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Route · PHL → BUF · 2020–2025 BTS data

Philadelphia to Buffalo

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), PHL to BUF (Philadelphia to Buffalo) ranks #3434 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.7%
On-time
+4.7 pts
vs US avg
79 min
Delay when late
2,721
Flights
#3434 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

3.7%

Best Month

Oct 2022 95%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 65%

Distance

279 mi

Carriers

12

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Nov 2025 30 11 2 0 OH,YX
Oct 2025 62 15 1 0 AA,OH,YX
Jul 2025 57 20 7 1 OH
Oct 2024 31 3 0 0 AA,OH
Sep 2024 50 10 0 0 OH,AA
Aug 2024 95 30 6 0 AA,F9,YX,OH
Jul 2024 96 28 7 0 AA,F9,OH,YX
Jun 2024 37 7 0 0 AA,F9,YX
Mar 2024 31 2 0 0 YX
Feb 2024 41 2 0 0 OH,YX
Jan 2024 44 12 9 0 YX,OH
Nov 2023 79 9 0 0 OH,YX
Oct 2023 50 1 0 1 AA,OH,YX
Apr 2023 54 5 1 0 YX,OH
Jan 2023 59 9 0 0 OH
Dec 2022 50 4 10 0 YX,OH
Nov 2022 57 4 3 0 OH,YX
Oct 2022 79 4 0 0 YX,OH
Sep 2022 60 6 0 0 OH,YX,AA
Aug 2022 75 10 1 0 AA,OH,YX
Jul 2022 70 17 2 0 OH
Jun 2022 90 23 1 0 OH
May 2022 79 17 4 0 OH
Apr 2022 88 21 0 0 OH

PHL–BUF seasonal on-time pattern

Best: December (93.3%) · weakest: July (74.9%)

70%75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 93.3%

Strongest calendar month

December

93.3% on-time · ~60 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

May

~82 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

74.9% on-time · ~67 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

3.7%

54 of 1,464 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

2 of 1,464 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

PHL - Philadelphia

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

PHL on-time profile

BUF - Buffalo

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

BUF on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare PHL vs BUF

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among PHL departures

From PHL, this corridor sits with 60 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 65 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (4 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Buffalo · fleet on-time rank #1701 of 4927.

What the Data Says About PHL to BUF

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Philadelphia to Buffalo (PHL to BUF) running a 83.7% on-time rate over 2,721 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 78.5 minutes. The 279-mile corridor is served by 12 carriers, and over the last 24 months 3.7% of 1,464 flights were cancelled, 0.1% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2022 posted the strongest performance at 95% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 65% - a 30-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, PHL–BUF peaks in December at 93.3% on-time while May carries the heaviest traffic (~82 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 74.9%, a 18.4-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PHL to BUF rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, PHL to BUF ranks #3434 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 PHL to BUF? ▼
Flights from Philadelphia to Buffalo have a 83.7% on-time rate based on 2,721 flights. The average delay is 78.5 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2022 with 95% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for PHL to BUF? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 3.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (54 of 1,464 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from PHL to BUF? ▼
The flight distance from Philadelphia (PHL) to Buffalo (BUF) is approximately 279 miles. This route is served by 12 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from PHL to BUF? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2022 (95% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (65% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

PHL Airport

Philadelphia
BUF Airport

Buffalo
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 PHL–BUF data

PHL–BUF runs 4.7 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare PHL and BUF airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. PHL airport
  • If your dates flex, December (93.3% on-time) beats July (74.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.7% 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.