ON TIMEBOARD

ATL → ROC on time

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (Atlanta, GA) to Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester (Rochester, NY). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
76%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
2.2%
1,043 flights
Typical arrival
−3 min
median vs schedule
When late
+54 min
average delay
Flights / day
3
1 airline

76% of flights from Atlanta to Rochester arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is worse than the typical U.S. route. The 9 a.m. departures ran on time 82% of the time; the 9 p.m. ones 72%. 9% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.

How late?

The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for ATL → ROC: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 61% of the time. About 1 in 16 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 174 three hours or more; 2.2% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 1,043 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
Delta Air Lines1,04376%2.2%−3 min6.3%+54 minDelta Air Lines

Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.

Best time of day to fly

On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at ATL). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%9 a.m. departures: 82% on time (309 flights)829a10 a.m. departures: too few flights (1 flights)10a11 a.m. departures: too few flights (50 flights)11anoon departures: too few flights12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights1p2 p.m. departures: too few flights2p3 p.m. departures: 76% on time (305 flights)763p4 p.m. departures: too few flights (12 flights)4p5 p.m. departures: too few flights5p6 p.m. departures: too few flights6p7 p.m. departures: too few flights (2 flights)7p8 p.m. departures: too few flights (4 flights)8p9 p.m. departures: 72% on time (359 flights)729p
ATL → ROC, share of flights arriving on time, by departure hour. Hours with under 100 flights are greyed out.
82%+ on time76–82%68–76%under 68%too few flights

Last flight of the day

On ATL → ROC, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 3.0% of the time, against 1.8% for its earlier flights (1.7× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 0.0% of the time (earlier flights: 0.9%). It matters more than the numbers suggest. Miss an earlier flight and there's another one that evening; miss the last one and you're usually waiting until morning.

AirlineLast departureLast: cancelledLast: 3h+ lateEarlier: cancelledNext morning
Delta Air Lines9:42 p.m.3.0%0.0%1.8%first flight 9:23 a.m.

Last flight = the airline's last scheduled departure on this route that day, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Times are typical scheduled times over the latest three months.

If you need to be in ROC tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: September (86%). Worst: July (61%).

40%70%100%Jan: 72% on time (237 flights)72JanFeb: 78% on time (232 flights)78FebMar: 81% on time (269 flights)81MarApr: 78% on time (264 flights)78AprMay: 74% on time (270 flights)74MayJun: 76% on time (266 flights)76JunJul: 61% on time (274 flights)61JulAug: 75% on time (269 flights)75AugSep: 86% on time (243 flights)86SepOct: 86% on time (258 flights)86OctNov: 84% on time (243 flights)84NovDec: 69% on time (258 flights)69Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday15872%3.2%
Tuesday15378%1.3%
Wednesday15187%0.0%
Thursday15278%0.7%
Friday15370%2.0%
Saturday12479%4.0%
Sunday15267%4.6%

Why flights were late

Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.

Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 50%Late inbound plane 29%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 18%Severe weather 2%Security 1%

Cancellations: airline 17 · weather 6

Month by month

Not enough months with data to draw a trend.

Flight numbers on this route

Regular flights with at least 120 scheduled trips in the past year. Sorted by departure time.

FlightDepartsFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrivalOperated by
DL 25119:48 a.m.36181%1.9%−4 minDelta Air Lines
DL 20473:15 p.m.31774%1.6%−3 minDelta Air Lines
DL 24729:56 p.m.36572%3.0%−1 minDelta Air Lines

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Dec 7, 202530%0
Dec 1, 202530%0
Jul 10, 202630%0
Dec 19, 202530%1
Mar 16, 202630%0

Nearby airport alternatives

Other ways to make the same trip, using airports within 60 miles of Atlanta or Rochester. None has been clearly more reliable than ATL → ROC.

RouteFlightsOn timeCancelled
ATL → ROC (this route)1,04376%2.2%
ATL → BUF Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson to Buffalo Niagara1,53475%1.9%

Questions

How often are flights from ATL to ROC on time?

76% of 1,043 scheduled flights from Atlanta, GA to Rochester, NY arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 2.2% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly ATL to ROC?

Flights scheduled to leave at 9 a.m. were the most reliable (82% on time). The 9 p.m. departures were the least (72%).

What month has the most delays from ATL to ROC?

July (61% on time). The best month is September (86%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from ATL to ROC more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last ATL–ROC flight of the day was cancelled 3.0% of the time over the past year, against 1.8% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.

Related

Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.