New York, NY · Airport profile
JFK
John F. Kennedy International Airport
77.0% of departures from JFK arrived on time across 351,635 flights, July 2023 – July 2026. The weakest hour is 8 PM, at 67.4%. Airline-caused delays accounts for the most delay minutes.
JFK right now
Live conditions where a permitted source publishes them, and the historical record where none does.
Aviation weather is not currently a factor.
89.7% leave on time
05:00–05:59 local · 2,732 departures on record
When flights run late in this hour, most of the delay is attributed to the airline.
Historical pattern for JFK from US DOT BTS — not a live reading.
Minimal operational impact. Conditions are not a notable factor for operations right now.
UpdatedForecast issued 08:30Z.
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 JFK, July 2023 – July 2026.
Better than 13% of major US airports covered by FlyerIntel (64 compared)
Calculated from 351,635 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.
Weather is still the leading cause at this airport, but a smaller share of it than 99% of 61 comparable airports; cancellations here spread across causes more evenly.
Weather accounts for 43.5% of coded cancellations at this airport, against 59.9% across every covered 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 61 in the comparison.
Why flights are cancelled at JFK
Every cancellation carries a reason code filed by the airline that operated the flight. Departures, July 2023 – July 2026.
Extreme weather accounts for 42.6% of cancelled departures from JFK — about 1 in every 93 scheduled departures. That is 17 points lower than the 59.5% recorded across every airport FlyerIntel covers.
Share of cancellations
Of 8,824 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.
3,763 cancellations, 42.6% of the total.
Airport capacity, air traffic control flow programs, heavy traffic and ordinary bad weather. A system decision, not the airline’s.
3,202 cancellations, 36.3% of the total.
Crew, maintenance, aircraft cleaning, baggage or fueling: what BTS counts as within the carrier’s own control.
1,852 cancellations, 21.0% of the total.
A terminal evacuation, a security breach, screening equipment failure, or screening queues over 29 minutes.
7 cancellations, 0.1% of the total.
8,824 of 351,635 scheduled departures from JFK 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JetBlue B6 | 3,130 | 2.78% | 19% | 33% | 48% | 0% |
| Republic Airways YX | 1,860 | 3.70% | 15% | 38% | 47% | <1% |
| Delta Air Lines DL | 1,496 | 1.60% | 39% | 54% | 7% | <1% |
| Endeavor Air 9E | 997 | 3.78% | 13% | 27% | 60% | 0% |
| American Airlines AA | 791 | 1.75% | 10% | 83% | 7% | 0% |
Shares are of each carrier’s own coded cancellations at JFK 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; 8,824 were recorded at JFK.
Why flights run late at JFK
Where US DOT attributed the delay minutes on departures from JFK.
crew, maintenance, boarding and fueling, all within the carrier’s control
the inbound aircraft was late, so this flight started late
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 JFK. Only delays of 15 minutes or more are attributed.
Of the 51,210 departures from JFK that left 15 or more minutes late and have a known inbound aircraft, 57% followed a flight that landed 15 or more minutes late. The other 43% 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%; JFK’s is the 23rd lowest.
The late flight is the one the same aircraft flew into JFK 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 JFK 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 JFK
Departures from JFK by the weather at the airport in the hour they were scheduled to leave, July 2023 – July 2026.
13.2% of scheduled departures from JFK left in an hour of bad weather. 6.0% of them were cancelled, against 1.7% in normal conditions, and 64.1% of the ones that flew arrived on time, against 79.7%. Those hours held 32% of all cancelled departures. That is about 1,997 more cancellations than the normal-conditions rate would give.
Cancellations were highest in thunderstorm hours: 26.4% of 1,914 departures, 15.2 times the normal rate.
Airlines filed 43% of JFK’s coded cancellations under extreme weather. By the weather at the airport in the scheduled hour, 32% 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 | 276,71878.7% of all | 1.7% | 80.1% | 79.7% | 12.4 min |
| Any bad weatherIFR or LIFR, or a thunderstorm, snow or ice, fog, heavy rain or high wind | 46,49713.2% of all | 6.0%3.5 times normal | 71.7% | 64.1%15.6 points below normal | 23.8 min |
| MVFRceiling 1,000 to 3,000 feet or visibility 3 to 5 miles | 31,0478.8% of all | 5.2%3.0 times normal | 74.4% | 69.0%10.7 points below normal | 20.4 min |
| IFRceiling 500 to 999 feet or visibility 1 to under 3 miles | 18,9455.4% of all | 5.7%3.3 times normal | 71.7% | 64.4%15.3 points below normal | 23.8 min |
| LIFRceiling under 500 feet or visibility under 1 mile | 10,5793.0% of all | 7.7%4.4 times normal | 72.7% | 64.7%15.0 points below normal | 24.1 min |
| Thunderstorma thunderstorm reported at the airport | 1,9140.5% of all | 26.4%15.2 times normal | 42.8% | 25.5%54.2 points below normal | 83.7 min |
| Snow or icesnow, snow grains, ice pellets, freezing rain or freezing drizzle | 4,1471.2% of all | 23.7%13.7 times normal | 62.9% | 36.3%43.4 points below normal | 38.6 min |
| Fogfog or freezing fog reported at the airport | 2,3210.7% of all | 15.9%9.1 times normal | 71.2% | 65.4%14.3 points below normal | 25.9 min |
| Heavy rainheavy rain reported at the airport | 2,3560.7% of all | 13.4%7.7 times normal | 60.4% | 47.8%31.9 points below normal | 44.9 min |
| High windwind of 25 knots or more, or gusts of 30 knots or more | 15,6804.5% of all | 5.0%2.9 times normal | 71.5% | 64.5%15.2 points below normal | 23.5 min |
| Low ceilinga broken or overcast layer under 1,000 feet | 25,9837.4% of all | 5.8%3.4 times normal | 73.0% | 66.2%13.5 points below normal | 22.2 min |
| Low visibilityvisibility under 3 miles | 17,9175.1% of all | 7.6%4.4 times normal | 71.8% | 62.4%17.3 points below normal | 25.5 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 JFK 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 JFK
Cancellations by airline in hours of bad weather at JFK, against the other carriers in the same months, July 2023 – July 2026.
13% of the weather-matched departures from JFK left in an hour of bad weather at the airport. 6.0% of them were cancelled. That is 3.5 times the 1.7% in normal hours. No one carrier holds most of them; 8 airlines have enough to compare.
Compared with the other carriers at JFK in the same months, Delta Air Lines (4.0% cancelled against 6.9% for the others; below them in normal hours too) cancelled the fewest in bad weather and Endeavor Air (9.2% cancelled against 4.1% for the others; above them in normal hours too) the most. 4 more airlines are also clearly apart from the others.
Airlines in bad weather at JFK
Scheduled departures, July 2023 – July 2026| Airline | Bad-weather departures | Cancelled | Other carriers | Normal hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 12,65727% of bad-weather | 4.0%below the others | 6.9% | 1.0%others 2.0% |
| American Airlines | 6,15213% of bad-weather | 4.6%below the others | 6.6% | 1.1%others 1.9% |
| Frontier Airlines | 6721% of bad-weather | 4.6%below the others | 6.5% | 1.0%others 1.6% |
| Alaska Airlines | 1,5863% of bad-weather | 5.2% | 6.0% | 1.5%others 1.8% |
| JetBlue | 14,94832% of bad-weather | 6.2% | 6.2% | 2.0%others 1.7% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 6921% of bad-weather | 8.1%above the others | 4.6% | 2.3%others 1.5% |
| Republic Airways | 6,59014% of bad-weather | 9.6%above the others | 5.3% | 2.5%others 1.6% |
| Endeavor Air | 3,0727% of bad-weather | 9.2%above the others | 4.1% | 2.8%others 1.4% |
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 8 listed airlines flew nearly every bad-weather departure at JFK. 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, Republic Airways and Endeavor Air fly for mainline airlines and are counted as carriers of their own here, though they share 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 JFK
Time on the ground between one flight and the next of the same aircraft at JFK, and what a late arrival does to the next departure, July 2023 – July 2026.
The median turn at JFK is scheduled for 65 minutes on the ground and takes 76 minutes, against 56 minutes and 63 minutes across all airports. Aircraft are given longer on the ground here than at the typical airport. The typical turn runs 11 minutes over its schedule, more than the 7 minutes it does across all airports.
When the aircraft landed 15 or more minutes late (40,303 turns here, 63 minutes late on average), 70% of the turns were finished in no more than the scheduled ground time, against 68% across all airports. 68% 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 64% leaving late. JFK does worse on both counts: fewer late turns are finished in the schedule and more late aircraft become late departures, so a late arrival is more likely to stay late here than the schedule alone explains. 37% of its late-inbound turns had a scheduled turn of 60 to 89 minutes, against 29% across all airports.
Turns at JFK against all airports
219,990 turns, July 2023 – July 2026| Measure | JFK | All airports | All airports, same turn lengths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median scheduled turn | 65 min | 56 min | — |
| Median actual turn | 76 min | 63 min | — |
| Turns that began with an aircraft 15+ minutes late | 18% | 19% | — |
| Late turns finished within the schedule | 70% | 68% | 74% |
| Late inbound that left 15+ minutes late | 68% | 72% | 64% |
| On-time inbound that left 15+ minutes late | 11% | 11% | — |
The last column is the network’s rate at the turn lengths scheduled at JFK, 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 JFK with its next departure from it by tail number; the aircraft is never named. These 219,990 turns are 63% of the flights that left JFK 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 JFK 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 JFK apart
Where JFK’s hours, months, airlines and taxi time differ most from the other airports, July 2023 – July 2026.
Flights scheduled to leave JFK at 4 PM arrive on time 74.7% of the time, 3.2 points better than the 71.5% for that hour at the other airports.
5 AM is where JFK falls furthest behind the rest: 87.2% of its 5 AM departures arrive on time, 5 points below the 92.2% for that hour elsewhere.
May treats JFK better than it treats the rest of the country: 77.9% on time against 75.4% elsewhere, 2.5 points ahead.
February is JFK’s hardest month against the field, 77.6% on time to 81.2% elsewhere, 3.6 points short.
American Airlines does better out of JFK than anywhere else it flies: 80.9% on time here, 74.7% on its other departures, 6.2 points apart.
Hawaiian Airlines’ departures from JFK arrive on time 68.8% of the time, 14.9 points worse than the 83.7% the same airline manages at its other airports.
Departing aircraft spend 27.3 minutes on average between pushback and takeoff at JFK, 8.8 minutes more than the 18.5 minutes at the other airports.
JFK against the other airports
July 2023 – July 2026| Measure | JFK | Elsewhere | Gap | Flights behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hour: 4 PM departures | 74.7% | 71.5% | +3.2 pts | 20,186 here, 981,458 elsewhere |
| Hour: 5 AM departures | 87.2% | 92.2% | −5.0 pts | 2,685 here, 381,839 elsewhere |
| Month: May | 77.9% | 75.4% | +2.5 pts | 27,880 here, 1,459,453 elsewhere |
| Month: February | 77.6% | 81.2% | −3.6 pts | 23,551 here, 1,223,158 elsewhere |
| Airline: American Airlines | 80.9% | 74.7% | +6.2 pts | 44,151 here, 2,912,488 elsewhere |
| Airline: Hawaiian Airlines | 68.8% | 83.7% | −14.9 pts | 911 here, 196,573 elsewhere |
| Taxi-out: Departures | 27.3 min | 18.5 min | +8.8 min | 343,405 here, 17,286,704 elsewhere |
"Elsewhere" is every other covered airport together, taken from the same aggregates as this page with JFK’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 JFK
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 85.4% of the time, against 68.2% 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.
Thursday 6–7 AM was the most reliable slot at JFK (88.6% on time, 3,097 flights) and Sunday 8–9 PM the least (61.3%, 2,743 flights).
Hour of departure matters more than day of the week: hourly averages sit a typical 6.7 points from the airport-wide rate, weekday averages 2.6 points.
| Hour | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
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| 10 PM–11 PM |
On-time rate, % · stronger color, fewer on time
- 60–64
- 65–69
- 70–74
- 75–79
- 80–84
- 85–89
- 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 after 11 PM (445 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 | 87.8% on time423 flights | 87.7% on time369 flights | 88.0% on time397 flights | 86.2% on time389 flights | 85.6% on time414 flights | 88.2% on time346 flights | 87.0% on time394 flights |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 86.5% on time3,092 flights | 87.8% on time3,056 flights | 88.4% on time3,033 flights | 88.6% on time3,097 flights | 86.7% on time3,053 flights | 86.1% on time2,684 flights | 85.0% on time3,084 flights |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 85.8% on time4,130 flights | 87.0% on time4,070 flights | 88.1% on time4,048 flights | 86.4% on time4,132 flights | 84.0% on time4,130 flights | 85.5% on time3,844 flights | 84.7% on time4,107 flights |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 84.3% on time4,439 flights | 86.1% on time4,379 flights | 86.0% on time4,380 flights | 82.8% on time4,434 flights | 83.5% on time4,430 flights | 80.8% on time4,025 flights | 81.7% on time4,444 flights |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 82.9% on time3,725 flights | 86.2% on time3,619 flights | 85.9% on time3,592 flights | 81.4% on time3,706 flights | 79.8% on time3,679 flights | 77.2% on time3,502 flights | 78.2% on time3,712 flights |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 79.7% on time1,732 flights | 83.8% on time1,660 flights | 85.0% on time1,664 flights | 80.2% on time1,725 flights | 80.2% on time1,710 flights | 78.9% on time1,735 flights | 75.0% on time1,751 flights |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 81.7% on time3,424 flights | 85.6% on time3,449 flights | 85.1% on time3,387 flights | 81.3% on time3,413 flights | 80.9% on time3,425 flights | 82.0% on time3,198 flights | 78.6% on time3,458 flights |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 81.8% on time2,299 flights | 83.8% on time2,271 flights | 86.8% on time2,275 flights | 81.7% on time2,269 flights | 81.7% on time2,280 flights | 81.9% on time2,207 flights | 78.9% on time2,282 flights |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 74.7% on time2,515 flights | 78.6% on time2,446 flights | 80.2% on time2,426 flights | 76.7% on time2,492 flights | 74.2% on time2,520 flights | 72.8% on time2,328 flights | 70.2% on time2,508 flights |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 74.0% on time2,815 flights | 79.3% on time2,741 flights | 79.5% on time2,743 flights | 75.2% on time2,776 flights | 74.3% on time2,798 flights | 73.6% on time2,839 flights | 70.7% on time2,845 flights |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 73.4% on time3,743 flights | 78.4% on time3,673 flights | 77.5% on time3,662 flights | 73.9% on time3,755 flights | 72.9% on time3,745 flights | 71.7% on time3,641 flights | 69.1% on time3,744 flights |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 74.5% on time3,055 flights | 79.8% on time2,953 flights | 76.5% on time2,923 flights | 73.1% on time2,990 flights | 73.8% on time3,025 flights | 73.1% on time2,856 flights | 71.9% on time3,034 flights |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 69.5% on time3,396 flights | 76.3% on time3,366 flights | 73.2% on time3,358 flights | 68.0% on time3,339 flights | 70.6% on time3,376 flights | 68.5% on time3,230 flights | 65.8% on time3,333 flights |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 67.5% on time2,610 flights | 74.8% on time2,531 flights | 69.9% on time2,531 flights | 65.0% on time2,566 flights | 70.2% on time2,598 flights | 65.1% on time2,603 flights | 62.7% on time2,614 flights |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 69.2% on time3,162 flights | 75.8% on time2,931 flights | 71.5% on time2,900 flights | 67.2% on time3,116 flights | 70.3% on time3,153 flights | 68.0% on time3,101 flights | 63.2% on time3,159 flights |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 68.4% on time2,667 flights | 73.6% on time2,451 flights | 71.7% on time2,455 flights | 66.0% on time2,652 flights | 67.5% on time2,676 flights | 64.3% on time2,570 flights | 61.3% on time2,743 flights |
| 9 PM–10 PM | 69.8% on time2,580 flights | 75.9% on time2,282 flights | 71.9% on time2,297 flights | 64.3% on time2,539 flights | 68.1% on time2,570 flights | 66.6% on time2,372 flights | 62.9% on time2,599 flights |
| 10 PM–11 PM | 69.8% on time1,336 flights | 74.8% on time1,264 flights | 72.0% on time1,295 flights | 64.7% on time1,320 flights | 69.7% on time1,324 flights | 68.5% on time1,350 flights | 65.1% on time1,312 flights |
By departure window
All days combinedBy departure hour
All days combined- 12 AM to 4 AM: too few flights to score
- 5 AM: 87.2% on time from 2,732 flights
- 6 AM: 87.0% on time from 21,099 flights
- 7 AM: 85.9% on time from 28,461 flights
- 8 AM: 83.6% on time from 30,531 flights
- 9 AM: 81.7% on time from 25,535 flights
- 10 AM: 80.4% on time from 11,977 flights
- 11 AM: 82.2% on time from 23,754 flights
- 12 PM: 82.4% on time from 15,883 flights
- 1 PM: 75.3% on time from 17,235 flights
- 2 PM: 75.2% on time from 19,557 flights
- 3 PM: 73.8% on time from 25,963 flights
- 4 PM: 74.7% on time from 20,836 flights
- 5 PM: 70.3% on time from 23,398 flights
- 6 PM: 67.9% on time from 18,053 flights
- 7 PM: 69.2% on time from 21,522 flights
- 8 PM: 67.4% on time from 18,214 flights
- 9 PM: 68.4% on time from 17,239 flights
- 10 PM: 69.2% on time from 9,201 flights
- 11 PM: 77.5% on time from 445 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 Terminal 4 (IAT), JFK’s busiest hall, in a typical 11 min; everyone else in the same terminal typically takes 24 min, and 60 min on a busy day. These are separate halls, separately staffed — CBP’s single combined figure of 18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal 4 (IAT) | 11 min | 23 min | 24 min | 60 min | 13.7% of arrivals |
| Terminal 8 (American) | 11 min | 20 min | 26 min | 55 min | 12.4% of arrivals |
| Terminal 1 | 15 min | 30 min | 30 min | 68 min | 9.5% of arrivals |
| Terminal 5 (Jet Blue) | 9 min | 19 min | 15 min | 37 min | 10.9% of arrivals |
| Terminal 7 (British) | 12 min | 24 min | 23 min | 46 min | 9.1% of arrivals |
JFK’s halls are not interchangeable: passengers on other passports typically clear Terminal 1 in 30 min against 15 min at Terminal 5 (Jet Blue). Which one you land in is decided by the airline you booked, not by you.
Your terminal is set by the airline you arrive on, not by you. This is here so you can read the hall you will actually land in.
Showing customs wait times for Terminal 4 (IAT)US passports — Terminal 4 (IAT)
- 12 AM–1 AM: typically 13 min, 24 min on a busy day (770 days)
- 1 AM–2 AM: typically 12 min, 23 min on a busy day (747 days)
- 2 AM–3 AM: typically 11 min, 21 min on a busy day (659 days)
- 3 AM–4 AM: typically 9 min, 17 min on a busy day (663 days)
- 4 AM–5 AM: typically 12 min, 24 min on a busy day (765 days)
- 5 AM–6 AM: typically 13 min, 27 min on a busy day (765 days)
- 6 AM–7 AM: typically 11 min, 20 min on a busy day (568 days)
- 7 AM–8 AM: typically 11 min, 23 min on a busy day (723 days)
- 8 AM–9 AM: typically 13 min, 25 min on a busy day (721 days)
- 9 AM–10 AM: typically 14 min, 25 min on a busy day (762 days)
- 10 AM–11 AM: typically 12 min, 24 min on a busy day (722 days)
- 11 AM–12 PM: typically 10 min, 21 min on a busy day (764 days)
- 12 PM–1 PM: typically 10 min, 24 min on a busy day (778 days)
- 1 PM–2 PM: typically 11 min, 25 min on a busy day (777 days)
- 2 PM–3 PM: typically 12 min, 23 min on a busy day (779 days)
- 3 PM–4 PM: typically 11 min, 22 min on a busy day (777 days)
- 4 PM–5 PM: typically 11 min, 20 min on a busy day (775 days)
- 5 PM–6 PM: typically 12 min, 23 min on a busy day (779 days)
- 6 PM–7 PM: typically 12 min, 24 min on a busy day (775 days)
- 7 PM–8 PM: typically 11 min, 25 min on a busy day (774 days)
- 8 PM–9 PM: typically 12 min, 27 min on a busy day (695 days)
- 9 PM–10 PM: typically 10 min, 21 min on a busy day (710 days)
- 10 PM–11 PM: typically 8 min, 15 min on a busy day (730 days)
- 11 PM–12 AM: typically 13 min, 23 min on a busy day (776 days)
US citizens and lawful permanent residents, who use the US-passport lanes.
All other passports — Terminal 4 (IAT)
- 12 AM–1 AM: typically 22 min, 54 min on a busy day (770 days)
- 1 AM–2 AM: typically 19 min, 50 min on a busy day (747 days)
- 2 AM–3 AM: typically 16 min, 41 min on a busy day (659 days)
- 3 AM–4 AM: typically 13 min, 28 min on a busy day (663 days)
- 4 AM–5 AM: typically 22 min, 49 min on a busy day (765 days)
- 5 AM–6 AM: typically 32 min, 69 min on a busy day (765 days)
- 6 AM–7 AM: typically 22 min, 57 min on a busy day (568 days)
- 7 AM–8 AM: typically 26 min, 46 min on a busy day (723 days)
- 8 AM–9 AM: typically 24 min, 49 min on a busy day (721 days)
- 9 AM–10 AM: typically 29 min, 58 min on a busy day (762 days)
- 10 AM–11 AM: typically 28 min, 66 min on a busy day (722 days)
- 11 AM–12 PM: typically 31 min, 74 min on a busy day (764 days)
- 12 PM–1 PM: typically 36 min, 78 min on a busy day (778 days)
- 1 PM–2 PM: typically 30 min, 72 min on a busy day (777 days)
- 2 PM–3 PM: typically 29 min, 67 min on a busy day (779 days)
- 3 PM–4 PM: typically 28 min, 69 min on a busy day (777 days)
- 4 PM–5 PM: typically 27 min, 65 min on a busy day (775 days)
- 5 PM–6 PM: typically 26 min, 63 min on a busy day (779 days)
- 6 PM–7 PM: typically 23 min, 61 min on a busy day (775 days)
- 7 PM–8 PM: typically 30 min, 75 min on a busy day (774 days)
- 8 PM–9 PM: typically 29 min, 70 min on a busy day (695 days)
- 9 PM–10 PM: typically 25 min, 51 min on a busy day (710 days)
- 10 PM–11 PM: typically 13 min, 27 min on a busy day (730 days)
- 11 PM–12 AM: typically 22 min, 46 min on a busy day (776 days)
Every other arriving passenger, including visa and visa-waiver travelers.
Hour by hour — Terminal 4 (IAT)
| Cleared in hour | US passports | US busy day | Other passports | Other busy day | Booths open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 AM–1 AM | 13 min | 24 min | 22 min | 54 min | 16 |
| 1 AM–2 AM | 12 min | 23 min | 19 min | 50 min | 14 |
| 2 AM–3 AM | 11 min | 21 min | 16 min | 41 min | 12 |
| 3 AM–4 AM | 9 min | 17 min | 13 min | 28 min | 12 |
| 4 AM–5 AM | 12 min | 24 min | 22 min | 49 min | 16 |
| 5 AM–6 AM | 13 min | 27 min | 32 min | 69 min | 19 |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 11 min | 20 min | 22 min | 57 min | 16 |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 11 min | 23 min | 26 min | 46 min | 20 |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 13 min | 25 min | 24 min | 49 min | 23 |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 14 min | 25 min | 29 min | 58 min | 22 |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 12 min | 24 min | 28 min | 66 min | 19 |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 10 min | 21 min | 31 min | 74 min | 20 |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 10 min | 24 min | 36 min | 78 min | 23 |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 11 min | 25 min | 30 min | 72 min | 26 |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 12 min | 23 min | 29 min | 67 min | 28 |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 11 min | 22 min | 28 min | 69 min | 26 |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 11 min | 20 min | 27 min | 65 min | 23 |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 12 min | 23 min | 26 min | 63 min | 22 |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 12 min | 24 min | 23 min | 61 min | 20 |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 11 min | 25 min | 30 min | 75 min | 19 |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 12 min | 27 min | 29 min | 70 min | 14 |
| 9 PM–10 PM | 10 min | 21 min | 25 min | 51 min | 15 |
| 10 PM–11 PM | 8 min | 15 min | 13 min | 27 min | 18 |
| 11 PM–12 AM | 13 min | 23 min | 22 min | 46 min | 18 |
US passports: clearing in the 9 AM–10 AM hour typically takes 14 min, against 8 min in the 10 PM–11 PM hour — 6 min between the slowest and fastest of 24 measured hours.
All other passports: clearing in the 12 PM–1 PM hour typically takes 36 min, against 13 min in the 3 AM–4 AM hour — 23 min between the slowest and fastest of 24 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 JFK
How busy the airport is through the day, from scheduled departure volume.
Scheduled departures by hour
- 12 AM: no departures
- 1 AM: no departures
- 2 AM: no departures
- 3 AM: no departures
- 4 AM: no departures
- 5 AM: about 2 departures a day
- 6 AM: about 19 departures a day
- 7 AM: about 25 departures a day
- 8 AM: about 27 departures a day
- 9 AM: about 23 departures a day
- 10 AM: about 11 departures a day
- 11 AM: about 21 departures a day
- 12 PM: about 14 departures a day
- 1 PM: about 15 departures a day
- 2 PM: about 17 departures a day
- 3 PM: about 23 departures a day
- 4 PM: about 18 departures a day
- 5 PM: about 21 departures a day
- 6 PM: about 16 departures a day
- 7 PM: about 19 departures a day
- 8 PM: about 16 departures a day
- 9 PM: about 15 departures a day
- 10 PM: about 8 departures a day
- 11 PM: fewer than one departure a day
The busiest hour is 8 AM, with about 27 departures a day, against roughly 11 at 10 AM. That peak is also more punctual than a typical hour here: early banks fly aircraft that spent the night on the ground rather than ones inheriting the day’s delays.
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 8.0 percentage points.
By month
- Jan: 76.7% on time
- Feb: 77.6% on time
- Mar: 79.0% on time
- Apr: 81.1% on time
- May: 77.9% on time
- Jun: 72.5% on time
- Jul: 66.9% on time
- Aug: 74.1% on time
- Sep: 80.0% on time
- Oct: 82.0% on time
- Nov: 83.7% on time
- Dec: 75.7% on time
July is historically the weakest month and November the strongest, a spread of 16.8 percentage points.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026
Airlines at JFK
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JetBlue B6 | 112,463 | 70.4% | 2.78% | -4 min |
| Delta Air Lines DL | 93,774 | 79.3% | 1.60% | -10 min |
| Republic Airways YX | 50,331 | 81.7% | 3.70% | -11 min |
| American Airlines AA | 45,081 | 80.9% | 1.75% | -12 min |
| Endeavor Air 9E | 26,387 | 83.6% | 3.78% | -12 min |
| Alaska Airlines AS | 12,057 | 76.6% | 2.21% | -7 min |
| SkyWest Airlines OO | 5,886 | 76.7% | 3.31% | -7 min |
| Frontier Airlines F9 | 4,736 | 69.3% | 1.71% | -2 min |
| Hawaiian Airlines HA | 920 | 68.8% | 0.76% | 2 min |
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Carriers with fewer than 500 departures are not listed.
Routes from JFK
Ranked by FlyerIntel Route Reliability Score.
Most reliable
Busiest routes
| Destination | Flights | On time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| JFK → LAX Los Angeles | 31,151 | 79.8% | 67 |
| JFK → SFO San Francisco | 20,819 | 76.9% | 62 |
| JFK → BOS Boston | 17,279 | 74.8% | 43 |
| JFK → MIA Miami | 15,837 | 75.0% | 51 |
| JFK → MCO Orlando | 14,837 | 72.1% | 44 |
| JFK → ATL Atlanta | 11,985 | 76.0% | 56 |
| JFK → FLL Fort Lauderdale | 11,955 | 72.5% | 45 |
| JFK → SJU San Juan | 11,338 | 70.5% | 46 |
| JFK → LAS Las Vegas | 10,910 | 80.1% | 69 |
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: 64.1% on time from 11,188 flights
- August 2023: 75.7% on time from 11,130 flights
- September 2023: 73.4% on time from 10,760 flights
- October 2023: 81.3% on time from 10,920 flights
- November 2023: 85.8% on time from 10,520 flights
- December 2023: 83.8% on time from 10,413 flights
- January 2024: 76.7% on time from 9,471 flights
- February 2024: 83.9% on time from 9,242 flights
- March 2024: 79.9% on time from 10,153 flights
- April 2024: 80.1% on time from 10,152 flights
- May 2024: 77.2% on time from 10,627 flights
- June 2024: 74.1% on time from 10,455 flights
- July 2024: 69.1% on time from 10,870 flights
- August 2024: 68.1% on time from 10,862 flights
- September 2024: 85.0% on time from 10,376 flights
- October 2024: 89.3% on time from 10,732 flights
- November 2024: 88.1% on time from 10,140 flights
- December 2024: 75.7% on time from 10,268 flights
- January 2025: 79.7% on time from 8,327 flights
- February 2025: 72.3% on time from 7,850 flights
- March 2025: 80.3% on time from 8,737 flights
- April 2025: 81.7% on time from 8,628 flights
- May 2025: 74.9% on time from 9,021 flights
- June 2025: 68.3% on time from 8,848 flights
- July 2025: 67.8% on time from 9,262 flights
- August 2025: 79.0% on time from 9,110 flights
- September 2025: 81.8% on time from 8,567 flights
- October 2025: 74.2% on time from 8,928 flights
- November 2025: 75.8% on time from 8,626 flights
- December 2025: 65.6% on time from 8,856 flights
- January 2026: 73.6% on time from 8,022 flights
- February 2026: 75.2% on time from 7,458 flights
- March 2026: 76.4% on time from 8,392 flights
- April 2026: 81.6% on time from 8,254 flights
- May 2026: 82.1% on time from 8,535 flights
- June 2026: 75.0% on time from 8,750 flights
- July 2026: 66.5% on time from 9,185 flights
Over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), departures from JFK arrived on time 75.5% of the time, against 77.8% in the 12 months before — declining by 2.3 percentage points.
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 351,635 departures from JFK. 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/jfk/"><img src="https://flyerintel.com/badge/airport/jfk/" alt="John F. Kennedy International 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 JFK: METAR KJFK 180851Z 01010KT 10SM CLR 06/M02 A3050 RMK AO2 SLP329 T00561017 53016 $ (issued ).