76% of flights leaving Providence (PVD) arrived on time over the past 12 months, right at the national average of 76%. About 47 flights leave PVD on a typical day; 3.1% 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: 5 a.m. (87% on time). Worst: 5 p.m. (62%).
- Best month: October (86%). Worst: July (68%).
- Most reliable airline here: Southwest Airlines (80%), vs American Airlines at 72%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (39% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (80% → 76%).
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 PVD: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 52% of the time. About 1 in 13 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 56 three hours or more; 3.1% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early76%
- 15–30 min late7.0%
- 30–60 min late6.1%
- 1–2 hours late4.2%
- 2–3 hours late1.5%
- 3+ hours late1.8%
- Diverted0.4%
- Cancelled3.1%
Share of all 17,337 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of PVD
Time of day matters more at PVD than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 87% of the time; at 5 p.m. it was 62%, a 25-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 85% on time against 64% 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: 7 p.m. departures were cancelled 4.9% of the time, against 3.1% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at PVD was a 5 a.m. departure in April (95% on time); the least, 6 p.m. in July (40%). 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 PVD, with 68% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 86%. Summer (June–August) runs 12 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 10 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (4.9% of flights).
Airlines at PVD
American Airlines runs 32% of departures from PVD. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, Southwest Airlines was the most reliable (80% on time) and American Airlines the least (72%), 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 | 5,499 | 72% | 74% | 4.8% | −7 min |
| Southwest Airlines | 5,137 | 80% | 79% | 1.6% | −6 min |
| JetBlue | 2,488 | 75% | 80% | 2.9% | −6 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 2,176 | 79% | 79% | 2.6% | −10 min |
| United Airlines | 1,897 | 76% | 81% | 2.9% | −7 min |
| Allegiant Air | 140 | 59% | 66% | 0.7% | +5 min |
Why flights are late at PVD
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At PVD, 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 31%. 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 532 cancellations, 71% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 16 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
PVD vs nearby airports
PVD isn't the only option in Boston. Over the past year BOS ran 72% on time with 3.0% of flights cancelled; MHT ran 78% on time with 2.5% of flights cancelled, against 76% and 3.1% at PVD. MHT has the better record, so if fares and times are close, it is the safer pick.
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PVD Rhode Island T. F. Green | — | 17,337 | 76% | 3.1% |
| ORH Worcester | 44 mi | 1,457 | 68% | 3.5% |
| MVY Martha's Vineyard | 48 mi | 1,017 | 66% | 5.7% |
| BOS Boston Logan | 49 mi | 144,991 | 72% | 3.0% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 76% of PVD departures were on time, against 80% in the 12 months before, a decline of 3 points. The best recent month was April 2026 (85%); the worst, January 2026 (68%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Monday, Feb 23, 2026, when 100% of 46 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 23, 2026 | 46 | 100% | 0% |
| Feb 24, 2026 | 40 | 90% | 3% |
| Jan 25, 2026 | 44 | 75% | 18% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 40 | 70% | 0% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 47 | 38% | 32% |
| Jul 21, 2026 | 47 | 34% | 38% |
| Feb 25, 2026 | 40 | 25% | 45% |
| Aug 7, 2026 | 51 | 22% | 31% |
| Jul 28, 2026 | 47 | 21% | 51% |
| Jan 27, 2026 | 38 | 21% | 21% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from PVD, each airline's final departure was cancelled 3.9% of the time, against 3.0% 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. 2.1% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to Washington (11.3% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DCA Washington | American Airlines | 9:07 p.m. | 11.3% | 3.6% | 51% |
| ORD Chicago | American Airlines | 5:41 p.m. | 6.1% | 2.5% | 54% |
| PHL Philadelphia | American Airlines | 7:22 p.m. | 6.6% | 1.4% | 70% |
| IAD Washington | United Airlines | 7:40 p.m. | 3.1% | 3.6% | 76% |
| ORD Chicago | United Airlines | 5:00 p.m. | 4.7% | 2.0% | 67% |
| MCO Orlando | JetBlue | 8:10 p.m. | 3.6% | 2.0% | 61% |
| DTW Detroit | Delta Air Lines | 5:00 p.m. | 1.4% | 3.9% | 68% |
| DCA Washington | Southwest Airlines | 5:20 p.m. | 2.6% | 2.3% | 55% |
| BWI Baltimore | Southwest Airlines | 4:25 p.m. | 3.0% | 1.6% | 74% |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | JetBlue | 5:45 a.m. | 3.0% | 1.5% | 62% |
| MCO Orlando | Southwest Airlines | 5:15 p.m. | 1.5% | 2.4% | 59% |
| CLT Charlotte | American Airlines | 7:19 p.m. | 2.8% | 1.1% | 74% |
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 PVD
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At PVD the 5 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 PVD; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at PVD come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from PVD
Where you're going matters too. From PVD, the most reliable busy route was to Baltimore (BWI, 85% on time) and the least reliable to Washington (DCA, 67%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DCA Washington | 2,426 | 67% | 5.5% | −3 min |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 529 | 68% | 1.9% | +1 min |
| ORD Chicago | 1,727 | 71% | 4.0% | −6 min |
| PBI West Palm Beach | 394 | 73% | 3.0% | −4 min |
| DTW Detroit | 945 | 74% | 2.6% | −7 min |
| MCO Orlando | 1,583 | 74% | 2.1% | −4 min |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,315 | 77% | 5.1% | −11 min |
| IAD Washington | 1,157 | 78% | 2.5% | −8 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 1,441 | 79% | 2.4% | −9 min |
| TPA Tampa | 437 | 79% | 0.9% | −5 min |
| BNA Nashville | 382 | 79% | 1.3% | −3 min |
| MDW Chicago | 778 | 81% | 1.4% | −8 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 1,162 | 83% | 2.7% | −13 min |
| BWI Baltimore | 1,850 | 85% | 1.9% | −7 min |
| JFK New York | 365 | 91% | 4.7% | −16 min |
Flights into PVD
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Rhode Island T. F. Green, least reliable first. The weakest is from New York (63% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| JFK New York | 365 | 63% | 4.7% |
| ORD Chicago | 1,727 | 67% | 3.4% |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 529 | 67% | 2.3% |
| TPA Tampa | 437 | 68% | 0.9% |
| DCA Washington | 2,426 | 69% | 5.2% |
| MCO Orlando | 1,581 | 71% | 1.9% |
| PBI West Palm Beach | 396 | 73% | 3.0% |
| DTW Detroit | 945 | 75% | 2.5% |
| MDW Chicago | 776 | 76% | 1.4% |
| ATL Atlanta | 1,162 | 77% | 2.5% |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,314 | 77% | 5.0% |
| IAD Washington | 1,158 | 77% | 2.3% |
| BNA Nashville | 386 | 77% | 0.8% |
| BWI Baltimore | 1,846 | 78% | 2.3% |
| CLT Charlotte | 1,440 | 78% | 2.1% |
Questions about PVD delays
What is the best time to fly out of PVD?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 87% of PVD departures at that hour arrived on time, against 62% at 5 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at PVD?
July (68% on time). October is the best month (86%).
Which airline is most on time at PVD?
Southwest Airlines: 80% of its PVD departures arrived on time over the past year. American Airlines had the weakest record at 72%.
Why are flights delayed at PVD?
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 (31%).
Is PVD or BOS or MHT more reliable?
Over the past year: PVD 76% on time, BOS 72%, MHT 78%.
How often are flights cancelled at PVD?
3.1% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 4.9%.
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.