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Airport · PHX · Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix, AZ posts below-median on-time performance among the 382 tracked U.S. airports, as one of the busiest U.S. airports. According to the U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, drawn from 2,030,209 flights (2020–2025); its biggest delay driver is late aircraft.

Data updated 2026-06-13

81.7%
On-time
Top 70%
on-time, US airports
71 min
Delay when late
0.77%
Cancelled

Key Performance Metrics

Total Flights

2,030,209

Best Month

Jan 92.4%

Worst Month

Jul 87.3%

Delayed

372,174

Cancelled

15,535

PHX on-time rate vs. the national average

Ahead of the U.S. average across all 382 tracked airports.

0%100%U.S. average79%81.7%

Where PHX sits among all 382 tracked airports

PHX's 81.7% on-time rate falls in the 80-85% band, the 192-airport band it shares.

National on-time-rate distribution

airports

What this shows PHX is marked in the 80-85% band.

Delay Cause Breakdown

Top delay cause: Late Aircraft. Total delay minutes: 11,045,046.

Late Aircraft 44.7% (4,938,816 min)
Carrier 39.1% (4,315,213 min)
NAS (National Aviation System) 13.7% (1,512,272 min)
Weather 2.3% (257,295 min)
Security 0.2% (21,450 min)

PHX - seasonal on-time pattern

Best: January (92.4%) · worst: July (87.3%)

86%88%90%92%94% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 89.7%

Seasonal Performance Patterns

Monthly averages across all years of data. Best month: January (92.4% on-time). Most delays: July (87.3% on-time).

Month Avg Flights Avg Delayed Avg Cancelled On-Time %
December 30,024 5,900 212 89.7%
November 29,410 4,823 116 91.5%
October 29,172 5,356 88 90.2%
September 26,258 3,983 67 92%
August 27,035 5,355 149 89.6%
July 27,408 6,592 145 87.3%
June 25,803 6,037 125 87.7%
May 26,760 4,921 80 90.2%
April 28,654 4,659 718 91.5%
March 32,437 5,815 528 90.8%
February 26,986 4,288 155 92.1%
January 28,423 4,301 208 92.4%

Year-Over-Year Performance

Annual flight volume and on-time trends at PHX.

PHX - on-time rate by year

2020–2025, year-over-year trend.

85%90%95%100% 202020212022202320242025 96% 89.5% ▼ -6.8%
Year Flights Delayed Cancelled On-Time %
2025 393,513 41,163 1,406 89.5%
2024 387,093 38,639 1,178 90%
2023 353,374 35,825 1,144 89.9%
2022 330,437 37,050 2,851 88.8%
2021 321,258 32,113 1,901 90%
2020 244,534 9,768 7,055 96%

Cancellation & Diversion Analysis

Flight disruption statistics for Phoenix, AZ.

Cancellation Rate

0.77%

15,535 of 2,030,209 flights

Diversion Rate

0.12%

2,351 of 2,030,209 flights

Delay Rate

18.3%

372,174 of 2,030,209 flights

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of flight data.

Period Flights Dep Delayed Arr Delayed Cancelled Diverted
Dec 2025 35,357 4,221 3,705 89 41
Nov 2025 33,799 3,819 3,955 373 38
Oct 2025 33,241 3,879 3,546 35 31
Sep 2025 27,557 2,553 2,312 150 27
Aug 2025 28,770 2,913 2,638 56 41
Jul 2025 31,457 4,107 3,770 153 75
Jun 2025 31,175 3,984 3,703 89 69
May 2025 34,438 3,586 3,283 66 47
Apr 2025 36,381 3,381 3,189 73 35
Mar 2025 38,516 3,955 3,516 106 42
Feb 2025 30,917 2,502 2,482 67 27
Jan 2025 31,905 2,263 2,231 149 37
Dec 2024 34,684 3,293 2,794 54 48
Nov 2024 33,660 2,626 2,422 41 33
Oct 2024 33,950 2,709 2,205 42 22
Sep 2024 30,161 2,241 2,017 30 21
Aug 2024 30,838 3,145 3,059 108 64
Jul 2024 31,460 4,280 4,026 253 66
Jun 2024 30,648 3,805 3,631 73 39
May 2024 33,478 4,188 4,066 111 68
Apr 2024 33,067 3,243 3,049 43 42
Mar 2024 34,748 3,692 3,420 82 35
Feb 2024 29,654 2,329 2,367 26 33
Jan 2024 30,745 3,088 3,213 315 34

What the Data Says About PHX

Phoenix, AZ in Phoenix, Arizona handled 2,030,209 flights in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics dataset between 2020 and 2025, posting a 81.7% on-time departure rate. Of those flights, 372,174 experienced delays, 15,535 were cancelled, and 2,351 were diverted. The cancellation rate works out to 0.77%, the diversion rate to 0.12%, and the average delay when departures run late is 71.3 minutes. These figures are the baseline for comparing PHX against other airports in the same state and nationally.

Breaking down what drives delays at PHX, Late Aircraft leads the pack. Late Aircraft accounts for 44.7% of total delay minutes, followed by Carrier at 39.1% and NAS (National Aviation System) at 13.7%. Weather contributes 2.3% of delay minutes at this airport, while security holds the smallest share at 0.2%. Travelers often overestimate the weather share; the BTS categorization shows late-arriving aircraft and carrier operations as the larger contributors.

Seasonally, January runs the cleanest at PHX with a 92.4% on-time rate, while July is the roughest at 87.3% - a 5-point swing between best and worst month. Volume peaks in March, when average flights hit 32,437. The busiest route connecting PHX is to DEN (Denver), with 49,558 flights at a 80.7% on-time rate. Combine these numbers - 81.7% on-time, 71.3-minute average delay, 0.77% cancellation rate, and you have a concrete picture of departure reliability at Phoenix, AZ.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the on-time performance rate at Phoenix, AZ (PHX)?
Phoenix, AZ has an overall on-time departure rate of 81.7%. Out of 2,030,209 total flights tracked, 372,174 experienced delays and 15,535 were cancelled.
What is the most common cause of delays at PHX?
The top delay cause at Phoenix, AZ is Late Aircraft. Late Aircraft accounts for 44.7% of all delay minutes.
What is the average delay time at PHX?
The average delay at Phoenix, AZ is 71.3 minutes. This includes delays from carrier issues, weather, National Aviation System constraints, security, and late-arriving aircraft.
What is the best month to fly from PHX?
Based on historical data, January has the best on-time performance at PHX with 92.4% of flights departing on time.
What is the worst month for delays at PHX?
July tends to have the most delays at PHX, with an on-time rate of only 87.3%.
How many routes operate from PHX?
Phoenix, AZ serves at least 20 routes. The busiest route is PHX to DEN (Phoenix - Denver) with 49,558 flights.
What is the cancellation rate at PHX?
Phoenix, AZ has a cancellation rate of 0.77%, based on 15,535 cancelled flights out of 2,030,209 total flights tracked.

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Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data (2020–2025). Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods. On-time rates exclude cancelled and diverted flights.

Using PHX's data

An airport-level on-time rate is a starting point, not a guarantee for your specific flight.

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers at this airport, not any single flight or airline.

Data sourced from U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFlights Editorial

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.