Airport · ILM · Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, NC
Wilmington, NC posts above-median on-time performance among the 382 tracked U.S. airports, as a mid-size U.S. airport. According to the U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, drawn from 80,728 flights (2020–2025); its biggest delay driver is late aircraft.
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 83.9%
- On-time
- Top 45%
- on-time, US airports
- 80 min
- Delay when late
- 1.41%
- Cancelled
Key Performance Metrics
Total Flights
80,728
Best Month
Nov 94.4%
Worst Month
Jul 89.7%
Delayed
13,022
Cancelled
1,140
ILM on-time rate vs. the national average
Ahead of the U.S. average across all 382 tracked airports.
Where ILM sits among all 382 tracked airports
ILM's 83.9% on-time rate falls in the 80-85% band, the 192-airport band it shares.
National on-time-rate distribution
- 60-65% 1
1 airport between 60% and 65% on-time
1 airports
- 65-70% 4
4 airports between 65% and 70% on-time
4 airports
- 70-75% 9
9 airports between 70% and 75% on-time
9 airports
- 75-80% 48
48 airports between 75% and 80% on-time
48 airports
- 80-85%
192 airports between 80% and 85% on-time
192 airports
- 85-90%
116 airports between 85% and 90% on-time
116 airports
- 90-95% 12
12 airports between 90% and 95% on-time
12 airports
What this shows ILM is marked in the 80-85% band.
Delay Cause Breakdown
Top delay cause: Late Aircraft. Total delay minutes: 540,661.
ILM - seasonal on-time pattern
Best: November (94.4%) · worst: July (89.7%)
Seasonal Performance Patterns
Monthly averages across all years of data. Best month: November (94.4% on-time). Most delays: July (89.7% on-time).
| Month | Avg Flights | Avg Delayed | Avg Cancelled | On-Time % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 1,065 | 191 | 4 | 92.1% |
| November | 1,059 | 138 | 4 | 94.4% |
| October | 1,221 | 144 | 5 | 94.3% |
| September | 1,168 | 144 | 12 | 94.3% |
| August | 1,328 | 247 | 19 | 91.3% |
| July | 1,372 | 311 | 28 | 89.7% |
| June | 1,235 | 252 | 20 | 90.5% |
| May | 1,125 | 179 | 12 | 92.9% |
| April | 1,051 | 158 | 37 | 93.4% |
| March | 1,037 | 141 | 20 | 94% |
| February | 874 | 135 | 12 | 93.1% |
| January | 920 | 131 | 18 | 93.7% |
Year-Over-Year Performance
Annual flight volume and on-time trends at ILM.
ILM - on-time rate by year
2020–2025, year-over-year trend.
| Year | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | On-Time % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 14,831 | 1,387 | 224 | 90.6% |
| 2024 | 16,141 | 1,347 | 141 | 91.7% |
| 2023 | 14,913 | 957 | 161 | 93.6% |
| 2022 | 13,909 | 1,179 | 228 | 91.5% |
| 2021 | 11,752 | 652 | 60 | 94.5% |
| 2020 | 9,182 | 378 | 326 | 95.9% |
Cancellation & Diversion Analysis
Flight disruption statistics for Wilmington, NC.
Cancellation Rate
1.41%
1,140 of 80,728 flights
Diversion Rate
0.11%
92 of 80,728 flights
Delay Rate
16.1%
13,022 of 80,728 flights
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of flight data.
| Period | Flights | Dep Delayed | Arr Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 1,087 | 128 | 184 | 12 | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | 1,117 | 103 | 133 | 14 | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | 1,447 | 127 | 141 | 11 | 0 |
| Sep 2025 | 1,395 | 94 | 110 | 8 | 0 |
| Aug 2025 | 1,432 | 115 | 143 | 13 | 1 |
| Jul 2025 | 1,536 | 186 | 212 | 38 | 5 |
| Jun 2025 | 1,533 | 206 | 217 | 30 | 1 |
| May 2025 | 1,311 | 126 | 153 | 21 | 0 |
| Apr 2025 | 1,195 | 93 | 130 | 12 | 1 |
| Mar 2025 | 1,029 | 73 | 122 | 6 | 2 |
| Feb 2025 | 845 | 84 | 109 | 24 | 1 |
| Jan 2025 | 904 | 52 | 77 | 35 | 0 |
| Dec 2024 | 1,418 | 151 | 162 | 2 | 2 |
| Nov 2024 | 1,318 | 67 | 87 | 2 | 0 |
| Oct 2024 | 1,554 | 70 | 81 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2024 | 1,431 | 98 | 110 | 10 | 1 |
| Aug 2024 | 1,736 | 187 | 211 | 42 | 3 |
| Jul 2024 | 1,721 | 226 | 257 | 43 | 3 |
| Jun 2024 | 1,463 | 139 | 156 | 12 | 0 |
| May 2024 | 1,368 | 119 | 165 | 8 | 1 |
| Apr 2024 | 1,192 | 103 | 135 | 3 | 3 |
| Mar 2024 | 1,000 | 60 | 79 | 1 | 0 |
| Feb 2024 | 940 | 43 | 56 | 3 | 0 |
| Jan 2024 | 1,000 | 84 | 112 | 15 | 1 |
Top Routes from ILM
Busiest routes to and from Wilmington, NC.
| Route | Flights | On-Time | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLT (Charlotte) → ILM (Wilmington) | 14,374 | 81.5% | 185 mi |
| ILM (Wilmington) → CLT (Charlotte) | 14,371 | 85.5% | 185 mi |
| ATL (Atlanta) → ILM (Wilmington) | 7,446 | 88.9% | 377 mi |
| ILM (Wilmington) → ATL (Atlanta) | 7,445 | 89.8% | 377 mi |
| ILM (Wilmington) → LGA (New York) | 6,699 | 83.1% | 500 mi |
| LGA (New York) → ILM (Wilmington) | 6,698 | 82% | 500 mi |
| DCA (Washington) → ILM (Wilmington) | 3,656 | 79.5% | 319 mi |
| ILM (Wilmington) → DCA (Washington) | 3,655 | 78.5% | 319 mi |
| DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) → ILM (Wilmington) | 3,346 | 76.3% | 1,106 mi |
| ILM (Wilmington) → DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) | 3,345 | 81.7% | 1,106 mi |
| ILM (Wilmington) → EWR (Newark) | 1,090 | 81.9% | 488 mi |
| EWR (Newark) → ILM (Wilmington) | 1,061 | 81.1% | 488 mi |
| ILM (Wilmington) → BOS (Boston) | 966 | 71.5% | 672 mi |
| BOS (Boston) → ILM (Wilmington) | 965 | 86.4% | 672 mi |
| ORD (Chicago) → ILM (Wilmington) | 780 | 80.4% | 760 mi |
| ILM (Wilmington) → ORD (Chicago) | 779 | 75% | 760 mi |
Airports With a Similar On-Time Rate
Other U.S. airports nationwide whose on-time rate is closest to Wilmington, NC's 83.9%.
Other Airports in North Carolina
Compare performance with other North Carolina airports.
Charlotte, NC
Charlotte · 2,345,248 flights
Raleigh/Durham, NC
Raleigh/Durham · 616,332 flights
Greensboro/High Point, NC
Greensboro/High Point · 116,389 flights
Asheville, NC
Asheville · 114,713 flights
Fayetteville, NC
Fayetteville · 22,542 flights
Jacksonville/Camp Lejeune, NC
Jacksonville/Camp Lejeune · 20,873 flights
Concord, NC
Concord · 10,857 flights
New Bern/Morehead/Beaufort, NC
New Bern/Morehead/Beaufort · 8,887 flights
Keep exploring
More flight data around Wilmington, NC.
North Carolina flight data
Statewide on-time and delay aggregates, plus every reporting airport in North Carolina.
View NC data →Airport rankings
See where ILM sits among U.S. airports on on-time rate and average delay.
Best on-time airports →Compare airports
Put ILM head-to-head with another airport on delays and reliability.
Open comparison tool →What the Data Says About ILM
Wilmington, NC in Wilmington, North Carolina handled 80,728 flights in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics dataset between 2020 and 2025, posting a 83.9% on-time departure rate. Of those flights, 13,022 experienced delays, 1,140 were cancelled, and 92 were diverted. The cancellation rate works out to 1.41%, the diversion rate to 0.11%, and the average delay when departures run late is 80.2 minutes. These figures are the baseline for comparing ILM against other airports in the same state and nationally.
Breaking down what drives delays at ILM, Late Aircraft leads the pack. Late Aircraft accounts for 41.4% of total delay minutes, followed by Carrier at 31.2% and NAS (National Aviation System) at 18.6%. Weather contributes 8.8% of delay minutes at this airport, while security holds the smallest share at 0.1%. Travelers often overestimate the weather share; the BTS categorization shows late-arriving aircraft and carrier operations as the larger contributors.
Seasonally, November runs the cleanest at ILM with a 94.4% on-time rate, while July is the roughest at 89.7% - a 5-point swing between best and worst month. Volume peaks in July, when average flights hit 1,372. The busiest route connecting ILM is to CLT (Charlotte), with 14,374 flights at a 81.5% on-time rate. Combine these numbers - 83.9% on-time, 80.2-minute average delay, 1.41% cancellation rate, and you have a concrete picture of departure reliability at Wilmington, NC.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the on-time performance rate at Wilmington, NC (ILM)? ▼
What is the most common cause of delays at ILM? ▼
What is the average delay time at ILM? ▼
What is the best month to fly from ILM? ▼
What is the worst month for delays at ILM? ▼
How many routes operate from ILM? ▼
What is the cancellation rate at ILM? ▼
Flight Guides
Data-driven guides to help you understand airport and flight performance.
Explore PlainFlights
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Using ILM's data
An airport-level on-time rate is a starting point, not a guarantee for your specific flight.
- Check the busiest route from ILM before you book a connection. See top routes
- Travel in November rather than July if your dates are flexible. Seasonal patterns
- Scores vary by airline and route within the same airport; check the specific carrier you're flying. Browse airlines
On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers at this airport, not any single flight or airline.
Related
Source: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Airline on-time performance and operational reliability · 2025
Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. Airport figures are computed directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.