82% of flights leaving Mission (MFE) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 6 points better than the national average of 76%. About 17 flights leave MFE on a typical day; 1.5% 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: 5 a.m. (90% on time). Worst: 5 p.m. (77%).
- Best month: February (87%). Worst: May (71%).
- Most reliable airline here: Delta Air Lines (87%), vs American Airlines at 79%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (39% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: improving (80% → 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 MFE: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 45% of the time. About 1 in 13 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 46 three hours or more; 1.5% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early82%
- 15–30 min late5.1%
- 30–60 min late4.0%
- 1–2 hours late3.7%
- 2–3 hours late1.7%
- 3+ hours late2.2%
- Diverted0.2%
- Cancelled1.5%
Share of all 6,298 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of MFE
Departure time makes a real difference at MFE. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 90% of the time; at 5 p.m. it was 77%, a 13-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 88% on time against 76% 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.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at MFE was a 7 a.m. departure in August (93% on time); the least, 5 p.m. in May (58%). 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
May is the hardest month at MFE, with 71% of flights on time across 2023–2026; February is the best at 87%. Summer (June–August) runs 8 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Cancellations peak in January (5.0% of flights).
Airlines at MFE
American Airlines runs 40% of departures from MFE. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, Delta Air Lines was the most reliable (87% on time) and American Airlines the least (79%), a 8-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 2,533 | 79% | 77% | 2.6% | −9 min |
| United Airlines | 2,195 | 84% | 88% | 1.0% | −10 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 1,032 | 87% | 87% | 0.5% | −15 min |
| Allegiant Air | 538 | 76% | 76% | 0.4% | −6 min |
Why flights are late at MFE
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At MFE, 39% 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 38%. 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 94 cancellations, 71% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 15 minutes, shorter than at most large U.S. airports.
MFE vs nearby airports
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MFE McAllen Miller | — | 6,298 | 82% | 1.5% |
| HRL Valley | 36 mi | 5,296 | 83% | 1.1% |
| BRO Brownsville South Padre Island | 54 mi | 2,858 | 85% | 1.4% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 82% of MFE departures were on time, against 80% in the 12 months before, an improvement of 1 points. The best recent month was February 2026 (90%); the worst, April 2026 (75%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Sunday, Jan 25, 2026, when 59% of 17 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 | 17 | 59% | 24% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 15 | 47% | 33% |
| Jan 24, 2026 | 12 | 42% | 33% |
| Jan 27, 2026 | 14 | 29% | 29% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 17 | 24% | 35% |
| May 19, 2026 | 14 | 21% | 50% |
| Jun 19, 2026 | 20 | 20% | 45% |
| Sep 19, 2025 | 17 | 18% | 76% |
| Nov 20, 2025 | 20 | 15% | 65% |
| May 11, 2026 | 17 | 12% | 65% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from MFE, each airline's final departure was cancelled 1.6% of the time, against 1.6% for its earlier flights, about the same. 2.2% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was Allegiant Air to Las Vegas (1.8% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAS Las Vegas | Allegiant Air | 4:54 p.m. | 1.8% | 3.7% | 65% |
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 8:04 p.m. | 3.8% | 0.5% | 72% |
| IAH Houston | United Airlines | 6:59 p.m. | 0.5% | 3.0% | 87% |
| AUS Austin | Delta Air Lines | 5:03 p.m. | 0.3% | 2.7% | 84% |
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 MFE
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At MFE the 5 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in May? 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.
- Delayed already? Most delays at MFE come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from MFE
Where you're going matters too. From MFE, the most reliable busy route was to Houston (IAH, 84% on time) and the least reliable to Dallas (DFW, 78%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 2,445 | 78% | 2.7% | −9 min |
| LAS Las Vegas | 428 | 81% | 0.5% | −10 min |
| IAH Houston | 2,195 | 84% | 1.0% | −10 min |
| AUS Austin | 1,032 | 87% | 0.5% | −15 min |
Flights into MFE
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into McAllen Miller, least reliable first. The weakest is from Dallas (68% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 2,445 | 68% | 2.6% |
| AUS Austin | 1,032 | 83% | 0.4% |
| IAH Houston | 2,195 | 83% | 0.9% |
| LAS Las Vegas | 428 | 89% | 0.5% |
Questions about MFE delays
What is the best time to fly out of MFE?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 90% of MFE departures at that hour arrived on time, against 77% at 5 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at MFE?
May (71% on time). February is the best month (87%).
Which airline is most on time at MFE?
Delta Air Lines: 87% of its MFE departures arrived on time over the past year. American Airlines had the weakest record at 79%.
Why are flights delayed at MFE?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (39% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (38%).
How often are flights cancelled at MFE?
1.5% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 5.0%.
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.