 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 GUC: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 41% of the time. About 1 in 12 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 36 three hours or more; 2.1% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early81%
- 15–30 min late4.6%
- 30–60 min late3.6%
- 1–2 hours late3.3%
- 2–3 hours late2.2%
- 3+ hours late2.8%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled2.1%
Share of all 1,427 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of GUC
GUC is unusually consistent through the day. Flights scheduled to leave at 7 a.m. arrived on time 88% of the time; at 1 p.m. it was 87%, a 2-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.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at GUC was a noon departure in February (79% on time); the least, noon in January (66%). 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 GUC, with 72% of flights on time across 2023–2026; April is the best at 90%. Summer (June–August) runs 13 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 8 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (4.3% of flights).
Airlines at GUC
United Airlines runs 80% of departures from GUC, so GUC is effectively its hub. When United Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 1,144 | 82% | 85% | 1.2% | −14 min |
| American Airlines | 283 | 76% | 73% | 5.7% | −12 min |
Why flights are late at GUC
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At GUC, 40% 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 35%. 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 26 minutes, longer than at most large U.S. airports. Airlines pad schedules for it, but a long queue on a busy afternoon still eats into the buffer.
GUC vs nearby airports
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GUC Gunnison Crested Butte | — | 1,427 | 81% | 2.1% |
| ASE Aspen-Pitkin (Sardy ) | 48 mi | 8,137 | 67% | 5.8% |
| MTJ Montrose | 52 mi | 2,737 | 78% | 1.1% |
Month by month
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from GUC, each airline's final departure was cancelled 2.4% of the time, against 1.8% for its earlier flights (1.3× 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. 2.8% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was United Airlines to Denver (1.1% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEN Denver | United Airlines | 3:20 p.m. | 1.1% | 3.0% | 73% |
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 GUC
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At GUC the 7 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 GUC; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at GUC come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from GUC
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEN Denver | 994 | 83% | 1.0% | −14 min |
Flights into GUC
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Gunnison Crested Butte, least reliable first. The weakest is from Denver (80% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEN Denver | 994 | 80% | 0.8% |
Questions about GUC delays
What is the best time to fly out of GUC?
Flights scheduled at 7 a.m.: over the past year 88% of GUC departures at that hour arrived on time, against 87% at 1 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at GUC?
June (72% on time). April is the best month (90%).
Why are flights delayed at GUC?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (40% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (35%).
How often are flights cancelled at GUC?
2.1% 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.