Raleigh-Durham International (RDU) Delays and On-Time Departures
Raleigh/Durham, NC · ranked 209th of 333 airports for on-time departures
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, Raleigh/Durham (RDU) had 55,461 scheduled departures and 79.3% of them left on time (US average 77.4%).
That ranks 209th of 333 US airports tracked on this site, with 2.3% of departures cancelled.
Delta Air Lines was the most punctual airline here, with 84.7% of departures on time.
September has been the best month (85% on time) and Sunday the weakest day of the week (77%).
Best time of day to fly out of Raleigh/Durham (RDU)
On-time departure % by scheduled departure hour (local time), last 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1am–2am | Limited data | 1 | |
| 5am–6am | 93.6% | 1.5% | 4,762 |
| 6am–7am | 92.9% | 1.9% | 14,001 |
| 7am–8am | 90.9% | 1.4% | 10,272 |
| 8am–9am | 88.9% | 1.5% | 6,750 |
| 9am–10am | 88.5% | 1.5% | 5,257 |
| 10am–11am | 87.0% | 1.9% | 5,553 |
| 11am–12pm | 83.3% | 1.3% | 7,117 |
| 12pm–1pm | 80.9% | 1.3% | 7,041 |
| 1pm–2pm | 78.5% | 1.9% | 6,141 |
| 2pm–3pm | 75.4% | 2.4% | 4,260 |
| 3pm–4pm | 74.5% | 2.4% | 6,351 |
| 4pm–5pm | 71.0% | 1.4% | 6,371 |
| 5pm–6pm | 68.6% | 2.6% | 7,888 |
| 6pm–7pm | 68.1% | 2.1% | 9,303 |
| 7pm–8pm | 66.4% | 3.2% | 7,289 |
| 8pm–9pm | 65.1% | 3.6% | 3,325 |
| 9pm–10pm | 64.5% | 3.1% | 1,105 |
| 10pm–11pm | 64.7% | 4.7% | 469 |
| 11pm–12am | Limited data | 7 | |
Airlines at RDU ranked by on-time departures
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 departures are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On-time departures | On-time arrivals | Cancelled | Departures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 84.7% | 84.9% | 1.8% | 11,970 |
| United Airlines | 84.1% | 81.2% | 1.2% | 6,205 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 84.0% | 81.5% | 4.4% | 137 |
| American Airlines | 79.2% | 80.0% | 2.0% | 9,506 |
| Envoy Air | 78.8% | 71.5% | 2.6% | 1,083 |
| Republic Airways | 78.8% | 74.8% | 4.0% | 7,615 |
| JetBlue | 76.5% | 76.3% | 3.5% | 2,970 |
| Southwest Airlines | 75.6% | 80.2% | 1.4% | 8,939 |
| Alaska Airlines | 75.5% | 74.8% | 1.5% | 655 |
| Frontier Airlines | 75.4% | 73.5% | 2.4% | 4,268 |
| PSA Airlines | 68.3% | 63.9% | 5.7% | 1,624 |
| Spirit Airlines | 60.6% | 65.8% | 6.3% | 489 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best day to fly out of RDU
On-time departures by day, 24 months.
Best month to fly out of RDU
On-time departures by month, 24 months.
Holiday travel at Raleigh/Durham (RDU)
On-time departures during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On-time departures | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | 79.9% | -2.8 pts | 0.6% | 2,362 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 76.3% | -6.4 pts | 1.3% | 4,542 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 71.2% | -11.5 pts | 3.5% | 19,833 |
| All other days | 82.7% | — | 1.7% | 86,526 |
Monthly on-time departure trend at RDU
On-time departure % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
Routes from Raleigh/Durham (RDU)
Every route from RDU with its own page, by number of flights (last 12 months, on-time arrivals).