85% of flights leaving Newport News (PHF) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 9 points better than the national average of 76%. About 4 flights leave PHF on a typical day; 2.3% were cancelled. 85% 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 month: October (93%). Worst: July (80%).
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (45% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: about the same (85% → 85%).
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 PHF: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 38% of the time. About 1 in 15 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 58 three hours or more; 2.3% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early85%
- 15–30 min late3.4%
- 30–60 min late3.1%
- 1–2 hours late3.4%
- 2–3 hours late1.5%
- 3+ hours late1.7%
- Diverted0.1%
- Cancelled2.3%
Share of all 1,441 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of PHF
Not enough flights at each hour to compare times of day reliably.
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 PHF, with 80% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 93%. Summer (June–August) runs 9 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 7 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (4.6% of flights).
Airlines at PHF
American Airlines runs 100% of departures from PHF, so PHF is effectively its hub. When American Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 1,441 | 85% | 85% | 2.3% | −15 min |
Why flights are late at PHF
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At PHF, 45% 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 34%. 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 19 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
PHF vs nearby airports
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHF Newport News Williamsburg | — | 1,441 | 85% | 2.3% |
| ORF Norfolk | 23 mi | 25,048 | 76% | 3.1% |
| RIC Richmond | 52 mi | 26,711 | 76% | 2.9% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 85% of PHF departures were on time, against 85% in the 12 months before: essentially unchanged. The best recent month was April 2026 (93%); the worst, July 2026 (74%).
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from PHF, each airline's final departure was cancelled 3.3% of the time, against 1.9% for its earlier flights (1.7× 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. 0.8% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to Charlotte (3.3% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLT Charlotte | American Airlines | 8:01 p.m. | 3.3% | 0.8% | 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 PHF
- 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 PHF; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at PHF come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from PHF
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLT Charlotte | 1,441 | 85% | 2.3% | −15 min |
Flights into PHF
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Newport News Williamsburg, least reliable first. The weakest is from Charlotte (83% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLT Charlotte | 1,441 | 83% | 2.2% |
Questions about PHF delays
What month has the most flight delays at PHF?
July (80% on time). October is the best month (93%).
Why are flights delayed at PHF?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (45% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (34%).
How often are flights cancelled at PHF?
2.3% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 4.6%.
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.