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Route · BUF → PHL · 2020–2025 BTS data

Buffalo to Philadelphia

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), BUF to PHL (Buffalo to Philadelphia) ranks #3438 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.5%
On-time
+6.5 pts
vs US avg
99 min
Delay when late
2,711
Flights
#3438 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.7%

Best Month

Oct 2022 94%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 70%

Distance

279 mi

Carriers

11

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Nov 2025 30 8 2 0 OH,YX
Oct 2025 61 13 0 0 AA,OH,YX
Jul 2025 56 17 0 0 OH
Oct 2024 32 1 0 0 AA,OH
Sep 2024 50 8 0 0 OH,AA
Aug 2024 96 22 6 0 AA,F9,OH,YX
Jul 2024 94 22 4 0 AA,F9,OH,YX
Jun 2024 37 6 1 0 AA,F9,YX
Mar 2024 31 5 0 0 YX
Feb 2024 41 4 0 0 OH,YX
Jan 2024 43 11 9 0 YX,OH
Nov 2023 78 11 0 0 OH,YX
Oct 2023 49 2 0 0 AA,OH,YX
Apr 2023 53 9 0 0 YX,OH
Jan 2023 59 12 0 1 OH
Dec 2022 50 5 10 0 YX,OH
Nov 2022 57 11 3 0 OH,YX
Oct 2022 79 5 0 0 YX,OH
Sep 2022 60 6 0 0 OH,YX,AA
Aug 2022 74 9 1 1 AA,OH,YX
Jul 2022 70 13 1 0 OH
Jun 2022 90 12 2 0 OH
May 2022 79 14 1 1 OH
Apr 2022 88 12 0 0 OH

BUF–PHL seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (90.8%) · weakest: January (77.2%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 86.6%

Strongest calendar month

September

90.8% on-time · ~65 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

May

~82 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

January

77.2% on-time · ~55 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.7%

40 of 1,457 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

3 of 1,457 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

BUF - Buffalo

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Buffalo, NY.

BUF on-time profile

PHL - Philadelphia

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Philadelphia, PA.

PHL on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See BUF and PHL side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare BUF vs PHL

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among BUF's stronger departures

BUF → PHL posts a 85.5% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 6 of 19 BTS-tracked routes leaving Buffalo. The same hub also shows 12 mid-band and 1 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #1052 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About BUF to PHL

Buffalo to Philadelphia (BUF to PHL) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.5% on-time rate across 2,711 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 98.8 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 279 miles and is served by 11 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 40 of 1,457 flights were cancelled (2.7%) and 3 diverted (0.2%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2022 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 70% - a 24-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, BUF–PHL peaks in September at 90.8% on-time while May carries the heaviest traffic (~82 flights per month) ; the softest month is January at 77.2%, a 13.6-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does BUF to PHL rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, BUF to PHL ranks #3438 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1). That ordinal matches our busiest-routes listing (total_flights DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement for the exact sort basis.
How often are flights delayed from BUF to PHL? ▼
Flights from Buffalo to Philadelphia have a 85.5% on-time rate based on 2,711 flights. The average delay is 98.8 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2022 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for BUF to PHL? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (40 of 1,457 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from BUF to PHL? ▼
The flight distance from Buffalo (BUF) to Philadelphia (PHL) is approximately 279 miles. This route is served by 11 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from BUF to PHL? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2022 (94% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (70% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

BUF Airport

Buffalo
PHL Airport

Philadelphia
Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Using BUF–PHL data

BUF–PHL runs 6.5 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare BUF and PHL airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. BUF airport
  • If your dates flex, September (90.8% on-time) beats January (77.2%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85.5% on-time rate; compare before you commit to this pairing. Similar routes

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers on this origin–destination pair, not any single flight or booking recommendation.

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

Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates this specific route's on-time performance and monthly trend, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.