Chicago to Phoenix

What the Data Says About MDW to PHX

The Chicago to Phoenix corridor (MDW → PHX) covers roughly 1,444 miles and is served by 3 carriers, based on Bureau of Transportation Statistics reporting. Across 16,525 flights in the dataset, this route posts a 78% on-time rate with an average delay of 58.2 minutes when flights run late. Over the most recent 24 months of BTS data, 5,957 flights were recorded on this pairing — 68 cancelled (1.1%) and 13 diverted (0.2%). Those baseline metrics tell you what to expect before you book.

Having 3 carriers on the route matters: more carriers generally means more daily schedule options, competitive pricing, and redundancy when flights are cancelled. With 16,525 total flights analyzed, the 78% on-time figure is statistically meaningful rather than a small-sample fluke. The 58.2-minute average delay applies only to flights that actually ran late, so it is not the average wait across all departures — the majority of flights on this route depart on time under the BTS definition of a delay (15+ minutes past schedule).

Looking at recent months, Sep 2025 posted the best performance on this corridor at 91% on-time, while May 2024 came in at 62% on-time — a 29-point gap between best and worst recent month. For travelers evaluating the MDW to PHX route, the combination of a 78% on-time rate, 58.2-minute average delay, 1.1% recent cancellation rate, and 3 available carriers is the concrete summary of what BTS data shows about reliability on this pairing.