Houston, TX · Airport profile
IAH
George Bush Intercontinental Airport
77.4% of departures from IAH arrived on time across 359,450 flights, July 2023 – July 2026. The weakest hour is 5 PM, at 68.4%. Late-arriving aircraft accounts for the most delay minutes.
IAH right now
Live conditions where a permitted source publishes them, and the historical record where none does.
Aviation weather is not currently a factor.
Minimal operational impact. Conditions are not a notable factor for operations right now.
UpdatedForecast issued 08:57Z.
UpdatedBelow 10,000 ft, so aircraft overflying at cruise are not counted. These are observations, not an operational status: a count is a floor, since receiver coverage varies and a movement between two samples can be missed.
UpdatedAircraft observations from ADSB.lol (opens in a new tab) (Katia Esposito and contributing feeders), under the ODbL 1.0 (opens in a new tab). Derived data.
FlyerIntel shows live values only where a permitted source provides them. Sections without data are left empty rather than estimated.
Airport reliability
Departures from IAH, July 2023 – July 2026.
Better than 27% of major US airports covered by FlyerIntel (64 compared)
Calculated from 359,450 flights. How this is calculated
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026
What stands out
How this airport compares to others like it, not just to itself.
The airline matters unusually much at this airport, a wider carrier-to-carrier gap than 94% of 218 comparable airports.
Southwest Airlines arrived on time 82.9% of the time, against 59.3% for JetBlue, flying out of the exact same airport.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Ranked against every other airport with the same kind of figure and at least 218 in the comparison.
Why flights are cancelled at IAH
Every cancellation carries a reason code filed by the airline that operated the flight. Departures, July 2023 – July 2026.
Extreme weather accounts for 61.2% of cancelled departures from IAH — about 1 in every 112 scheduled departures. That is close to the split across every airport FlyerIntel covers.
Share of cancellations
Of 5,254 cancelled departures carrying a reason code.
What each reason means
Conditions the carrier judged severe enough to stop the flight: a blizzard, a hurricane, a line of thunderstorms.
3,214 cancellations, 61.2% of the total.
Crew, maintenance, aircraft cleaning, baggage or fueling: what BTS counts as within the carrier’s own control.
1,483 cancellations, 28.2% of the total.
Airport capacity, air traffic control flow programs, heavy traffic and ordinary bad weather. A system decision, not the airline’s.
557 cancellations, 10.6% of the total.
A terminal evacuation, a security breach, screening equipment failure, or screening queues over 29 minutes.
0 cancellations, 0.0% of the total.
5,254 of 359,450 scheduled departures from IAH were cancelled. Ordinary bad weather is filed under air traffic, so weather’s full share is larger than its bar.
By carrier
| Carrier | Cancelled | Rate | Airline | Weather | Air traffic | Security |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines UA | 2,510 | 1.15% | 36% | 49% | 15% | 0% |
| SkyWest Airlines OO | 720 | 1.74% | 2% | 92% | 6% | 0% |
| American Airlines AA | 560 | 2.48% | 12% | 85% | 3% | 0% |
Shares are of each carrier’s own coded cancellations at IAH and run across the row, so they total 100%. “Rate” is cancellations as a share of that carrier’s scheduled departures here. Two carriers on the same runways in the same weather can file very different splits, so read this as what each airline reported about itself, not as a ranking of fault. Carriers below the published minimum of coded cancellations are not listed.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026 · Reason codes are each airline’s own filing, not an independent finding of fault. Shown for airports with at least 500 coded cancellations; 5,254 were recorded at IAH.
Why flights run late at IAH
Where US DOT attributed the delay minutes on departures from IAH.
the inbound aircraft was late, so this flight started late
crew, maintenance, boarding and fueling, all within the carrier’s control
airspace and airport capacity, including weather-driven flow control
weather severe enough to stop this flight specifically
screening or terminal security incidents
Share of the delay minutes US DOT attributed to each cause for departures from IAH. Only delays of 15 minutes or more are attributed.
Of the 59,489 departures from IAH that left 15 or more minutes late and have a known inbound aircraft, 52% followed a flight that landed 15 or more minutes late. The other 48% left late even though the aircraft had come in on time or early. Across the 64 covered airports that share runs from 47% to 73%, with a median of 62%; IAH’s is the 8th lowest.
The late flight is the one the same aircraft flew into IAH just before, found from the tail number in the DOT file. Airlines and hours differ from one airport to the next, so this describes the departures from IAH and does not rate the airport.
An airport is only partly the author of its own delays. Late-arriving aircraft describes the national schedule arriving here more than anything about this airfield. Air traffic control covers airspace and airport capacity, which is where a congested airport shows up; only the airline category sits squarely inside the carriers’ own operation. How differently they run it is further down this page.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026
What weather costs at IAH
Departures from IAH by the weather at the airport in the hour they were scheduled to leave, July 2023 – July 2026.
8.0% of scheduled departures from IAH left in an hour of bad weather. 4.1% of them were cancelled, against 1.2% in normal conditions, and 63.8% of the ones that flew arrived on time, against 78.6%. Those hours held 23% of all cancelled departures. That is about 845 more cancellations than the normal-conditions rate would give.
Cancellations were highest in high wind hours: 11.3% of 3,036 departures, 9.4 times the normal rate.
Airlines filed 61% of IAH’s coded cancellations under extreme weather. By the weather at the airport in the scheduled hour, 23% of cancelled departures were in bad-weather hours. A code is the airline’s stated reason and an hour’s weather is what the airport reported, so the two need not match.
By weather
Scheduled departures, July 2023 – July 2026| Weather at the airport | Departures | Cancelled | Left on time | Arrived on time | Avg. departure delay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal conditionsVFR with no thunderstorm, snow or ice, fog, heavy rain or high wind | 290,02380.7% of all | 1.2% | 78.1% | 78.6% | 14.7 min |
| Any bad weatherIFR or LIFR, or a thunderstorm, snow or ice, fog, heavy rain or high wind | 28,9228.0% of all | 4.1%3.4 times normal | 66.7% | 63.8%14.8 points below normal | 31.3 min |
| MVFRceiling 1,000 to 3,000 feet or visibility 3 to 5 miles | 43,13212.0% of all | 2.0%1.6 times normal | 77.8% | 76.3%2.3 points below normal | 16.3 min |
| IFRceiling 500 to 999 feet or visibility 1 to under 3 miles | 14,1543.9% of all | 3.0%2.5 times normal | 70.1% | 68.4%10.2 points below normal | 26.0 min |
| LIFRceiling under 500 feet or visibility under 1 mile | 7,2052.0% of all | 3.5%2.9 times normal | 76.6% | 75.3%3.3 points below normal | 20.2 min |
| Thunderstorma thunderstorm reported at the airport | 7,5162.1% of all | 5.9%4.9 times normal | 35.7% | 29.4%49.2 points below normal | 75.5 min |
| Snow or icesnow, snow grains, ice pellets, freezing rain or freezing drizzle | 2890.1% of all | 44.3%36.9 times normal | 44.1% | 31.3%47.3 points below normal | 82.0 min |
| Fogfog or freezing fog reported at the airport | 2,4000.7% of all | 3.4%2.8 times normal | 73.1% | 68.9%9.7 points below normal | 29.5 min |
| Heavy rainheavy rain reported at the airport | 4,0921.1% of all | 6.8%5.6 times normal | 39.7% | 33.4%45.2 points below normal | 70.7 min |
| High windwind of 25 knots or more, or gusts of 30 knots or more | 3,0360.8% of all | 11.3%9.4 times normal | 56.9% | 46.7%31.9 points below normal | 49.8 min |
| Low ceilinga broken or overcast layer under 1,000 feet | 17,6584.9% of all | 2.7%2.3 times normal | 75.8% | 74.7%3.9 points below normal | 17.9 min |
| Low visibilityvisibility under 3 miles | 11,8903.3% of all | 3.3%2.8 times normal | 70.5% | 68.8%9.8 points below normal | 28.2 min |
A departure is counted in every row its hour fits, so the rows overlap and do not add up. Left on time is a departure under 15 minutes late, and arrived on time an arrival under 15 minutes late; cancelled is the share of scheduled departures. Rows with fewer than 120 departures are not scored.
This is the weather reported at IAH in the hour a flight was scheduled to leave. It leaves out the weather at the destination and on the way, weather that arrived after the scheduled time, and anything else that goes wrong in a bad hour. An hour takes the worst conditions any report in it gave. Weather was matched to 100.0% of the airport’s scheduled departures; the rest left in hours with no report, or at a scheduled time the flight records cannot place exactly. Bad-weather hours are compared with normal hours at the same airport, not with what the same flights would have done in a clear sky: they also fall more often in some seasons and at some times of day.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS flight records and Iowa Environmental Mesonet weather reports · July 2023 – July 2026 · Where the weather comes from, and its limits. All covered airports side by side: What Weather Costs Each Airport.
Which airlines hold up in bad weather at IAH
Cancellations by airline in hours of bad weather at IAH, against the other carriers in the same months, July 2023 – July 2026.
8% of the weather-matched departures from IAH left in an hour of bad weather at the airport. 4.1% of them were cancelled. That is 3.4 times the 1.2% in normal hours. No one carrier holds most of them; 6 airlines have enough to compare.
Compared with the other carriers at IAH in the same months, United Airlines (3.4% cancelled against 5.2% for the others; below them in normal hours too) cancelled the fewest in bad weather and SkyWest Airlines (8.0% cancelled against 4.0% for the others; level with them in normal hours, so a bad-weather difference) the most. 2 more airlines are also clearly apart from the others.
Airlines in bad weather at IAH
Scheduled departures, July 2023 – July 2026| Airline | Bad-weather departures | Cancelled | Other carriers | Normal hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 17,07859% of bad-weather | 3.4%below the others | 5.2% | 1.0%others 1.6% |
| Delta Air Lines | 2,2318% of bad-weather | 2.9%below the others | 4.3% | 1.2%others 1.2% |
| Spirit Airlines | 2,0567% of bad-weather | 4.3% | 4.4% | 1.9%others 1.3% |
| American Airlines | 2,0797% of bad-weather | 4.6% | 3.9% | 2.1%others 1.2% |
| Frontier Airlines | 9153% of bad-weather | 5.0%above the others | 3.8% | 2.3%others 1.2% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 3,15111% of bad-weather | 8.0%above the others | 4.0% | 1.1%others 1.2% |
Best first. The other carriers’ column applies their rate in each month to the airline’s own departures, so a stormy month is not held against it; the normal-hours column gives the same pair outside bad weather.
The 6 listed airlines flew 95% of the bad-weather departures at IAH; a carrier under 500 is not listed. The comparison does not hold the hour of the day, the destination or the aircraft fixed, and a gap counts as clear only at 2 standard errors and 0.3 points. SkyWest Airlines flies for Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines and is counted as a carrier of its own here, though it shares the airport’s gates, its de-icing and often its decisions to cancel.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS flight records and Iowa Environmental Mesonet weather reports · July 2023 – July 2026 · Where the weather comes from, and its limits. All covered airports side by side: What Weather Costs Each Airport.
Turning aircraft around at IAH
Time on the ground between one flight and the next of the same aircraft at IAH, and what a late arrival does to the next departure, July 2023 – July 2026.
The median turn at IAH is scheduled for 70 minutes on the ground and takes 78 minutes, against 56 minutes and 63 minutes across all airports. Aircraft are given longer on the ground here than at the typical airport. The 8 minutes by which the typical turn runs over its schedule are about what it is across all airports.
When the aircraft landed 15 or more minutes late (42,488 turns here, 62 minutes late on average), 72% of the turns were finished in no more than the scheduled ground time, against 68% across all airports. 66% of those flights left 15 or more minutes late, against 72%. After an aircraft that landed on time, 11% did (all airports 11%).
Given the turn lengths scheduled here, the network’s rates would give 74% finished in the schedule and 66% leaving late. At these turn lengths IAH looks like the network on both counts: late turns are finished in the schedule, and lateness passed on, about as often as elsewhere. 43% of its late-inbound turns had a scheduled turn of 60 to 89 minutes, against 29% across all airports.
Turns at IAH against all airports
230,450 turns, July 2023 – July 2026| Measure | IAH | All airports | All airports, same turn lengths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median scheduled turn | 70 min | 56 min | — |
| Median actual turn | 78 min | 63 min | — |
| Turns that began with an aircraft 15+ minutes late | 18% | 19% | — |
| Late turns finished within the schedule | 72% | 68% | 74% |
| Late inbound that left 15+ minutes late | 66% | 72% | 66% |
| On-time inbound that left 15+ minutes late | 11% | 11% | — |
The last column is the network’s rate at the turn lengths scheduled at IAH, band by band from under 30 minutes to 3 to 6 hours. A turn finishes within the schedule when the aircraft spent no more time on the ground than the schedule gave it.
A turn pairs an aircraft’s landing at IAH with its next departure from it by tail number; the aircraft is never named. These 230,450 turns are 64% of the flights that left IAH in the period; the rest are an aircraft’s first flight after a long stay, flights without a usable inbound, and cancelled flights. Ground time runs from the gate. Turns under 30 minutes are kept, but most leave late even after an on-time landing. Airlines set their own turn schedules, so this describes the airlines that fly at IAH and does not rate the airport.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS flight records · July 2023 – July 2026 · Airports side by side: Where a Late Aircraft Gets Its Time Back.
What sets IAH apart
Where IAH’s hours, months, airlines and taxi time differ most from the other airports, July 2023 – July 2026.
Flights scheduled to leave IAH at 10 PM arrive on time 77.2% of the time, 5.3 points better than the 71.9% for that hour at the other airports.
1 PM is where IAH falls furthest behind the rest: 73.4% of its 1 PM departures arrive on time, 4.3 points below the 77.7% for that hour elsewhere.
February treats IAH better than it treats the rest of the country: 83.8% on time against 81.1% elsewhere, 2.7 points ahead.
June is IAH’s hardest month against the field, 67.7% on time to 73.0% elsewhere, 5.3 points short.
Southwest Airlines does better out of IAH than anywhere else it flies: 82.9% on time here, 78.2% on its other departures, 4.7 points apart.
JetBlue’s departures from IAH arrive on time 59.3% of the time, 13.2 points worse than the 72.5% the same airline manages at its other airports.
IAH against the other airports
July 2023 – July 2026| Measure | IAH | Elsewhere | Gap | Flights behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hour: 10 PM departures | 77.2% | 71.9% | +5.3 pts | 4,306 here, 475,494 elsewhere |
| Hour: 1 PM departures | 73.4% | 77.7% | −4.3 pts | 6,965 here, 1,007,395 elsewhere |
| Month: February | 83.8% | 81.1% | +2.7 pts | 25,720 here, 1,220,989 elsewhere |
| Month: June | 67.7% | 73.0% | −5.3 pts | 29,359 here, 1,442,518 elsewhere |
| Airline: Southwest Airlines | 82.9% | 78.2% | +4.7 pts | 5,775 here, 4,318,524 elsewhere |
| Airline: JetBlue | 59.3% | 72.5% | −13.2 pts | 2,229 here, 724,085 elsewhere |
"Elsewhere" is every other covered airport together, taken from the same aggregates as this page with IAH’s own flights removed (for airlines, that airline’s flights from all its other airports). Hours, months and airlines appear only where both sides have at least 120 completed flights (airlines 500) and the gap is at least 2 points and 2 standard errors; only the largest gap in each direction is shown. The taxi figure is weighted by departures and has no error estimate, so it appears from 2 minutes.
Best time to fly from IAH
On-time arrival rate by scheduled local departure time: each weekday and hour, and averaged over the week.
Flights departing 5–9 AM arrived on time 88.0% of the time, against 70.8% for 6–9 PM departures — a gap of 17.2 percentage points.
By day and hour
On-time arrival rate for each weekday and scheduled departure hour, in local time.
Tuesday 5–6 AM was the most reliable slot at IAH (92.4% on time, 1,268 flights) and Sunday 5–6 PM the least (63.1%, 1,526 flights).
Hour of departure matters more than day of the week: hourly averages sit a typical 6.4 points from the airport-wide rate, weekday averages 2.1 points.
| Hour | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
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On-time rate, % · stronger color, fewer on time
- 60–64
- 65–69
- 70–74
- 75–79
- 80–84
- 85–89
- 90–94
- Fewer than 120 flights, not scored
- Most reliable slot
- Least reliable slot
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · On time is arrival within 15 minutes of schedule. Cells round to whole percentages; the table shows one decimal.
Best and worst slots are named only among slots with 500+ flights, and only when the gap is larger than sampling error. Departures before 5 AM (9 flights) are not drawn: no slot in those hours has enough flights to score.
View as tableHide table
| Hour | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 AM–6 AM | 88.7% on time1,483 flights | 92.4% on time1,268 flights | 91.7% on time1,265 flights | 91.2% on time1,489 flights | 90.6% on time1,490 flights | 89.0% on time1,444 flights | 90.4% on time1,456 flights |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 87.1% on time2,131 flights | 88.9% on time1,908 flights | 90.6% on time1,929 flights | 89.4% on time2,141 flights | 88.9% on time2,124 flights | 87.0% on time1,956 flights | 85.9% on time2,039 flights |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 87.0% on time4,975 flights | 88.4% on time4,737 flights | 90.0% on time4,839 flights | 88.7% on time5,004 flights | 86.9% on time4,977 flights | 87.0% on time4,537 flights | 87.2% on time4,745 flights |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 83.7% on time1,591 flights | 84.9% on time1,367 flights | 87.5% on time1,368 flights | 85.2% on time1,557 flights | 85.2% on time1,587 flights | 87.0% on time1,433 flights | 85.8% on time1,489 flights |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 82.3% on time4,002 flights | 85.3% on time3,861 flights | 83.5% on time3,919 flights | 82.0% on time3,944 flights | 82.2% on time3,988 flights | 82.5% on time3,478 flights | 81.3% on time3,858 flights |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 79.1% on time2,350 flights | 83.2% on time2,266 flights | 80.8% on time2,345 flights | 79.4% on time2,404 flights | 80.3% on time2,351 flights | 75.7% on time2,129 flights | 76.8% on time2,452 flights |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 78.4% on time2,137 flights | 81.7% on time2,026 flights | 80.0% on time2,097 flights | 77.9% on time2,166 flights | 77.2% on time2,196 flights | 79.2% on time1,893 flights | 76.9% on time2,088 flights |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 77.8% on time5,311 flights | 82.4% on time5,124 flights | 80.9% on time5,186 flights | 77.9% on time5,309 flights | 77.3% on time5,227 flights | 79.3% on time4,674 flights | 77.1% on time5,195 flights |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 70.1% on time1,063 flights | 77.7% on time949 flights | 76.3% on time1,005 flights | 73.6% on time1,071 flights | 70.7% on time1,073 flights | 74.8% on time905 flights | 71.7% on time1,053 flights |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 74.2% on time4,670 flights | 81.0% on time4,279 flights | 78.5% on time4,511 flights | 75.0% on time4,648 flights | 73.0% on time4,655 flights | 77.6% on time3,800 flights | 74.5% on time4,447 flights |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 73.9% on time1,050 flights | 79.2% on time939 flights | 77.4% on time934 flights | 74.6% on time1,014 flights | 71.1% on time1,055 flights | 75.6% on time854 flights | 73.6% on time982 flights |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 73.0% on time4,117 flights | 76.2% on time3,827 flights | 75.5% on time3,966 flights | 70.9% on time4,154 flights | 70.0% on time4,124 flights | 75.3% on time3,523 flights | 69.4% on time4,118 flights |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 67.6% on time1,452 flights | 73.2% on time1,273 flights | 71.4% on time1,331 flights | 67.4% on time1,485 flights | 66.1% on time1,457 flights | 71.4% on time1,319 flights | 63.1% on time1,526 flights |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 69.7% on time6,793 flights | 75.0% on time6,449 flights | 74.6% on time6,696 flights | 69.5% on time6,775 flights | 69.1% on time6,880 flights | 72.1% on time6,015 flights | 66.8% on time6,649 flights |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 68.0% on time2,825 flights | 74.4% on time2,513 flights | 73.3% on time2,618 flights | 67.4% on time2,736 flights | 68.3% on time2,821 flights | 69.8% on time2,548 flights | 63.5% on time2,989 flights |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 70.4% on time5,086 flights | 76.0% on time4,768 flights | 76.0% on time4,800 flights | 70.2% on time4,966 flights | 69.2% on time5,067 flights | 72.3% on time4,631 flights | 67.1% on time5,036 flights |
| 9 PM–10 PM | 74.9% on time1,556 flights | 82.6% on time1,160 flights | 80.2% on time1,370 flights | 77.5% on time1,492 flights | 74.9% on time1,555 flights | 74.4% on time1,242 flights | 71.1% on time1,520 flights |
| 10 PM–11 PM | 74.9% on time703 flights | 82.8% on time546 flights | 82.2% on time575 flights | 73.9% on time657 flights | 75.3% on time703 flights | 77.7% on time504 flights | 75.6% on time695 flights |
| 11 PM–12 AM | 38 flights, too few to score | 43 flights, too few to score | 50 flights, too few to score | 49 flights, too few to score | 83.3% on time122 flights | 117 flights, too few to score | 76.2% on time149 flights |
By departure window
All days combinedBy departure hour
All days combined- 12 AM to 4 AM: too few flights to score
- 5 AM: 90.5% on time from 9,895 flights
- 6 AM: 88.3% on time from 14,228 flights
- 7 AM: 87.9% on time from 33,814 flights
- 8 AM: 85.5% on time from 10,392 flights
- 9 AM: 82.7% on time from 27,050 flights
- 10 AM: 79.4% on time from 16,297 flights
- 11 AM: 78.7% on time from 14,603 flights
- 12 PM: 78.9% on time from 36,026 flights
- 1 PM: 73.4% on time from 7,119 flights
- 2 PM: 76.1% on time from 31,010 flights
- 3 PM: 75.0% on time from 6,828 flights
- 4 PM: 72.8% on time from 27,829 flights
- 5 PM: 68.4% on time from 9,843 flights
- 6 PM: 71.0% on time from 46,257 flights
- 7 PM: 69.1% on time from 19,050 flights
- 8 PM: 71.5% on time from 34,354 flights
- 9 PM: 76.3% on time from 9,895 flights
- 10 PM: 77.2% on time from 4,383 flights
- 11 PM: 79.5% on time from 568 flights
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Buckets with fewer than 120 flights are not scored.
International arrivals
How long passport control normally takes here, hour by hour and hall by hall. This is the arrivals queue, not departure security — and it is history, not a live wait.
A US passport clears IAB, IAH’s busiest hall, in a typical 12 min; everyone else in the same terminal typically takes 19 min, and 44 min on a busy day. These are separate halls, separately staffed — CBP’s single combined figure of 16 min is a number few arrivals actually experience.
Terminal by terminal, across the day
| Terminal | US passports | US busy day | Other passports | Other busy day | Global Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IAB | 12 min | 24 min | 19 min | 44 min | 11.7% of arrivals |
US passports — IAB
- 12 AM–1 AM: too few records to publish
- 1 AM–2 AM: too few records to publish
- 2 AM–3 AM: too few records to publish
- 3 AM–4 AM: too few records to publish
- 4 AM–5 AM: typically 15 min, 26 min on a busy day (477 days)
- 5 AM–6 AM: typically 13 min, 27 min on a busy day (777 days)
- 6 AM–7 AM: typically 9 min, 20 min on a busy day (553 days)
- 7 AM–8 AM: typically 10 min, 21 min on a busy day (777 days)
- 8 AM–9 AM: typically 12 min, 30 min on a busy day (770 days)
- 9 AM–10 AM: typically 14 min, 24 min on a busy day (776 days)
- 10 AM–11 AM: typically 16 min, 32 min on a busy day (778 days)
- 11 AM–12 PM: typically 11 min, 21 min on a busy day (678 days)
- 12 PM–1 PM: typically 10 min, 17 min on a busy day (778 days)
- 1 PM–2 PM: typically 11 min, 18 min on a busy day (776 days)
- 2 PM–3 PM: typically 15 min, 25 min on a busy day (778 days)
- 3 PM–4 PM: typically 14 min, 25 min on a busy day (777 days)
- 4 PM–5 PM: typically 14 min, 25 min on a busy day (778 days)
- 5 PM–6 PM: typically 15 min, 25 min on a busy day (779 days)
- 6 PM–7 PM: typically 13 min, 23 min on a busy day (779 days)
- 7 PM–8 PM: typically 14 min, 26 min on a busy day (778 days)
- 8 PM–9 PM: typically 11 min, 25 min on a busy day (748 days)
- 9 PM–10 PM: typically 10 min, 17 min on a busy day (660 days)
- 10 PM–11 PM: typically 12 min, 19 min on a busy day (513 days)
- 11 PM–12 AM: too few records to publish
US citizens and lawful permanent residents, who use the US-passport lanes.
All other passports — IAB
- 12 AM–1 AM: too few records to publish
- 1 AM–2 AM: too few records to publish
- 2 AM–3 AM: too few records to publish
- 3 AM–4 AM: too few records to publish
- 4 AM–5 AM: typically 23 min, 41 min on a busy day (477 days)
- 5 AM–6 AM: typically 31 min, 52 min on a busy day (777 days)
- 6 AM–7 AM: typically 18 min, 45 min on a busy day (553 days)
- 7 AM–8 AM: typically 17 min, 36 min on a busy day (777 days)
- 8 AM–9 AM: typically 20 min, 49 min on a busy day (770 days)
- 9 AM–10 AM: typically 22 min, 42 min on a busy day (776 days)
- 10 AM–11 AM: typically 29 min, 53 min on a busy day (778 days)
- 11 AM–12 PM: typically 14 min, 29 min on a busy day (678 days)
- 12 PM–1 PM: typically 13 min, 28 min on a busy day (778 days)
- 1 PM–2 PM: typically 16 min, 34 min on a busy day (776 days)
- 2 PM–3 PM: typically 27 min, 52 min on a busy day (778 days)
- 3 PM–4 PM: typically 22 min, 52 min on a busy day (777 days)
- 4 PM–5 PM: typically 21 min, 47 min on a busy day (778 days)
- 5 PM–6 PM: typically 19 min, 44 min on a busy day (779 days)
- 6 PM–7 PM: typically 16 min, 39 min on a busy day (779 days)
- 7 PM–8 PM: typically 21 min, 46 min on a busy day (778 days)
- 8 PM–9 PM: typically 17 min, 44 min on a busy day (748 days)
- 9 PM–10 PM: typically 11 min, 24 min on a busy day (660 days)
- 10 PM–11 PM: typically 16 min, 25 min on a busy day (513 days)
- 11 PM–12 AM: too few records to publish
Every other arriving passenger, including visa and visa-waiver travelers.
Hour by hour — IAB
| Cleared in hour | US passports | US busy day | Other passports | Other busy day | Booths open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 AM–5 AM | 15 min | 26 min | 23 min | 41 min | 11 |
| 5 AM–6 AM | 13 min | 27 min | 31 min | 52 min | 13 |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 9 min | 20 min | 18 min | 45 min | 10 |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 10 min | 21 min | 17 min | 36 min | 9 |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 12 min | 30 min | 20 min | 49 min | 10 |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 14 min | 24 min | 22 min | 42 min | 15 |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 16 min | 32 min | 29 min | 53 min | 16 |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 11 min | 21 min | 14 min | 29 min | 12 |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 10 min | 17 min | 13 min | 28 min | 15 |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 11 min | 18 min | 16 min | 34 min | 18 |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 15 min | 25 min | 27 min | 52 min | 22 |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 14 min | 25 min | 22 min | 52 min | 21 |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 14 min | 25 min | 21 min | 47 min | 22 |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 15 min | 25 min | 19 min | 44 min | 22 |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 13 min | 23 min | 16 min | 39 min | 20 |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 14 min | 26 min | 21 min | 46 min | 17 |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 11 min | 25 min | 17 min | 44 min | 12 |
| 9 PM–10 PM | 10 min | 17 min | 11 min | 24 min | 11 |
| 10 PM–11 PM | 12 min | 19 min | 16 min | 25 min | 8 |
US passports: clearing in the 10 AM–11 AM hour typically takes 16 min, against 9 min in the 6 AM–7 AM hour — 7 min between the slowest and fastest of 19 measured hours.
All other passports: clearing in the 5 AM–6 AM hour typically takes 31 min, against 11 min in the 9 PM–10 PM hour — 20 min between the slowest and fastest of 19 measured hours.
The hour is when CBP processed the passenger, not when the aircraft landed — allow for the walk from the gate. Hours with fewer than 120 days of records are not listed rather than shown as an estimate, which is why a terminal’s quietest hours are usually absent. “Busy day” is the 90th percentile: one arrival in ten is worse than that. Booths are how many CBP had open, and they follow the queue rather than prevent it — the busiest hours are staffed hardest and are still the slowest.
Source: US Customs and Border Protection · 2024-08-28 to 2026-10-16 · These are CBP passport control waits for arriving international passengers — a different queue from TSA departure screening. CBP publishes them about two days in arrears, so every figure here describes what has been typical over 2024-08-28 to 2026-10-16, and none of it is a live queue or a forecast for your flight. US and non-US passengers are reported separately by CBP and are kept separate here, because they are separate halls. FlyerIntel publishes a terminal or an hour only where CBP filed at least 120 hourly records for it, and an hour-by-hour breakdown only where at least 6 hours clear that floor.
What to expect at IAH
How busy the airport is through the day, from scheduled departure volume.
Scheduled departures by hour
- 12 AM: fewer than one departure a day
- 1 AM: no departures
- 2 AM: no departures
- 3 AM: no departures
- 4 AM: no departures
- 5 AM: about 9 departures a day
- 6 AM: about 13 departures a day
- 7 AM: about 30 departures a day
- 8 AM: about 9 departures a day
- 9 AM: about 24 departures a day
- 10 AM: about 14 departures a day
- 11 AM: about 13 departures a day
- 12 PM: about 32 departures a day
- 1 PM: about 6 departures a day
- 2 PM: about 28 departures a day
- 3 PM: about 6 departures a day
- 4 PM: about 25 departures a day
- 5 PM: about 9 departures a day
- 6 PM: about 41 departures a day
- 7 PM: about 17 departures a day
- 8 PM: about 30 departures a day
- 9 PM: about 9 departures a day
- 10 PM: about 4 departures a day
- 11 PM: about 1 departure a day
The busiest hour is 6 PM, with about 41 departures a day, against roughly 6 at 3 PM.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Taxi-out runs from gate to wheels-up, averaged over departures and weighted by hour. Taxi-in runs from touchdown to gate.
Weekly and seasonal patterns
By day of week
Tuesday is historically the most reliable day and Sunday the least, a gap of 6.2 percentage points.
By month
- Jan: 80.8% on time
- Feb: 83.8% on time
- Mar: 77.8% on time
- Apr: 79.6% on time
- May: 70.5% on time
- Jun: 67.7% on time
- Jul: 67.7% on time
- Aug: 76.8% on time
- Sep: 83.1% on time
- Oct: 83.3% on time
- Nov: 82.8% on time
- Dec: 80.4% on time
June is historically the weakest month and February the strongest, a spread of 16.1 percentage points.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026
Airlines at IAH
Departure performance by operating carrier. Regional flights are reported by the carrier that operated them, not by the mainline brand.
| Carrier | Departures | On time | Cancelled | Median delay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines UA | 218,579 | 78.0% | 1.15% | -5 min |
| SkyWest Airlines OO | 41,311 | 77.0% | 1.74% | -5 min |
| Delta Air Lines DL | 24,991 | 81.7% | 1.38% | -8 min |
| Spirit Airlines NK | 22,948 | 75.8% | 2.05% | -6 min |
| American Airlines AA | 22,572 | 76.1% | 2.48% | -6 min |
| Frontier Airlines F9 | 11,550 | 65.8% | 2.45% | 0 min |
| Southwest Airlines WN | 5,853 | 82.9% | 1.13% | -6 min |
| Envoy Air MQ | 4,295 | 77.8% | 2.56% | -8 min |
| Alaska Airlines AS | 3,150 | 78.7% | 1.40% | -5 min |
| JetBlue B6 | 2,306 | 59.3% | 2.69% | 6 min |
| Republic Airways YX | 1,321 | 75.0% | 4.16% | -9 min |
| PSA Airlines OH | 574 | 69.3% | 5.05% | 0 min |
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Carriers with fewer than 500 departures are not listed.
Routes from IAH
Ranked by FlyerIntel Route Reliability Score.
Most reliable
Busiest routes
| Destination | Flights | On time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| IAH → ORD Chicago | 17,013 | 76.9% | 58 |
| IAH → DFW Dallas–Fort Worth | 16,944 | 73.2% | 41 |
| IAH → LAX Los Angeles | 16,491 | 82.8% | 74 |
| IAH → DEN Denver | 14,957 | 79.4% | 67 |
| IAH → ATL Atlanta | 14,350 | 76.7% | 58 |
| IAH → LGA New York | 12,397 | 75.4% | 50 |
| IAH → LAS Las Vegas | 11,900 | 79.8% | 67 |
| IAH → EWR Newark | 11,534 | 75.3% | 52 |
| IAH → MCO Orlando | 11,351 | 77.6% | 59 |
| IAH → MIA Miami | 10,851 | 75.4% | 53 |
| IAH → SFO San Francisco | 10,331 | 77.1% | 65 |
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Only routes with at least 10,000 flights are ranked.
Reliability over time
On-time arrival rate for departures, by month.
- July 2023: 71.6% on time from 9,775 flights
- August 2023: 80.6% on time from 9,786 flights
- September 2023: 79.5% on time from 9,283 flights
- October 2023: 82.7% on time from 9,918 flights
- November 2023: 86.4% on time from 9,019 flights
- December 2023: 85.1% on time from 9,076 flights
- January 2024: 74.7% on time from 8,932 flights
- February 2024: 84.7% on time from 8,464 flights
- March 2024: 77.5% on time from 9,557 flights
- April 2024: 77.7% on time from 9,288 flights
- May 2024: 60.9% on time from 10,125 flights
- June 2024: 67.9% on time from 10,028 flights
- July 2024: 57.7% on time from 10,383 flights
- August 2024: 75.9% on time from 10,284 flights
- September 2024: 83.9% on time from 9,502 flights
- October 2024: 86.3% on time from 10,228 flights
- November 2024: 84.1% on time from 9,576 flights
- December 2024: 76.9% on time from 9,572 flights
- January 2025: 81.3% on time from 9,249 flights
- February 2025: 81.0% on time from 8,470 flights
- March 2025: 79.5% on time from 9,849 flights
- April 2025: 80.5% on time from 9,510 flights
- May 2025: 73.1% on time from 10,237 flights
- June 2025: 65.2% on time from 10,009 flights
- July 2025: 68.8% on time from 10,311 flights
- August 2025: 74.1% on time from 9,889 flights
- September 2025: 85.6% on time from 9,493 flights
- October 2025: 80.7% on time from 10,246 flights
- November 2025: 78.2% on time from 10,022 flights
- December 2025: 79.4% on time from 9,971 flights
- January 2026: 85.7% on time from 9,656 flights
- February 2026: 85.6% on time from 8,976 flights
- March 2026: 76.4% on time from 10,492 flights
- April 2026: 80.4% on time from 10,022 flights
- May 2026: 77.1% on time from 10,105 flights
- June 2026: 69.9% on time from 9,903 flights
- July 2026: 72.2% on time from 10,244 flights
Over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), departures from IAH arrived on time 78.7% of the time, against 77.9% in the 12 months before — broadly unchanged.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026
Data and sources
Historical statistics
Every historical figure on this page is calculated by FlyerIntel from US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics on-time performance records covering July 2023 – July 2026, comprising 359,450 departures from IAH. A flight counts as delayed when it arrives 15 or more minutes after schedule.
Full methodology · All data sources
Related research: The Day After the Holiday · The Least Reliable Hour of the Week · The Best Major Airports for a Tight Connection · Which Months Cancel the Most Flights
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<a href="https://flyerintel.com/airports/iah/"><img src="https://flyerintel.com/badge/airport/iah/" alt="George Bush Intercontinental Airport on-time performance, from FlyerIntel"></a>Live conditions
Aviation weather comes from the NOAA Aviation Weather Center. Operational events come from the FAA where available. FlyerIntel shows the age of every live value and does not display data it cannot currently retrieve.
Latest observation for IAH: METAR KIAH 180853Z 34003KT 10SM BKN250 11/08 A3035 RMK AO2 SLP278 T01110078 55001 (issued ).