78% of flights leaving Roswell (ROW) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 2 points better than the national average of 76%. About 3 flights leave ROW on a typical day; 2.1% 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 month: September (83%). Worst: June (69%).
- Biggest delay cause: the airlines themselves (50% 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 ROW: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 42% of the time. About 1 in 10 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 42 three hours or more; 2.1% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early78%
- 15–30 min late5.2%
- 30–60 min late5.3%
- 1–2 hours late4.9%
- 2–3 hours late2.4%
- 3+ hours late2.4%
- Diverted0.2%
- Cancelled2.1%
Share of all 1,219 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of ROW
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
June is the hardest month at ROW, with 69% of flights on time across 2023–2026; September is the best at 83%. Summer (June–August) runs 5 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Cancellations peak in January (6.9% of flights).
Airlines at ROW
American Airlines runs 68% of departures from ROW, so ROW 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 | 827 | 84% | 83% | 2.4% | −14 min |
| United Airlines | 392 | 65% | 69% | 1.3% | +3 min |
Why flights are late at ROW
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At ROW, 50% of delay minutes came from the airlines themselves: crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Next is late-arriving aircraft at 23%.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 16 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
Month by month
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from ROW, each airline's final departure was cancelled 2.7% of the time, against 1.5% for its earlier flights (1.8× 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. 2.7% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was United Airlines to Denver (1.5% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEN Denver | United Airlines | 5:58 p.m. | 1.5% | 4.6% | 53% |
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 4:17 p.m. | 3.4% | 1.7% | 80% |
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 ROW
- 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 ROW; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at ROW come from the airlines themselves. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from ROW
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEN Denver | 392 | 65% | 1.3% | +3 min |
| DFW Dallas | 827 | 84% | 2.4% | −14 min |
Flights into ROW
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Roswell Air Center, least reliable first. The weakest is from Denver (73% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEN Denver | 392 | 73% | 0.5% |
| DFW Dallas | 827 | 80% | 2.3% |
Questions about ROW delays
What month has the most flight delays at ROW?
June (69% on time). September is the best month (83%).
Why are flights delayed at ROW?
The biggest cause was the airlines themselves (50% of delay minutes): crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Then late-arriving aircraft (23%).
How often are flights cancelled at ROW?
2.1% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 6.9%.
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.