Orlando, FL · Airport profile
MCO
Orlando International Airport
74.8% of departures from MCO arrived on time across 498,221 flights, July 2023 – July 2026. The weakest hour is 10 PM, at 60.1%. Late-arriving aircraft accounts for the most delay minutes.
MCO right now
Live conditions where a permitted source publishes them, and the historical record where none does.
Aviation weather is not currently a factor.
91.8% leave on time
05:00–05:59 local · 10,440 departures on record
When flights run late in this hour, most of the delay is attributed to the airline.
Historical pattern for MCO from US DOT BTS — not a live reading.
Minimal operational impact. Conditions are not a notable factor for operations right now.
UpdatedForecast issued 09:01Z.
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 MCO, July 2023 – July 2026.
Better than 15% of major US airports covered by FlyerIntel (64 compared)
Calculated from 498,221 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.
On-time performance swings unusually widely by time of day here, wider than 91% of 302 comparable airports.
90.3% on time for 5–9 AM departures, against 61.6% for 9 PM–5 AM.
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 302 in the comparison.
Why flights are cancelled at MCO
Every cancellation carries a reason code filed by the airline that operated the flight. Departures, July 2023 – July 2026.
Extreme weather accounts for 58.1% of cancelled departures from MCO — about 1 in every 113 scheduled departures. That is close to the split across every airport FlyerIntel covers.
Share of cancellations
Of 7,608 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.
4,423 cancellations, 58.1% of the total.
Crew, maintenance, aircraft cleaning, baggage or fueling: what BTS counts as within the carrier’s own control.
2,092 cancellations, 27.5% of the total.
Airport capacity, air traffic control flow programs, heavy traffic and ordinary bad weather. A system decision, not the airline’s.
1,092 cancellations, 14.4% of the total.
A terminal evacuation, a security breach, screening equipment failure, or screening queues over 29 minutes.
1 cancellation, <0.1% of the total.
7,608 of 498,221 scheduled departures from MCO 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines WN | 1,531 | 1.06% | 20% | 60% | 20% | 0% |
| Spirit Airlines NK | 1,250 | 2.02% | 21% | 70% | 8% | <1% |
| JetBlue B6 | 1,060 | 1.89% | 23% | 39% | 38% | 0% |
| American Airlines AA | 1,012 | 1.74% | 8% | 85% | 7% | 0% |
| Frontier Airlines F9 | 1,007 | 1.75% | 37% | 63% | 0% | 0% |
| Delta Air Lines DL | 904 | 1.37% | 45% | 49% | 6% | 0% |
| United Airlines UA | 691 | 1.57% | 47% | 32% | 21% | 0% |
Shares are of each carrier’s own coded cancellations at MCO 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; 7,608 were recorded at MCO.
Why flights run late at MCO
Where US DOT attributed the delay minutes on departures from MCO.
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 MCO. Only delays of 15 minutes or more are attributed.
Of the 108,793 departures from MCO 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%; MCO’s is the 25th lowest.
The late flight is the one the same aircraft flew into MCO 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 MCO 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 MCO
Departures from MCO by the weather at the airport in the hour they were scheduled to leave, July 2023 – July 2026.
6.7% of scheduled departures from MCO left in an hour of bad weather. 4.0% of them were cancelled, against 1.3% in normal conditions, and 54.1% of the ones that flew arrived on time, against 76.3%. Those hours held 18% of all cancelled departures. That is about 926 more cancellations than the normal-conditions rate would give.
Cancellations were highest in high wind hours: 12.1% of 5,028 departures, 9.6 times the normal rate.
Airlines filed 58% of MCO’s coded cancellations under extreme weather. By the weather at the airport in the scheduled hour, 18% 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 | 441,92188.8% of all | 1.3% | 75.5% | 76.3% | 15.1 min |
| Any bad weatherIFR or LIFR, or a thunderstorm, snow or ice, fog, heavy rain or high wind | 33,2976.7% of all | 4.0%3.2 times normal | 57.9% | 54.1%22.2 points below normal | 40.3 min |
| MVFRceiling 1,000 to 3,000 feet or visibility 3 to 5 miles | 25,4955.1% of all | 3.8%3.0 times normal | 72.1% | 70.6%5.7 points below normal | 20.7 min |
| IFRceiling 500 to 999 feet or visibility 1 to under 3 miles | 12,7192.6% of all | 3.4%2.7 times normal | 68.8% | 67.3%9.0 points below normal | 26.4 min |
| LIFRceiling under 500 feet or visibility under 1 mile | 4,8731.0% of all | 2.3%1.9 times normal | 74.1% | 70.4%5.9 points below normal | 23.7 min |
| Thunderstorma thunderstorm reported at the airport | 15,2733.1% of all | 4.0%3.2 times normal | 36.1% | 29.5%46.8 points below normal | 69.7 min |
| Fogfog or freezing fog reported at the airport | 1,3430.3% of all | 1.5% | 71.7% | 68.9%7.4 points below normal | 28.6 min |
| Heavy rainheavy rain reported at the airport | 5,0271.0% of all | 5.4%4.3 times normal | 40.3% | 35.2%41.1 points below normal | 66.7 min |
| High windwind of 25 knots or more, or gusts of 30 knots or more | 5,0281.0% of all | 12.1%9.6 times normal | 46.3% | 39.6%36.7 points below normal | 60.5 min |
| Low ceilinga broken or overcast layer under 1,000 feet | 12,9152.6% of all | 2.7%2.1 times normal | 79.2% | 78.3%2.0 points above normal | 12.6 min |
| Low visibilityvisibility under 3 miles | 9,0111.8% of all | 3.0%2.4 times normal | 62.5% | 58.1%18.2 points below normal | 38.0 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 MCO 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 99.8% 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 MCO
Cancellations by airline in hours of bad weather at MCO, against the other carriers in the same months, July 2023 – July 2026.
7% of the weather-matched departures from MCO left in an hour of bad weather at the airport. 4.0% of them were cancelled. That is 3.2 times the 1.3% in normal hours. No one carrier holds most of them; 8 airlines have enough to compare.
Compared with the other carriers at MCO in the same months, Southwest Airlines (3.3% cancelled against 4.4% for the others; below them in normal hours too) cancelled the fewest in bad weather and Spirit Airlines (5.7% cancelled against 3.9% for the others; above them in normal hours too) the most. 5 more airlines are also clearly apart from the others.
Airlines in bad weather at MCO
Scheduled departures, July 2023 – July 2026| Airline | Bad-weather departures | Cancelled | Other carriers | Normal hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 9,33128% of bad-weather | 3.3%below the others | 4.4% | 0.8%others 1.5% |
| Delta Air Lines | 4,55614% of bad-weather | 3.3%below the others | 4.3% | 1.1%others 1.3% |
| United Airlines | 2,9889% of bad-weather | 3.3%below the others | 4.2% | 1.3%others 1.3% |
| Alaska Airlines | 6622% of bad-weather | 3.6% | 4.0% | 1.4%others 1.2% |
| American Airlines | 4,02412% of bad-weather | 4.6%above the others | 3.9% | 1.4%others 1.2% |
| Frontier Airlines | 3,84012% of bad-weather | 4.7%above the others | 3.9% | 1.5%others 1.2% |
| JetBlue | 3,74411% of bad-weather | 4.6%above the others | 3.8% | 1.6%others 1.2% |
| Spirit Airlines | 4,01412% of bad-weather | 5.7%above the others | 3.9% | 1.7%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 8 listed airlines flew nearly every bad-weather departure at MCO. 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.
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 MCO
Time on the ground between one flight and the next of the same aircraft at MCO, and what a late arrival does to the next departure, July 2023 – July 2026.
The median turn at MCO is scheduled for 60 minutes on the ground and takes 69 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 9 minutes over its schedule, more than the 7 minutes it does across all airports. 21.3% of turns here began with an aircraft that landed 15 or more minutes late, above the 18.9% for all airports.
When the aircraft landed 15 or more minutes late (74,742 turns here, 61 minutes late on average), 56% of the turns were finished in no more than the scheduled ground time, against 68% across all airports. 79% of those flights left 15 or more minutes late, against 72%. After an aircraft that landed on time, 14% did (all airports 11%).
Given the turn lengths scheduled here, the network’s rates would give 70% finished in the schedule and 70% leaving late. MCO 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 MCO against all airports
350,679 turns, July 2023 – July 2026| Measure | MCO | All airports | All airports, same turn lengths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median scheduled turn | 60 min | 56 min | — |
| Median actual turn | 69 min | 63 min | — |
| Turns that began with an aircraft 15+ minutes late | 21% | 19% | — |
| Late turns finished within the schedule | 56% | 68% | 70% |
| Late inbound that left 15+ minutes late | 79% | 72% | 70% |
| On-time inbound that left 15+ minutes late | 14% | 11% | — |
The last column is the network’s rate at the turn lengths scheduled at MCO, 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 MCO with its next departure from it by tail number; the aircraft is never named. These 350,679 turns are 70% of the flights that left MCO 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 MCO 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 MCO apart
Where MCO’s hours, months, airlines and taxi time differ most from the other airports, July 2023 – July 2026.
Flights scheduled to leave MCO at 7 AM arrive on time 90.0% of the time, 2.2 points better than the 87.8% for that hour at the other airports.
10 PM is where MCO falls furthest behind the rest: 60.1% of its 10 PM departures arrive on time, 12 points below the 72.1% for that hour elsewhere.
August is MCO’s hardest month against the field, 67.8% on time to 77.0% elsewhere, 9.2 points short.
Frontier Airlines does better out of MCO than anywhere else it flies: 74.9% on time here, 71.4% on its other departures, 3.5 points apart.
Allegiant Air’s departures from MCO arrive on time 66.9% of the time, 8.8 points worse than the 75.7% the same airline manages at its other airports.
MCO against the other airports
July 2023 – July 2026| Measure | MCO | Elsewhere | Gap | Flights behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hour: 7 AM departures | 90.0% | 87.8% | +2.2 pts | 38,782 here, 1,178,841 elsewhere |
| Hour: 10 PM departures | 60.1% | 72.1% | −12.0 pts | 8,641 here, 471,159 elsewhere |
| Month: August | 67.8% | 77.0% | −9.2 pts | 37,454 here, 1,436,381 elsewhere |
| Airline: Frontier Airlines | 74.9% | 71.4% | +3.5 pts | 56,497 here, 558,464 elsewhere |
| Airline: Allegiant Air | 66.9% | 75.7% | −8.8 pts | 860 here, 375,950 elsewhere |
"Elsewhere" is every other covered airport together, taken from the same aggregates as this page with MCO’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 MCO
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 90.3% of the time, against 61.6% for 9 PM–5 AM departures — a gap of 28.7 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 MCO (94.6% on time, 1,141 flights) and Sunday 10–11 PM the least (51.9%, 1,706 flights).
Hour of departure matters more than day of the week: hourly averages sit a typical 11.3 points from the airport-wide rate, weekday averages 3.1 points.
| Hour | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
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On-time rate, % · stronger color, fewer on time
- 50–59
- 60–69
- 70–79
- 80–89
- 90–99
- 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 (5 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 | 90.7% on time1,720 flights | 94.6% on time1,141 flights | 93.8% on time1,165 flights | 93.5% on time1,602 flights | 92.4% on time1,686 flights | 92.3% on time1,428 flights | 91.6% on time1,698 flights |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 90.7% on time5,262 flights | 92.8% on time4,361 flights | 93.7% on time4,269 flights | 92.6% on time5,240 flights | 92.2% on time5,369 flights | 92.6% on time5,007 flights | 91.1% on time5,273 flights |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 87.9% on time5,867 flights | 91.2% on time5,186 flights | 91.7% on time5,173 flights | 90.6% on time5,766 flights | 89.9% on time5,870 flights | 90.5% on time5,606 flights | 88.8% on time5,847 flights |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 84.9% on time4,698 flights | 89.9% on time4,098 flights | 91.0% on time4,211 flights | 88.4% on time4,554 flights | 87.3% on time4,693 flights | 87.7% on time4,606 flights | 85.6% on time4,353 flights |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 82.9% on time5,148 flights | 87.5% on time4,737 flights | 88.7% on time4,778 flights | 85.6% on time5,156 flights | 83.7% on time5,193 flights | 83.6% on time5,039 flights | 83.3% on time5,184 flights |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 82.2% on time4,338 flights | 85.1% on time4,166 flights | 85.8% on time4,147 flights | 82.3% on time4,305 flights | 81.3% on time4,312 flights | 80.8% on time4,534 flights | 80.9% on time4,444 flights |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 77.3% on time4,367 flights | 83.6% on time4,238 flights | 83.0% on time4,245 flights | 78.5% on time4,392 flights | 75.0% on time4,347 flights | 76.7% on time4,751 flights | 76.6% on time4,525 flights |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 74.7% on time3,640 flights | 80.0% on time3,336 flights | 80.9% on time3,388 flights | 75.5% on time3,601 flights | 71.3% on time3,613 flights | 74.3% on time3,767 flights | 72.8% on time3,584 flights |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 72.1% on time3,391 flights | 78.8% on time3,246 flights | 77.9% on time3,219 flights | 73.5% on time3,424 flights | 70.7% on time3,433 flights | 72.3% on time3,844 flights | 69.1% on time3,459 flights |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 70.3% on time3,836 flights | 77.1% on time3,526 flights | 75.8% on time3,503 flights | 71.5% on time3,726 flights | 69.4% on time3,822 flights | 68.8% on time4,374 flights | 65.6% on time3,825 flights |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 67.2% on time4,120 flights | 77.5% on time3,684 flights | 73.1% on time3,763 flights | 69.6% on time3,936 flights | 67.4% on time4,098 flights | 65.3% on time4,781 flights | 61.4% on time4,256 flights |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 64.8% on time3,990 flights | 73.4% on time3,780 flights | 69.3% on time3,818 flights | 66.1% on time3,865 flights | 66.9% on time3,979 flights | 61.1% on time4,642 flights | 56.4% on time4,281 flights |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 63.0% on time4,674 flights | 70.1% on time4,251 flights | 68.4% on time4,188 flights | 62.9% on time4,778 flights | 64.5% on time4,754 flights | 61.2% on time4,683 flights | 54.8% on time4,789 flights |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 62.1% on time4,200 flights | 68.4% on time3,806 flights | 67.9% on time3,959 flights | 61.6% on time4,114 flights | 62.5% on time4,221 flights | 61.1% on time4,794 flights | 53.3% on time4,412 flights |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 60.4% on time5,130 flights | 68.0% on time4,536 flights | 69.3% on time4,669 flights | 61.9% on time5,131 flights | 60.7% on time5,085 flights | 59.5% on time5,038 flights | 53.5% on time5,091 flights |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 58.5% on time4,333 flights | 68.8% on time3,751 flights | 67.7% on time3,746 flights | 61.2% on time4,278 flights | 61.2% on time4,368 flights | 58.0% on time3,665 flights | 52.4% on time4,228 flights |
| 9 PM–10 PM | 58.9% on time2,602 flights | 65.8% on time1,895 flights | 65.1% on time1,893 flights | 60.6% on time2,523 flights | 61.9% on time2,673 flights | 58.2% on time2,260 flights | 54.5% on time2,797 flights |
| 10 PM–11 PM | 57.9% on time1,393 flights | 68.3% on time819 flights | 71.1% on time860 flights | 62.4% on time1,429 flights | 59.1% on time1,432 flights | 59.5% on time1,168 flights | 51.9% on time1,706 flights |
| 11 PM–12 AM | 70.6% on time518 flights | 77.1% on time405 flights | 78.5% on time428 flights | 68.3% on time543 flights | 71.4% on time497 flights | 69.1% on time505 flights | 66.5% on time553 flights |
By departure window
All days combinedBy departure hour
All days combined- 12 AM to 4 AM: too few flights to score
- 5 AM: 92.5% on time from 10,440 flights
- 6 AM: 92.2% on time from 34,781 flights
- 7 AM: 90.0% on time from 39,315 flights
- 8 AM: 87.8% on time from 31,213 flights
- 9 AM: 85.0% on time from 35,235 flights
- 10 AM: 82.6% on time from 30,246 flights
- 11 AM: 78.6% on time from 30,865 flights
- 12 PM: 75.5% on time from 24,929 flights
- 1 PM: 73.4% on time from 24,016 flights
- 2 PM: 71.1% on time from 26,612 flights
- 3 PM: 68.5% on time from 28,638 flights
- 4 PM: 65.2% on time from 28,355 flights
- 5 PM: 63.4% on time from 32,117 flights
- 6 PM: 62.2% on time from 29,506 flights
- 7 PM: 61.7% on time from 34,680 flights
- 8 PM: 61.0% on time from 28,369 flights
- 9 PM: 60.3% on time from 16,643 flights
- 10 PM: 60.1% on time from 8,807 flights
- 11 PM: 71.3% on time from 3,449 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 C, MCO’s busiest hall, in a typical 25 min; everyone else in the same terminal typically takes 35 min, and 58 min on a busy day. These are separate halls, separately staffed — CBP’s single combined figure of 33 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 C | 25 min | 38 min | 35 min | 58 min | 5.0% of arrivals |
| Airside 4 | 5 min | 13 min | 15 min | 34 min | 4.6% of arrivals |
MCO’s halls are not interchangeable: passengers on other passports typically clear Terminal C in 35 min against 15 min at Airside 4. 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 CUS passports — Terminal C
- 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: too few records to publish
- 6 AM–7 AM: too few records to publish
- 7 AM–8 AM: too few records to publish
- 8 AM–9 AM: too few records to publish
- 9 AM–10 AM: typically 33 min, 48 min on a busy day (150 days)
- 10 AM–11 AM: typically 30 min, 43 min on a busy day (693 days)
- 11 AM–12 PM: typically 27 min, 38 min on a busy day (628 days)
- 12 PM–1 PM: typically 24 min, 36 min on a busy day (775 days)
- 1 PM–2 PM: typically 24 min, 36 min on a busy day (759 days)
- 2 PM–3 PM: typically 23 min, 34 min on a busy day (721 days)
- 3 PM–4 PM: typically 23 min, 33 min on a busy day (712 days)
- 4 PM–5 PM: typically 25 min, 36 min on a busy day (760 days)
- 5 PM–6 PM: typically 25 min, 39 min on a busy day (702 days)
- 6 PM–7 PM: typically 27 min, 39 min on a busy day (738 days)
- 7 PM–8 PM: typically 26 min, 39 min on a busy day (716 days)
- 8 PM–9 PM: typically 26 min, 39 min on a busy day (719 days)
- 9 PM–10 PM: typically 23 min, 37 min on a busy day (661 days)
- 10 PM–11 PM: typically 23 min, 32 min on a busy day (656 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 — Terminal C
- 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: too few records to publish
- 6 AM–7 AM: too few records to publish
- 7 AM–8 AM: too few records to publish
- 8 AM–9 AM: too few records to publish
- 9 AM–10 AM: typically 37 min, 58 min on a busy day (150 days)
- 10 AM–11 AM: typically 39 min, 59 min on a busy day (693 days)
- 11 AM–12 PM: typically 33 min, 57 min on a busy day (628 days)
- 12 PM–1 PM: typically 33 min, 57 min on a busy day (775 days)
- 1 PM–2 PM: typically 37 min, 61 min on a busy day (759 days)
- 2 PM–3 PM: typically 34 min, 57 min on a busy day (721 days)
- 3 PM–4 PM: typically 37 min, 52 min on a busy day (712 days)
- 4 PM–5 PM: typically 36 min, 52 min on a busy day (760 days)
- 5 PM–6 PM: typically 37 min, 58 min on a busy day (702 days)
- 6 PM–7 PM: typically 42 min, 63 min on a busy day (738 days)
- 7 PM–8 PM: typically 42 min, 65 min on a busy day (716 days)
- 8 PM–9 PM: typically 37 min, 61 min on a busy day (719 days)
- 9 PM–10 PM: typically 31 min, 52 min on a busy day (661 days)
- 10 PM–11 PM: typically 29 min, 41 min on a busy day (656 days)
- 11 PM–12 AM: too few records to publish
Every other arriving passenger, including visa and visa-waiver travelers.
Hour by hour — Terminal C
| Cleared in hour | US passports | US busy day | Other passports | Other busy day | Booths open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 AM–10 AM | 33 min | 48 min | 37 min | 58 min | 9 |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 30 min | 43 min | 39 min | 59 min | 10 |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 27 min | 38 min | 33 min | 57 min | 12 |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 24 min | 36 min | 33 min | 57 min | 12 |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 24 min | 36 min | 37 min | 61 min | 13 |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 23 min | 34 min | 34 min | 57 min | 14 |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 23 min | 33 min | 37 min | 52 min | 16 |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 25 min | 36 min | 36 min | 52 min | 16 |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 25 min | 39 min | 37 min | 58 min | 15 |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 27 min | 39 min | 42 min | 63 min | 15 |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 26 min | 39 min | 42 min | 65 min | 14 |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 26 min | 39 min | 37 min | 61 min | 14 |
| 9 PM–10 PM | 23 min | 37 min | 31 min | 52 min | 13 |
| 10 PM–11 PM | 23 min | 32 min | 29 min | 41 min | 11 |
US passports: clearing in the 9 AM–10 AM hour typically takes 33 min, against 23 min in the 2 PM–3 PM hour — 10 min between the slowest and fastest of 14 measured hours.
All other passports: clearing in the 6 PM–7 PM hour typically takes 42 min, against 29 min in the 10 PM–11 PM hour — 13 min between the slowest and fastest of 14 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 MCO
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 31 departures a day
- 7 AM: about 35 departures a day
- 8 AM: about 28 departures a day
- 9 AM: about 31 departures a day
- 10 AM: about 27 departures a day
- 11 AM: about 27 departures a day
- 12 PM: about 22 departures a day
- 1 PM: about 21 departures a day
- 2 PM: about 24 departures a day
- 3 PM: about 25 departures a day
- 4 PM: about 25 departures a day
- 5 PM: about 28 departures a day
- 6 PM: about 26 departures a day
- 7 PM: about 31 departures a day
- 8 PM: about 25 departures a day
- 9 PM: about 15 departures a day
- 10 PM: about 8 departures a day
- 11 PM: about 3 departures a day
The busiest hour is 7 AM, with about 35 departures a day, against roughly 15 at 9 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 9.6 percentage points.
By month
- Jan: 76.5% on time
- Feb: 77.7% on time
- Mar: 71.9% on time
- Apr: 79.5% on time
- May: 72.8% on time
- Jun: 71.6% on time
- Jul: 63.4% on time
- Aug: 67.8% on time
- Sep: 79.8% on time
- Oct: 81.7% on time
- Nov: 82.2% on time
- Dec: 76.4% on time
July is historically the weakest month and November the strongest, a spread of 18.8 percentage points.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026
Airlines at MCO
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines WN | 144,368 | 74.4% | 1.06% | -2 min |
| Delta Air Lines DL | 66,032 | 77.9% | 1.37% | -7 min |
| Spirit Airlines NK | 61,767 | 72.0% | 2.02% | -3 min |
| American Airlines AA | 58,207 | 74.8% | 1.74% | -5 min |
| Frontier Airlines F9 | 57,629 | 74.9% | 1.75% | -6 min |
| JetBlue B6 | 56,028 | 70.9% | 1.89% | -3 min |
| United Airlines UA | 44,149 | 80.1% | 1.57% | -8 min |
| Alaska Airlines AS | 7,983 | 73.9% | 1.64% | -4 min |
| Republic Airways YX | 1,120 | 78.2% | 0.54% | -6 min |
| Allegiant Air G4 | 876 | 66.9% | 1.83% | 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 MCO
Ranked by FlyerIntel Route Reliability Score.
Busiest routes
| Destination | Flights | On time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCO → ATL Atlanta | 26,737 | 74.3% | 53 |
| MCO → EWR Newark | 20,510 | 74.1% | 43 |
| MCO → SJU San Juan | 19,406 | 73.7% | 58 |
| MCO → PHL Philadelphia | 17,463 | 72.2% | 43 |
| MCO → ORD Chicago | 17,117 | 73.8% | 52 |
| MCO → LGA New York | 15,977 | 72.7% | 43 |
| MCO → CLT Charlotte | 15,950 | 77.2% | 57 |
| MCO → BWI Baltimore | 15,856 | 75.8% | 58 |
| MCO → DFW Dallas–Fort Worth | 15,277 | 71.6% | 43 |
| MCO → BOS Boston | 14,919 | 72.6% | 46 |
| MCO → JFK New York | 14,838 | 73.1% | 42 |
| MCO → DCA Washington | 14,634 | 72.4% | 46 |
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: 53.6% on time from 13,770 flights
- August 2023: 67.6% on time from 13,360 flights
- September 2023: 73.0% on time from 12,265 flights
- October 2023: 82.0% on time from 13,927 flights
- November 2023: 81.6% on time from 14,325 flights
- December 2023: 78.6% on time from 15,112 flights
- January 2024: 73.3% on time from 14,296 flights
- February 2024: 79.1% on time from 13,577 flights
- March 2024: 68.1% on time from 15,650 flights
- April 2024: 79.6% on time from 14,178 flights
- May 2024: 70.2% on time from 13,837 flights
- June 2024: 71.2% on time from 13,175 flights
- July 2024: 65.1% on time from 13,337 flights
- August 2024: 68.5% on time from 12,173 flights
- September 2024: 82.6% on time from 10,764 flights
- October 2024: 88.2% on time from 12,289 flights
- November 2024: 86.1% on time from 12,656 flights
- December 2024: 78.8% on time from 13,621 flights
- January 2025: 81.2% on time from 13,058 flights
- February 2025: 81.1% on time from 12,575 flights
- March 2025: 77.4% on time from 15,071 flights
- April 2025: 81.3% on time from 14,194 flights
- May 2025: 70.0% on time from 13,597 flights
- June 2025: 70.4% on time from 13,234 flights
- July 2025: 67.0% on time from 13,579 flights
- August 2025: 67.5% on time from 12,746 flights
- September 2025: 84.6% on time from 11,256 flights
- October 2025: 75.6% on time from 13,245 flights
- November 2025: 79.1% on time from 13,206 flights
- December 2025: 71.7% on time from 14,287 flights
- January 2026: 75.4% on time from 13,786 flights
- February 2026: 72.9% on time from 13,339 flights
- March 2026: 70.5% on time from 15,497 flights
- April 2026: 77.6% on time from 14,604 flights
- May 2026: 78.5% on time from 12,958 flights
- June 2026: 73.3% on time from 12,541 flights
- July 2026: 68.2% on time from 13,136 flights
Over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), departures from MCO arrived on time 74.4% of the time, against 77.6% in the 12 months before — declining by 3.2 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 498,221 departures from MCO. A flight counts as delayed when it arrives 15 or more minutes after schedule.
Full methodology · All data sources
Related research: Where a Late Aircraft Gets Its Time Back · 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/mco/"><img src="https://flyerintel.com/badge/airport/mco/" alt="Orlando 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 MCO: METAR KMCO 180853Z 02012KT 10SM CLR 20/15 A3010 (issued ).