Los Angeles, CA · Airport profile
LAX
Los Angeles International Airport
81.4% of departures from LAX arrived on time across 595,153 flights, July 2023 – July 2026. The weakest hour is 8 PM, at 75.4%. Airline-caused delays accounts for the most delay minutes.
LAX 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 08:36Z.
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 LAX, July 2023 – July 2026.
Better than 82% of major US airports covered by FlyerIntel (64 compared)
Calculated from 595,153 flights. How this is calculated
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026
Why flights are cancelled at LAX
Every cancellation carries a reason code filed by the airline that operated the flight. Departures, July 2023 – July 2026.
The airline accounts for 48.4% of cancelled departures from LAX — about 1 in every 265 scheduled departures. That is 23 points higher than the 25.8% recorded across every airport FlyerIntel covers.
Share of cancellations
Of 4,632 cancelled departures carrying a reason code.
What each reason means
Crew, maintenance, aircraft cleaning, baggage or fueling: what BTS counts as within the carrier’s own control.
2,242 cancellations, 48.4% of the total.
Conditions the carrier judged severe enough to stop the flight: a blizzard, a hurricane, a line of thunderstorms.
1,973 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.
414 cancellations, 8.9% of the total.
A terminal evacuation, a security breach, screening equipment failure, or screening queues over 29 minutes.
3 cancellations, 0.1% of the total.
4,632 of 595,153 scheduled departures from LAX 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 | 838 | 0.97% | 71% | 21% | 8% | 0% |
| American Airlines AA | 832 | 0.90% | 22% | 75% | 4% | 0% |
| Delta Air Lines DL | 827 | 0.73% | 74% | 24% | 2% | 0% |
| SkyWest Airlines OO | 503 | 0.42% | 5% | 68% | 27% | 0% |
Shares are of each carrier’s own coded cancellations at LAX 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; 4,632 were recorded at LAX.
Why flights run late at LAX
Where US DOT attributed the delay minutes on departures from LAX.
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 LAX. Only delays of 15 minutes or more are attributed.
Of the 88,818 departures from LAX that left 15 or more minutes late and have a known inbound aircraft, 55% followed a flight that landed 15 or more minutes late. The other 45% 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%; LAX’s is the 17th lowest.
The late flight is the one the same aircraft flew into LAX 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 LAX 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 LAX
Departures from LAX by the weather at the airport in the hour they were scheduled to leave, July 2023 – July 2026.
10.2% of scheduled departures from LAX left in an hour of bad weather. 1.0% of them were cancelled, against 0.8% in normal conditions, and 78.9% of the ones that flew arrived on time, against 81.4%. Those hours held 13% of all cancelled departures. That is about 156 more cancellations than the normal-conditions rate would give.
Cancellations were highest in heavy rain hours: 2.6% of 892 departures, 3.4 times the normal rate.
Airlines filed 43% of LAX’s coded cancellations under extreme weather. By the weather at the airport in the scheduled hour, 13% 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 | 428,06172.0% of all | 0.8% | 81.2% | 81.4% | 10.5 min |
| Any bad weatherIFR or LIFR, or a thunderstorm, snow or ice, fog, heavy rain or high wind | 60,63910.2% of all | 1.0% | 80.0% | 78.9%2.5 points below normal | 12.4 min |
| MVFRceiling 1,000 to 3,000 feet or visibility 3 to 5 miles | 105,92417.8% of all | 0.7% | 83.0% | 82.7%1.3 points above normal | 9.5 min |
| IFRceiling 500 to 999 feet or visibility 1 to under 3 miles | 40,5156.8% of all | 1.0% | 79.3% | 78.9%2.5 points below normal | 12.8 min |
| LIFRceiling under 500 feet or visibility under 1 mile | 17,6583.0% of all | 1.1% | 82.7% | 79.6%1.8 points below normal | 10.5 min |
| Thunderstorma thunderstorm reported at the airport | 176<0.1% of all | 0.6% | 68.0% | 61.7%19.7 points below normal | 16.4 min |
| Fogfog or freezing fog reported at the airport | 7,6321.3% of all | 0.9% | 84.6% | 79.9%1.5 points below normal | 9.4 min |
| Heavy rainheavy rain reported at the airport | 8920.2% of all | 2.6%3.4 times normal | 64.5% | 62.7%18.7 points below normal | 25.0 min |
| High windwind of 25 knots or more, or gusts of 30 knots or more | 2,4530.4% of all | 0.7% | 69.2% | 72.3%9.1 points below normal | 19.3 min |
| Low ceilinga broken or overcast layer under 1,000 feet | 52,8348.9% of all | 1.0% | 80.7% | 79.5%1.9 points below normal | 11.8 min |
| Low visibilityvisibility under 3 miles | 26,9284.5% of all | 1.1% | 80.9% | 78.2%3.2 points below normal | 12.2 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 LAX 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 99.9% 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 LAX
Cancellations by airline in hours of bad weather at LAX, against the other carriers in the same months, July 2023 – July 2026.
10% of the weather-matched departures from LAX left in an hour of bad weather at the airport. 1.0% of them were cancelled. Normal hours were at 0.8%, so bad weather moved cancellations little here. No one carrier holds most of them; 10 airlines have enough to compare.
Compared with the other carriers at LAX in the same months, Southwest Airlines (0.6% cancelled against 1.1% for the others; below them in normal hours too) cancelled the fewest in bad weather and Frontier Airlines (3.1% cancelled against 1.0% for the others; above them in normal hours too) the most. 2 more airlines are also clearly apart from the others.
Airlines in bad weather at LAX
Scheduled departures, July 2023 – July 2026| Airline | Bad-weather departures | Cancelled | Other carriers | Normal hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 8,72414% of bad-weather | 0.6%below the others | 1.1% | 0.5%others 0.8% |
| American Airlines | 9,55416% of bad-weather | 0.8%below the others | 1.1% | 1.0%others 0.7% |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 6861% of bad-weather | 0.7% | 1.0% | 1.2%others 0.7% |
| Delta Air Lines | 11,61919% of bad-weather | 0.9% | 1.0% | 0.7%others 0.8% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 11,16918% of bad-weather | 1.0% | 1.0% | 0.3%others 0.9% |
| JetBlue | 2,8015% of bad-weather | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.2%others 0.7% |
| Alaska Airlines | 2,9175% of bad-weather | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.2%others 0.8% |
| United Airlines | 8,78514% of bad-weather | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.0%others 0.7% |
| Spirit Airlines | 2,9955% of bad-weather | 1.8%above the others | 1.0% | 1.2%others 0.7% |
| Frontier Airlines | 1,0642% of bad-weather | 3.1%above the others | 1.0% | 1.5%others 0.7% |
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 10 listed airlines flew 99% of the bad-weather departures at LAX; 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 LAX
Time on the ground between one flight and the next of the same aircraft at LAX, and what a late arrival does to the next departure, July 2023 – July 2026.
The median turn at LAX is scheduled for 67 minutes on the ground and takes 73 minutes, against 56 minutes and 63 minutes across all airports. Aircraft are given longer on the ground here than at the typical airport. The 6 minutes by which the typical turn runs over its schedule are about what it is across all airports. 16.7% of turns here began with an aircraft that landed 15 or more minutes late, below the 18.9% for all airports.
When the aircraft landed 15 or more minutes late (73,035 turns here, 53 minutes late on average), 73% of the turns were finished in no more than the scheduled ground time, against 68% across all airports. 64% of those flights left 15 or more minutes late, against 72%. After an aircraft that landed on time, 10% did (all airports 11%).
Given the turn lengths scheduled here, the network’s rates would give 74% finished in the schedule and 65% leaving late. At these turn lengths LAX looks like the network on both counts: late turns are finished in the schedule, and lateness passed on, about as often as elsewhere. 37% of its late-inbound turns had a scheduled turn of 60 to 89 minutes, against 29% across all airports.
Turns at LAX against all airports
437,620 turns, July 2023 – July 2026| Measure | LAX | All airports | All airports, same turn lengths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median scheduled turn | 67 min | 56 min | — |
| Median actual turn | 73 min | 63 min | — |
| Turns that began with an aircraft 15+ minutes late | 17% | 19% | — |
| Late turns finished within the schedule | 73% | 68% | 74% |
| Late inbound that left 15+ minutes late | 64% | 72% | 65% |
| On-time inbound that left 15+ minutes late | 10% | 11% | — |
The last column is the network’s rate at the turn lengths scheduled at LAX, 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 LAX with its next departure from it by tail number; the aircraft is never named. These 437,620 turns are 74% of the flights that left LAX 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 LAX 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 LAX apart
Where LAX’s hours, months, airlines and taxi time differ most from the other airports, July 2023 – July 2026.
Flights scheduled to leave LAX at 7 PM arrive on time 78.6% of the time, 10.2 points better than the 68.4% for that hour at the other airports.
10 AM is where LAX falls furthest behind the rest: 79.8% of its 10 AM departures arrive on time, 3.2 points below the 83.0% for that hour elsewhere.
July treats LAX better than it treats the rest of the country: 76.4% on time against 69.9% elsewhere, 6.5 points ahead.
Spirit Airlines does better out of LAX than anywhere else it flies: 81.0% on time here, 75.2% on its other departures, 5.8 points apart.
Hawaiian Airlines’ departures from LAX arrive on time 76.2% of the time, 7.7 points worse than the 83.9% the same airline manages at its other airports.
LAX against the other airports
July 2023 – July 2026| Measure | LAX | Elsewhere | Gap | Flights behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hour: 7 PM departures | 78.6% | 68.4% | +10.2 pts | 30,641 here, 982,898 elsewhere |
| Hour: 10 AM departures | 79.8% | 83.0% | −3.2 pts | 40,073 here, 1,080,137 elsewhere |
| Month: July | 76.4% | 69.9% | +6.5 pts | 68,202 here, 1,918,281 elsewhere |
| Airline: Spirit Airlines | 81.0% | 75.2% | +5.8 pts | 25,539 here, 595,765 elsewhere |
| Airline: Hawaiian Airlines | 76.2% | 83.9% | −7.7 pts | 5,521 here, 191,963 elsewhere |
"Elsewhere" is every other covered airport together, taken from the same aggregates as this page with LAX’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 LAX
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 88.4% of the time, against 77.3% for 6–9 PM departures — a gap of 11.1 percentage points.
By day and hour
On-time arrival rate for each weekday and scheduled departure hour, in local time.
Sunday 5–6 AM was the most reliable slot at LAX (95.9% on time, 1,900 flights) and Sunday 8–9 PM the least (70.2%, 2,784 flights).
Hour of departure matters more than day of the week: hourly averages sit a typical 4.5 points from the airport-wide rate, weekday averages 2.1 points.
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On-time rate, % · stronger color, fewer on time
- 70–74
- 75–79
- 80–84
- 85–89
- 90–94
- 95–99
- 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.
View as tableHide table
| Hour | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 AM–1 AM | 83.3% on time798 flights | 82.7% on time696 flights | 89.8% on time597 flights | 90.8% on time690 flights | 83.4% on time773 flights | 83.4% on time785 flights | 85.4% on time681 flights |
| 1 AM–2 AM | 80.3% on time183 flights | 78.3% on time147 flights | 119 flights, too few to score | 84.3% on time135 flights | 79.6% on time188 flights | 81.2% on time173 flights | 80.0% on time130 flights |
| 2 AM–3 AM | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 3 AM–4 AM | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 4 AM–5 AM | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 5 AM–6 AM | 94.3% on time1,922 flights | 94.9% on time1,452 flights | 95.2% on time1,417 flights | 93.4% on time1,900 flights | 94.8% on time1,963 flights | 93.9% on time1,745 flights | 95.9% on time1,900 flights |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 92.3% on time4,593 flights | 92.7% on time4,345 flights | 92.5% on time4,360 flights | 92.3% on time4,539 flights | 92.0% on time4,513 flights | 91.3% on time3,927 flights | 91.8% on time4,270 flights |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 88.2% on time5,273 flights | 89.8% on time5,164 flights | 89.1% on time5,153 flights | 89.6% on time5,301 flights | 88.5% on time5,300 flights | 88.1% on time5,125 flights | 89.4% on time5,313 flights |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 84.2% on time8,147 flights | 86.6% on time7,742 flights | 86.3% on time7,764 flights | 84.4% on time8,202 flights | 83.7% on time8,224 flights | 83.6% on time7,495 flights | 83.3% on time7,951 flights |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 83.3% on time7,328 flights | 86.0% on time7,063 flights | 85.3% on time7,205 flights | 84.2% on time7,300 flights | 81.9% on time7,271 flights | 82.0% on time6,832 flights | 82.1% on time7,308 flights |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 79.3% on time5,957 flights | 82.9% on time5,808 flights | 81.8% on time5,796 flights | 78.7% on time5,971 flights | 78.0% on time5,942 flights | 80.6% on time5,231 flights | 77.8% on time5,904 flights |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 79.6% on time4,772 flights | 82.7% on time4,544 flights | 82.3% on time4,552 flights | 80.3% on time4,769 flights | 77.3% on time4,746 flights | 81.1% on time4,340 flights | 79.0% on time4,696 flights |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 78.5% on time4,244 flights | 81.8% on time4,050 flights | 79.2% on time4,061 flights | 77.3% on time4,274 flights | 74.9% on time4,259 flights | 77.4% on time3,585 flights | 77.3% on time4,205 flights |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 77.4% on time5,289 flights | 82.3% on time4,978 flights | 80.2% on time4,984 flights | 76.5% on time5,274 flights | 75.7% on time5,264 flights | 79.8% on time4,736 flights | 73.9% on time5,243 flights |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 77.4% on time4,161 flights | 82.3% on time3,912 flights | 80.5% on time3,969 flights | 76.6% on time4,125 flights | 75.1% on time4,198 flights | 78.7% on time3,656 flights | 73.4% on time4,204 flights |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 77.5% on time3,773 flights | 82.3% on time3,749 flights | 80.9% on time3,739 flights | 75.6% on time3,779 flights | 76.2% on time3,744 flights | 81.2% on time3,556 flights | 74.0% on time3,851 flights |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 77.7% on time4,512 flights | 84.2% on time3,919 flights | 82.7% on time4,005 flights | 77.7% on time4,486 flights | 76.2% on time4,519 flights | 81.8% on time3,790 flights | 75.8% on time4,344 flights |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 78.4% on time4,164 flights | 83.9% on time3,871 flights | 82.0% on time3,915 flights | 76.2% on time4,141 flights | 76.0% on time4,164 flights | 82.6% on time3,538 flights | 74.8% on time4,087 flights |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 76.7% on time4,829 flights | 82.3% on time4,078 flights | 79.5% on time4,279 flights | 75.5% on time4,770 flights | 74.7% on time4,859 flights | 79.9% on time3,842 flights | 73.4% on time4,811 flights |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 77.2% on time4,652 flights | 85.2% on time4,097 flights | 82.3% on time4,211 flights | 74.8% on time4,632 flights | 75.3% on time4,665 flights | 82.2% on time3,949 flights | 74.9% on time4,648 flights |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 75.9% on time2,767 flights | 83.5% on time2,120 flights | 79.1% on time2,206 flights | 72.1% on time2,796 flights | 72.0% on time2,805 flights | 78.4% on time1,938 flights | 70.2% on time2,784 flights |
| 9 PM–10 PM | 79.1% on time4,040 flights | 84.7% on time3,213 flights | 82.4% on time3,411 flights | 77.3% on time3,987 flights | 76.9% on time4,025 flights | 81.8% on time3,057 flights | 73.9% on time4,187 flights |
| 10 PM–11 PM | 80.2% on time3,988 flights | 86.1% on time3,390 flights | 82.5% on time3,598 flights | 78.3% on time4,045 flights | 78.8% on time4,011 flights | 81.5% on time3,313 flights | 75.7% on time4,072 flights |
| 11 PM–12 AM | 80.3% on time3,318 flights | 85.1% on time2,907 flights | 84.3% on time2,980 flights | 80.6% on time3,384 flights | 78.7% on time3,403 flights | 81.2% on time2,933 flights | 76.7% on time3,406 flights |
By departure window
All days combinedBy departure hour
All days combined- 12 AM: 85.4% on time from 5,020 flights
- 1 AM: 81.2% on time from 1,075 flights
- 2 AM to 4 AM: too few flights to score
- 5 AM: 94.6% on time from 12,299 flights
- 6 AM: 92.1% on time from 30,547 flights
- 7 AM: 89.0% on time from 36,629 flights
- 8 AM: 84.6% on time from 55,525 flights
- 9 AM: 83.5% on time from 50,307 flights
- 10 AM: 79.8% on time from 40,609 flights
- 11 AM: 80.3% on time from 32,419 flights
- 12 PM: 78.1% on time from 28,678 flights
- 1 PM: 77.9% on time from 35,768 flights
- 2 PM: 77.6% on time from 28,225 flights
- 3 PM: 78.2% on time from 26,191 flights
- 4 PM: 79.3% on time from 29,575 flights
- 5 PM: 79.0% on time from 27,880 flights
- 6 PM: 77.2% on time from 31,468 flights
- 7 PM: 78.6% on time from 30,854 flights
- 8 PM: 75.4% on time from 17,416 flights
- 9 PM: 79.1% on time from 25,920 flights
- 10 PM: 80.2% on time from 26,417 flights
- 11 PM: 80.8% on time from 22,331 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 Tom Bradley International Terminal, LAX’s busiest hall, in a typical 14 min; everyone else in the same terminal typically takes 27 min, and 58 min on a busy day. These are separate halls, separately staffed — CBP’s single combined figure of 21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Bradley International Terminal | 14 min | 23 min | 27 min | 58 min | 10.9% of arrivals |
| Satellite 7 | 10 min | 15 min | 15 min | 29 min | 15.1% of arrivals |
LAX’s halls are not interchangeable: passengers on other passports typically clear Tom Bradley International Terminal in 27 min against 15 min at Satellite 7. 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 Tom Bradley International TerminalUS passports — Tom Bradley International Terminal
- 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: too few records to publish
- 5 AM–6 AM: typically 16 min, 30 min on a busy day (774 days)
- 6 AM–7 AM: typically 13 min, 24 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 7 AM–8 AM: typically 14 min, 26 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 8 AM–9 AM: typically 13 min, 26 min on a busy day (774 days)
- 9 AM–10 AM: typically 15 min, 26 min on a busy day (778 days)
- 10 AM–11 AM: typically 13 min, 22 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 11 AM–12 PM: typically 13 min, 22 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 12 PM–1 PM: typically 14 min, 22 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 1 PM–2 PM: typically 15 min, 26 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 2 PM–3 PM: typically 14 min, 25 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 3 PM–4 PM: typically 12 min, 20 min on a busy day (779 days)
- 4 PM–5 PM: typically 12 min, 18 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 5 PM–6 PM: typically 12 min, 19 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 6 PM–7 PM: typically 13 min, 19 min on a busy day (779 days)
- 7 PM–8 PM: typically 14 min, 21 min on a busy day (776 days)
- 8 PM–9 PM: typically 15 min, 21 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 9 PM–10 PM: typically 15 min, 21 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 10 PM–11 PM: typically 16 min, 22 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 11 PM–12 AM: typically 16 min, 22 min on a busy day (716 days)
US citizens and lawful permanent residents, who use the US-passport lanes.
All other passports — Tom Bradley International Terminal
- 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: too few records to publish
- 5 AM–6 AM: typically 29 min, 48 min on a busy day (774 days)
- 6 AM–7 AM: typically 30 min, 59 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 7 AM–8 AM: typically 33 min, 70 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 8 AM–9 AM: typically 32 min, 72 min on a busy day (774 days)
- 9 AM–10 AM: typically 33 min, 65 min on a busy day (778 days)
- 10 AM–11 AM: typically 29 min, 56 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 11 AM–12 PM: typically 25 min, 56 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 12 PM–1 PM: typically 26 min, 57 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 1 PM–2 PM: typically 36 min, 66 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 2 PM–3 PM: typically 37 min, 63 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 3 PM–4 PM: typically 32 min, 62 min on a busy day (779 days)
- 4 PM–5 PM: typically 24 min, 59 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 5 PM–6 PM: typically 20 min, 53 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 6 PM–7 PM: typically 21 min, 42 min on a busy day (779 days)
- 7 PM–8 PM: typically 26 min, 52 min on a busy day (776 days)
- 8 PM–9 PM: typically 28 min, 56 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 9 PM–10 PM: typically 26 min, 54 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 10 PM–11 PM: typically 24 min, 50 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 11 PM–12 AM: typically 21 min, 41 min on a busy day (716 days)
Every other arriving passenger, including visa and visa-waiver travelers.
Hour by hour — Tom Bradley International Terminal
| Cleared in hour | US passports | US busy day | Other passports | Other busy day | Booths open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 AM–6 AM | 16 min | 30 min | 29 min | 48 min | 28 |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 13 min | 24 min | 30 min | 59 min | 29 |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 14 min | 26 min | 33 min | 70 min | 29 |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 13 min | 26 min | 32 min | 72 min | 30 |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 15 min | 26 min | 33 min | 65 min | 33 |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 13 min | 22 min | 29 min | 56 min | 35 |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 13 min | 22 min | 25 min | 56 min | 35 |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 14 min | 22 min | 26 min | 57 min | 37 |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 15 min | 26 min | 36 min | 66 min | 41 |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 14 min | 25 min | 37 min | 63 min | 40 |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 12 min | 20 min | 32 min | 62 min | 39 |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 12 min | 18 min | 24 min | 59 min | 39 |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 12 min | 19 min | 20 min | 53 min | 36 |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 13 min | 19 min | 21 min | 42 min | 32 |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 14 min | 21 min | 26 min | 52 min | 28 |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 15 min | 21 min | 28 min | 56 min | 26 |
| 9 PM–10 PM | 15 min | 21 min | 26 min | 54 min | 24 |
| 10 PM–11 PM | 16 min | 22 min | 24 min | 50 min | 22 |
| 11 PM–12 AM | 16 min | 22 min | 21 min | 41 min | 19 |
All other passports: clearing in the 2 PM–3 PM hour typically takes 37 min, against 20 min in the 5 PM–6 PM hour — 17 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 LAX
How busy the airport is through the day, from scheduled departure volume.
Scheduled departures by hour
- 12 AM: about 4 departures a day
- 1 AM: about 1 departure a day
- 2 AM: no departures
- 3 AM: no departures
- 4 AM: no departures
- 5 AM: about 11 departures a day
- 6 AM: about 27 departures a day
- 7 AM: about 33 departures a day
- 8 AM: about 49 departures a day
- 9 AM: about 45 departures a day
- 10 AM: about 36 departures a day
- 11 AM: about 29 departures a day
- 12 PM: about 25 departures a day
- 1 PM: about 32 departures a day
- 2 PM: about 25 departures a day
- 3 PM: about 23 departures a day
- 4 PM: about 26 departures a day
- 5 PM: about 25 departures a day
- 6 PM: about 28 departures a day
- 7 PM: about 27 departures a day
- 8 PM: about 15 departures a day
- 9 PM: about 23 departures a day
- 10 PM: about 23 departures a day
- 11 PM: about 20 departures a day
The busiest hour is 8 AM, with about 49 departures a day, against roughly 15 at 8 PM. 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 6.3 percentage points.
By month
- Jan: 83.0% on time
- Feb: 82.6% on time
- Mar: 79.9% on time
- Apr: 82.5% on time
- May: 80.0% on time
- Jun: 77.3% on time
- Jul: 76.4% on time
- Aug: 81.4% on time
- Sep: 85.8% on time
- Oct: 84.9% on time
- Nov: 84.8% on time
- Dec: 80.8% on time
July is historically the weakest month and September the strongest, a spread of 9.4 percentage points.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026
Airlines at LAX
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlines OO | 120,890 | 85.3% | 0.42% | -8 min |
| Delta Air Lines DL | 113,873 | 82.3% | 0.73% | -8 min |
| American Airlines AA | 92,868 | 78.9% | 0.90% | -7 min |
| United Airlines UA | 86,556 | 84.1% | 0.97% | -9 min |
| Southwest Airlines WN | 80,574 | 77.7% | 0.51% | -4 min |
| Alaska Airlines AS | 28,187 | 81.9% | 1.18% | -7 min |
| JetBlue B6 | 27,371 | 77.5% | 1.09% | -8 min |
| Spirit Airlines NK | 25,910 | 81.0% | 1.25% | -8 min |
| Frontier Airlines F9 | 10,794 | 68.7% | 1.71% | -2 min |
| Hawaiian Airlines HA | 5,594 | 76.2% | 1.14% | -1 min |
| Allegiant Air G4 | 2,353 | 78.8% | 0.68% | -3 min |
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Carriers with fewer than 500 departures are not listed.
Routes from LAX
Ranked by FlyerIntel Route Reliability Score.
Most reliable
Busiest routes
| Destination | Flights | On time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAX → SFO San Francisco | 34,819 | 69.3% | 55 |
| LAX → JFK New York | 31,153 | 79.8% | 63 |
| LAX → LAS Las Vegas | 28,255 | 76.7% | 66 |
| LAX → DEN Denver | 23,682 | 82.7% | 75 |
| LAX → SEA Seattle | 23,177 | 84.8% | 82 |
| LAX → PHX Phoenix | 22,560 | 81.5% | 76 |
| LAX → ORD Chicago | 21,167 | 80.9% | 67 |
| LAX → DFW Dallas–Fort Worth | 20,649 | 76.9% | 56 |
| LAX → HNL Honolulu | 17,049 | 78.8% | 71 |
| LAX → SMF Sacramento | 16,587 | 86.1% | 85 |
| LAX → IAH Houston | 16,477 | 85.3% | 78 |
| LAX → EWR Newark | 16,286 | 79.6% | 62 |
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: 78.5% on time from 17,523 flights
- August 2023: 80.0% on time from 17,683 flights
- September 2023: 84.6% on time from 16,152 flights
- October 2023: 84.6% on time from 16,823 flights
- November 2023: 87.1% on time from 15,742 flights
- December 2023: 82.0% on time from 15,948 flights
- January 2024: 80.7% on time from 15,228 flights
- February 2024: 82.1% on time from 14,154 flights
- March 2024: 77.1% on time from 15,916 flights
- April 2024: 80.9% on time from 15,718 flights
- May 2024: 77.1% on time from 16,587 flights
- June 2024: 76.1% on time from 16,676 flights
- July 2024: 75.9% on time from 17,518 flights
- August 2024: 81.6% on time from 17,177 flights
- September 2024: 87.0% on time from 15,969 flights
- October 2024: 86.5% on time from 16,856 flights
- November 2024: 87.5% on time from 15,759 flights
- December 2024: 82.7% on time from 16,495 flights
- January 2025: 87.1% on time from 15,157 flights
- February 2025: 84.9% on time from 13,788 flights
- March 2025: 84.7% on time from 16,213 flights
- April 2025: 85.2% on time from 15,737 flights
- May 2025: 82.8% on time from 16,546 flights
- June 2025: 78.9% on time from 16,578 flights
- July 2025: 77.5% on time from 17,104 flights
- August 2025: 82.5% on time from 16,493 flights
- September 2025: 85.8% on time from 15,262 flights
- October 2025: 83.5% on time from 16,122 flights
- November 2025: 79.7% on time from 15,422 flights
- December 2025: 77.7% on time from 16,050 flights
- January 2026: 81.2% on time from 14,815 flights
- February 2026: 80.9% on time from 13,687 flights
- March 2026: 77.7% on time from 16,088 flights
- April 2026: 81.5% on time from 15,732 flights
- May 2026: 80.0% on time from 16,317 flights
- June 2026: 77.0% on time from 16,664 flights
- July 2026: 73.7% on time from 17,454 flights
Over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), departures from LAX arrived on time 80.0% of the time, against 83.8% in the 12 months before — declining by 3.8 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 595,153 departures from LAX. 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/lax/"><img src="https://flyerintel.com/badge/airport/lax/" alt="Los Angeles 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 LAX: METAR KLAX 180953Z VRB04KT 10SM FEW250 23/09 A2997 (issued ).