73% of flights leaving West Palm Beach (PBI) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 3 points worse than the national average of 76%. That ranks 67 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 81 flights leave PBI on a typical day; 2.6% were cancelled. 72% 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. (92% on time). Worst: 7 p.m. (59%).
- Best month: October (82%). Worst: July (66%).
- Most reliable airline here: Southwest Airlines (78%), vs JetBlue at 69%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (46% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (74% → 73%).
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 PBI: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 47% of the time. About 1 in 10 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 48 three hours or more; 2.6% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early73%
- 15–30 min late7.3%
- 30–60 min late6.8%
- 1–2 hours late5.9%
- 2–3 hours late2.1%
- 3+ hours late2.1%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled2.6%
Share of all 29,398 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of PBI
Time of day matters more at PBI than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. arrived on time 92% of the time; at 7 p.m. it was 59%, a 33-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 91% on time against 62% 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: 9 p.m. departures were cancelled 4.7% of the time, against 2.6% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at PBI was a 8 a.m. departure in September (97% on time); the least, 8 p.m. in July (42%). 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 PBI, with 66% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 82%. Summer (June–August) runs 12 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 8 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in July (4.4% of flights).
Airlines at PBI
JetBlue runs 29% of departures from PBI. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, Southwest Airlines was the most reliable (78% on time) and JetBlue the least (69%), a 9-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JetBlue | 8,463 | 69% | 69% | 3.5% | −3 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 6,601 | 75% | 74% | 2.6% | −7 min |
| American Airlines | 6,230 | 74% | 74% | 2.4% | −8 min |
| United Airlines | 4,247 | 76% | 76% | 1.8% | −8 min |
| Southwest Airlines | 2,601 | 78% | 75% | 1.1% | −6 min |
| Frontier Airlines | 436 | 52% | 53% | 3.4% | +9 min |
| Allegiant Air | 424 | 72% | 73% | 0.7% | −3 min |
| Spirit Airlines | 396 | 66% | 64% | 7.8% | −2 min |
Why flights are late at PBI
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At PBI, 46% 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 27%. 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 775 cancellations, 58% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 17 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
PBI vs nearby airports
PBI isn't the only option in South Florida. Over the past year MIA ran 73% on time with 1.6% of flights cancelled; FLL ran 68% on time with 2.5% of flights cancelled, against 73% and 2.6% at PBI. On-time rates are close, but MIA cancels noticeably fewer flights, which counts most when a missed day matters.
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PBI President Donald J. Trump | — | 29,398 | 73% | 2.6% |
| DJT President Donald J. Trump | 0 mi | 2,070 | 69% | 3.1% |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 42 mi | 90,845 | 68% | 2.5% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 73% of PBI departures were on time, against 74% in the 12 months before, a decline of 1 points. The best recent month was May 2026 (82%); the worst, March 2026 (66%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Sunday, Jan 25, 2026, when 74% of 105 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 | 105 | 74% | 17% |
| Feb 23, 2026 | 111 | 56% | 34% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 108 | 44% | 16% |
| Feb 22, 2026 | 118 | 35% | 32% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 104 | 33% | 30% |
| Jul 21, 2026 | 67 | 27% | 54% |
| Jul 18, 2026 | 67 | 25% | 46% |
| Feb 24, 2026 | 100 | 22% | 42% |
| Jul 28, 2026 | 66 | 20% | 52% |
| Jan 27, 2026 | 89 | 19% | 40% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from PBI, each airline's final departure was cancelled 3.4% of the time, against 2.5% for its earlier flights (1.4× 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. 2.9% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to New York (5.2% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGA New York | American Airlines | 3:20 p.m. | 5.2% | 5.7% | 46% |
| LGA New York | JetBlue | 6:27 p.m. | 5.1% | 5.1% | 52% |
| EWR Newark | JetBlue | 7:40 p.m. | 6.3% | 3.2% | 49% |
| JFK New York | JetBlue | 2:08 p.m. | 6.3% | 2.7% | 61% |
| DCA Washington | American Airlines | 3:30 p.m. | 2.5% | 6.1% | 69% |
| ORD Chicago | American Airlines | 6:42 p.m. | 3.6% | 4.6% | 55% |
| ORD Chicago | United Airlines | 4:08 p.m. | 2.2% | 5.6% | 51% |
| PHL Philadelphia | American Airlines | 4:08 p.m. | 2.7% | 5.1% | 69% |
| JFK New York | Delta Air Lines | 7:59 p.m. | 5.1% | 2.7% | 56% |
| DCA Washington | JetBlue | 2:32 p.m. | 3.5% | 3.5% | 57% |
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 6:10 p.m. | 4.5% | 2.4% | 61% |
| BDL Hartford | JetBlue | 10:35 a.m. | 4.0% | 2.7% | 61% |
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 PBI
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At PBI 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.
- Choosing between airlines? Southwest Airlines has the better record here.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of PBI; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at PBI come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from PBI
Where you're going matters too. From PBI, the most reliable busy route was to Charlotte (CLT, 83% on time) and the least reliable to Boston (BOS, 63%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOS Boston | 2,038 | 63% | 3.7% | 0 min |
| LGA New York | 3,008 | 65% | 4.5% | −1 min |
| ORD Chicago | 1,276 | 67% | 1.8% | −1 min |
| DCA Washington | 1,690 | 68% | 2.1% | −3 min |
| HPN White Plains | 1,574 | 69% | 3.4% | −4 min |
| DFW Dallas | 1,068 | 71% | 2.9% | −7 min |
| JFK New York | 2,051 | 71% | 4.3% | −5 min |
| ISP Islip | 1,134 | 72% | 1.8% | −3 min |
| EWR Newark | 3,394 | 73% | 3.1% | −7 min |
| BDL Hartford | 487 | 73% | 2.9% | −3 min |
| PVD Providence | 396 | 73% | 3.0% | −5 min |
| DTW Detroit | 444 | 74% | 1.4% | −3 min |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,450 | 76% | 2.3% | −9 min |
| BWI Baltimore | 1,141 | 80% | 1.5% | −6 min |
| IAH Houston | 491 | 80% | 1.2% | −14 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 3,475 | 81% | 1.6% | −9 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 1,694 | 83% | 1.5% | −11 min |
| MCO Orlando | 554 | 86% | 0.7% | −13 min |
Flights into PBI
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into President Donald J. Trump, least reliable first. The weakest is from Boston (63% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOS Boston | 2,039 | 63% | 3.5% |
| DFW Dallas | 1,069 | 65% | 2.8% |
| LGA New York | 3,008 | 67% | 4.3% |
| BDL Hartford | 485 | 68% | 2.1% |
| ORD Chicago | 1,277 | 69% | 1.6% |
| MCO Orlando | 553 | 69% | 0.5% |
| ISP Islip | 1,133 | 70% | 2.3% |
| HPN White Plains | 1,574 | 70% | 3.0% |
| JFK New York | 2,050 | 71% | 4.6% |
| DCA Washington | 1,689 | 72% | 2.0% |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,451 | 73% | 2.6% |
| PVD Providence | 394 | 73% | 3.0% |
| ATL Atlanta | 3,475 | 74% | 1.6% |
| EWR Newark | 3,395 | 75% | 2.8% |
| CLT Charlotte | 1,693 | 77% | 1.5% |
| BWI Baltimore | 1,141 | 77% | 1.6% |
| IAH Houston | 492 | 78% | 1.0% |
| DTW Detroit | 444 | 79% | 1.4% |
Questions about PBI delays
What is the best time to fly out of PBI?
Flights scheduled at 6 a.m.: over the past year 92% of PBI departures at that hour arrived on time, against 59% at 7 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at PBI?
July (66% on time). October is the best month (82%).
Which airline is most on time at PBI?
Southwest Airlines: 78% of its PBI departures arrived on time over the past year. JetBlue had the weakest record at 69%.
Why are flights delayed at PBI?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (46% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (27%).
Is PBI or MIA or FLL more reliable?
Over the past year: PBI 73% on time, MIA 73%, FLL 68%.
How often are flights cancelled at PBI?
2.6% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in July at 4.4%.
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.