Which Weekday Cancels the Fewest Flights

Summary

1.11% of flights scheduled on Wednesday were cancelled, the lowest of any weekday, against 2.01% on Sunday. Wednesday is also the lowest in the largest third, the middle third and the smallest third of covered airports.

Across 64 covered airports, 1.48% of scheduled departures were cancelled. Wednesday had the lowest rate, 1.11% (27,580 of 2,477,149 flights), and Sunday the highest, 2.01%, which makes the worst weekday 1.8 times the best. Wednesday is below the next lowest weekday by more than sampling error alone would give.

All covered airports and every year in the data together. The rate is cancelled flights over scheduled flights, counted at the departure airport on the scheduled weekday.

Covered airports ordered by scheduled departures and cut into thirds of near equal count. Counts added up across the airports of a group before dividing, so a large airport weighs more than a small one inside its group.

Each airport on its own, ranked by the cancellation rate of each weekday. An airport with two weekdays tied is placed on the earlier one.

Wednesday has the lowest rate in all three size groups. Largest third: Wednesday, 1.14%; Middle third: Wednesday, 1.01%; Smallest third: Wednesday, 1.21%, too close to the next weekday to separate. The size of the airport changes how many flights are cancelled, 1.54% in the largest third against 1.48% in the smallest, and does not change which weekday is lowest.

Weekday here is the scheduled day of the flight, and a cancellation is attributed to the airport the flight was to leave from. A low weekday rate is a lower share of scheduled flights cancelled over every year pooled; one storm that fell on a given weekday weighs in it, and the data does not say why. Airlines schedule fewer flights on some weekdays, and the groups are cut by rank, not by a published airport class. The report on the best and worst days of the week to fly covers on-time rates by weekday.