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Route · EAR → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Kearney to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), EAR to ORD (Kearney to Chicago) ranks #4898 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

86%
On-time
+7 pts
vs US avg
113 min
Delay when late
520
Flights
#4898 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.9%

Best Month

N/A

Worst Month

N/A

Distance

583 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Jan 2022 31 4 4 0 OO
Dec 2021 31 4 2 0 OO
Nov 2021 30 4 1 0 OO
Oct 2021 31 7 0 0 OO
Sep 2021 30 3 0 0 OO
Aug 2021 31 7 0 0 OO
Jul 2021 31 9 0 0 OO
Jun 2021 30 7 0 0 OO
May 2021 31 0 0 0 OO
Apr 2021 30 1 0 0 OO
Mar 2021 31 3 0 0 OO
Jan 2021 30 3 1 0 OO
Dec 2020 30 2 2 0 OO
Nov 2020 30 4 0 0 OO
Oct 2020 31 6 0 0 OO
Mar 2020 31 3 4 0 OO
Jan 2020 31 6 1 0 OO

EAR–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: May (100.0%) · weakest: July (71.0%)

60%70%80%90%100%110% JanMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 90.2%

Strongest calendar month

May

100.0% on-time · ~31 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

January

~31 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

71.0% on-time · ~31 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.9%

15 of 520 flights

Diversion Rate

0.0%

0 of 520 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

EAR - Kearney

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Kearney, NE.

EAR on-time profile

ORD - Chicago

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Chicago, IL.

ORD on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See EAR and ORD side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare EAR vs ORD

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among EAR's stronger departures

EAR → ORD posts a 86% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 2 of 2 BTS-tracked routes leaving Kearney. The same hub also shows 0 mid-band and 0 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #900 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About EAR to ORD

Kearney to Chicago (EAR to ORD) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 86% on-time rate across 520 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 113.1 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 583 miles and is served by 1 carrier. Over the most recent 24 months, 15 of 520 flights were cancelled (2.9%) and 0 diverted (0.0%).

Monthly performance data for this route did not show a clear best/worst split in the sample window; review the monthly table above for period-by-period detail.

On the multi-year calendar, EAR–ORD peaks in May at 100.0% on-time while January carries the heaviest traffic (~31 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 71.0%, a 29.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does EAR to ORD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, EAR to ORD ranks #4898 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 EAR to ORD? ▼
Flights from Kearney to Chicago have a 86% on-time rate based on 520 flights. The average delay is 113.1 minutes.
What is the cancellation rate for EAR to ORD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (15 of 520 flights) and 0.0% were diverted.
How far is the flight from EAR to ORD? ▼
The flight distance from Kearney (EAR) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 583 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.

Airports on this route

EAR Airport

Kearney
ORD Airport

Chicago
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 EAR–ORD data

EAR–ORD runs 7 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare EAR and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. EAR airport
  • If your dates flex, May (100.0% on-time) beats July (71.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 86% 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.