Route profile
ATL→LGA
Flight reliability, delays and best times to fly from Atlanta to New York, 762 miles.
Right now
Aviation weather is not currently a factor.
Aviation weather is not currently a factor.
Route reliability
July 2023 – July 2026
Better than 21% of comparable major US routes (4,598 compared)
Calculated from 24,620 flights. How this is calculated
ATL → LGA arrives on time 76.4% of the time; the return trip, LGA → ATL, arrives on time 78.4% of the time.
ATL → LGA spends 26.1 minutes on the ground on a 762-mile trip: 17.5 minutes from pushback to wheels-up at ATL and 8.5 minutes from touchdown to gate at LGA.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026
What stands out
The airline matters unusually much on this route, a wider carrier-to-carrier gap than 99% of 2,692 comparable routes.
Spirit Airlines arrived on time 90.5% of the time, against 60.0% for Frontier Airlines, flying the exact same route.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Ranked against every other route with the same kind of figure and at least 2,692 in the comparison.
Why ATL → LGA flights are cancelled
July 2023 – July 2026
ATL → LGA cancelled 605 of 24,620 scheduled flights — about 1 in every 41. The reason filed most often was extreme weather, 56.0% of the cancellations coded on this route — about 1 in every 73 scheduled flights.
Share of cancellations
Of 605 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.
339 cancellations, 56.0% of the total.
Crew, maintenance, aircraft cleaning, baggage or fueling: what BTS counts as within the carrier’s own control.
160 cancellations, 26.4% of the total.
Airport capacity, air traffic control flow programs, heavy traffic and ordinary bad weather. A system decision, not the airline’s.
106 cancellations, 17.5% of the total.
A terminal evacuation, a security breach, screening equipment failure, or screening queues over 29 minutes.
0 cancellations, 0.0% of the total.
Reason codes are the operating airline’s own filing with US DOT, not an independent finding of fault. Ordinary bad weather is filed under air traffic, so weather’s full share is larger than its bar.
605 coded cancellations were recorded on ATL → LGA; the section appears from 50.
When it goes wrong
July 2023 – July 2026
54 min late
against a median of 6 min early
ATL → LGA has an average that understates its risk: a typical arrival is 6 min early, but the worst tenth are 60 minutes worse than that. If the trip has something unmissable at the end of it, the median is the wrong number to plan against.
Percentiles over 24,620 operations; cancelled and diverted flights are counted separately.
Will your connection be tight enough?
Layovers at LGA after arriving from ATL.
| Connection time | Chance of missing | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| 30 min | 38% | Likely to miss |
| 45 min | 23% | High risk |
| 60 min | 16% | High risk |
| 90 min | 9.0% | Some risk |
| 120 min | 5.5% | Some risk |
This is one leg of a connection. Gate changes and the next flight's own schedule matter too. And a connection can fail before delay is even the question — this route cancels 2.46% of the time and diverts 0.53% of the time, which a late arrival never shows up in.
Chance of missing is the share of 23,884 arrivals on this route that landed later than the connection time less 30 minutes to reach the next gate.
The worst tenth of arrivals on this route land at least 54 minutes late (90th-percentile gate arrival delay), over 24,620 operations.
Any other layover length: connection checker.
Best time to fly
ATL → LGA flights departing 5–9 AM arrived on time 89.8% of the time, against 63.1% for 6–9 PM departures, a gap of 26.7 percentage points.
By day and hour
On-time arrival rate for each weekday and scheduled departure hour, in local time at the departure airport (ATL).
Hour of departure matters more than day of the week: hourly averages sit a typical 10.8 points from the route-wide rate, weekday averages 2.7 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
- Fewer than 120 flights, not scored
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.
No slot is named best or worst: too few reach 500 flights. Departures before 6 AM (359 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 AM–7 AM | 92.5% on time358 flights | 93.1% on time366 flights | 93.9% on time365 flights | 94.6% on time356 flights | 90.3% on time355 flights | 93 flights, too few to score | 89.7% on time121 flights |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 87.5% on time264 flights | 86.9% on time263 flights | 90.8% on time264 flights | 87.8% on time260 flights | 84.3% on time262 flights | 84.6% on time202 flights | 89.7% on time241 flights |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 86.4% on time206 flights | 86.6% on time207 flights | 92.6% on time206 flights | 85.0% on time208 flights | 86.5% on time210 flights | 88.1% on time219 flights | 89.5% on time215 flights |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 85.5% on time238 flights | 83.8% on time239 flights | 91.9% on time237 flights | 82.9% on time248 flights | 87.1% on time241 flights | 114 flights, too few to score | 84.3% on time200 flights |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 89.8% on time222 flights | 88.0% on time229 flights | 89.3% on time226 flights | 88.8% on time216 flights | 86.3% on time218 flights | 88.5% on time214 flights | 87.3% on time205 flights |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 79.9% on time277 flights | 83.1% on time240 flights | 91.6% on time240 flights | 82.9% on time273 flights | 79.5% on time280 flights | 83.1% on time162 flights | 80.1% on time308 flights |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 71.0% on time223 flights | 77.0% on time250 flights | 77.8% on time252 flights | 75.9% on time222 flights | 74.2% on time221 flights | 76.7% on time174 flights | 73.9% on time214 flights |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 73.6% on time182 flights | 83.8% on time182 flights | 85.2% on time183 flights | 81.9% on time183 flights | 77.1% on time183 flights | 99 flights, too few to score | 75.4% on time185 flights |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 61.0% on time214 flights | 64.2% on time195 flights | 73.5% on time201 flights | 65.3% on time202 flights | 65.4% on time215 flights | 73.6% on time157 flights | 62.0% on time201 flights |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 70.0% on time245 flights | 70.8% on time269 flights | 70.0% on time273 flights | 72.5% on time250 flights | 68.1% on time245 flights | 75.4% on time142 flights | 64.0% on time253 flights |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 64.7% on time143 flights | 72.5% on time146 flights | 76.6% on time139 flights | 69.3% on time138 flights | 68.7% on time139 flights | 80.3% on time120 flights | 65.3% on time132 flights |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 56.0% on time139 flights | 67.2% on time127 flights | 63.1% on time129 flights | 63.2% on time142 flights | 56.0% on time144 flights | 74.3% on time159 flights | 56.3% on time153 flights |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 66.1% on time193 flights | 68.6% on time182 flights | 66.3% on time186 flights | 60.9% on time185 flights | 69.1% on time190 flights | 75.7% on time138 flights | 62.3% on time212 flights |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 62.5% on time306 flights | 63.4% on time322 flights | 66.2% on time323 flights | 56.9% on time309 flights | 60.5% on time293 flights | 72.8% on time170 flights | 55.3% on time299 flights |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 58.3% on time283 flights | 69.1% on time278 flights | 70.8% on time280 flights | 60.6% on time280 flights | 63.3% on time290 flights | 80 flights, too few to score | 52.3% on time281 flights |
| 9 PM–10 PM | 60.2% on time196 flights | 75.8% on time185 flights | 70.0% on time184 flights | 65.8% on time194 flights | 69.6% on time195 flights | 77.5% on time189 flights | 62.6% on time205 flights |
By departure window
By departure hour
- 12 AM to 4 AM: too few flights to score
- 5 AM: 93.8% on time from 359 flights
- 6 AM: 92.5% on time from 2,014 flights
- 7 AM: 87.4% on time from 1,756 flights
- 8 AM: 87.8% on time from 1,471 flights
- 9 AM: 85.7% on time from 1,517 flights
- 10 AM: 88.3% on time from 1,530 flights
- 11 AM: 82.6% on time from 1,780 flights
- 12 PM: 75.3% on time from 1,556 flights
- 1 PM: 79.3% on time from 1,197 flights
- 2 PM: 66.2% on time from 1,385 flights
- 3 PM: 69.8% on time from 1,677 flights
- 4 PM: 71.0% on time from 957 flights
- 5 PM: 62.4% on time from 993 flights
- 6 PM: 66.6% on time from 1,286 flights
- 7 PM: 61.9% on time from 2,022 flights
- 8 PM: 62.0% on time from 1,772 flights
- 9 PM: 68.7% on time from 1,348 flights
- 10 PM to 11 PM: too few flights to score
Why ATL → LGA runs late
July 2023 – July 2026
airspace and airport capacity, including weather-driven flow control
crew, maintenance, boarding and fueling, all within the carrier’s control
the inbound aircraft was late, so this flight started late
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 ATL → LGA. Only delays of 15 minutes or more are attributed.
How this route holds up in bad weather
July 2023 – July 2026
Bad weather raises cancellations by a similar amount at both ends of ATL to LGA: 3.3 times the normal rate at ATL and 4.1 times at LGA. Cancelled in bad weather against normal hours: ATL 3.4% against 1.0%, LGA 9.0% against 2.2%. Flights that did leave LGA in bad weather arrived on time 63.6% of the time, against 80.9% in normal hours.
Bad weather and normal hours at the airports
Scheduled departures, July 2023 – July 2026| Departures from | ATL | LGA |
|---|---|---|
| Cancelled in bad weather | 3.4% | 9.0% |
| Cancelled in normal hours | 1.0% | 2.2% |
| Arrived on time, bad weather | 66.5% | 63.6% |
| Arrived on time, normal hours | 80.2% | 80.9% |
| Departures in bad weather | 105,854 | 56,339 |
Of the carriers on this route, Southwest Airlines (2.1% cancelled against 3.1% for the other carriers at ATL) cancelled the fewest departures from ATL in bad weather and Frontier Airlines (5.0% cancelled against 3.8% for the other carriers at ATL) the most.
This route’s airlines in bad weather at ATL
All departures from ATL| Airline | Bad-weather departures | Cancelled | Other carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 8,953 | 2.1%below the others | 3.1% |
| Delta Air Lines | 73,919 | 3.5%about level | 3.6% |
| Republic Airways | 598 | 4.2%about level | 3.9% |
| Spirit Airlines | 2,965 | 3.9%above the others | 3.2% |
| JetBlue | 977 | 4.0%about level | 3.3% |
| Frontier Airlines | 4,928 | 5.0%above the others | 3.8% |
These are airport figures, not route figures: every scheduled departure from ATL and LGA, to any destination, in hours the weather report called bad. The airline rows count each carrier’s departures from ATL on every route.
Weather source and limits. In full: ATL (airlines), LGA, What Weather Costs Each Airport, Who Cancels More When the Weather Turns, Airports That Change Places When Weather Turns.
Airlines on this route
Carriers with at least 200 flights, by the airline that operated each one.
| Carrier | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Median delay | Severe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 14,638 | 79.3% | 1.86% | -7 min | 7.4% |
| Southwest Airlines | 3,738 | 75.0% | 2.01% | -2 min | 8.9% |
| Frontier Airlines | 2,220 | 60.0% | 5.18% | 4 min | 18.0% |
| JetBlue | 1,763 | 72.1% | 2.16% | -3 min | 12.5% |
| Republic Airways | 1,732 | 76.0% | 5.77% | -6 min | 11.3% |
| Spirit Airlines | 523 | 90.5% | 0.96% | -16 min | 3.3% |
Delta Air Lines flew 59.5% of the 24,614 flights listed. Republic Airways cancelled 5.77% of its flights here against 0.96% for Spirit Airlines.
Spirit Airlines arrived on time 30.5 percentage points more often than Frontier Airlines on this route.
Other ways to fly Atlanta to New York
Airport pairs in the same two city markets, as the DOT defines them.
ATL → LGA is the most reliable pairing for this journey at 76.4% on time, against 72.5% for ATL → EWR.
Flights on this route
Flight numbers with at least 600 operations here and still on the schedule.
| Flight | Scheduled | Operations | On time |
|---|---|---|---|
| DL468 Delta Air Lines | 7:30 PM | 1,046 | 71.3% |
| F93288 Frontier Airlines | 9:00 PM | 948 | 58.6% |
| DL513 Delta Air Lines | 8:30 AM | 904 | 88.4% |
| DL520 Delta Air Lines | 9:30 PM | 876 | 69.2% |
| DL525 Delta Air Lines | 12:30 PM | 849 | 75.0% |
| DL434 Delta Air Lines | 6:30 PM | 837 | 67.5% |
| DL460 Delta Air Lines | 1:30 PM | 828 | 79.0% |
| DL371 Delta Air Lines | 10:30 AM | 823 | 85.8% |
| DL490 Delta Air Lines | 8:30 PM | 797 | 66.1% |
| DL323 Delta Air Lines | 7:30 AM | 796 | 91.2% |
DL323 (7:30 AM) arrived on time 91.2% of the time, 32.6 points more often than F93288 (9:00 PM) at 58.6%.
Weekly and seasonal patterns
By day of week
Wednesday is historically the most reliable day and Sunday the least, a gap of 8.5 percentage points.
By month
- Jan: 80.0%
- Feb: 82.0%
- Mar: 74.7%
- Apr: 78.1%
- May: 70.1%
- Jun: 70.4%
- Jul: 63.3%
- Aug: 76.1%
- Sep: 85.3%
- Oct: 82.5%
- Nov: 81.9%
- Dec: 75.6%
July is historically the weakest month and September the strongest, a spread of 22.0 percentage points.
Reliability over time
July 2023 – July 2026
- July 2023: 69.2% from 645 flights
- August 2023: 75.5% from 679 flights
- September 2023: 80.7% from 652 flights
- October 2023: 89.8% from 698 flights
- November 2023: 91.7% from 685 flights
- December 2023: 86.2% from 654 flights
- January 2024: 82.5% from 645 flights
- February 2024: 89.1% from 622 flights
- March 2024: 81.9% from 660 flights
- April 2024: 81.7% from 706 flights
- May 2024: 72.8% from 729 flights
- June 2024: 76.8% from 708 flights
- July 2024: 63.7% from 744 flights
- August 2024: 74.7% from 710 flights
- September 2024: 87.8% from 695 flights
- October 2024: 88.2% from 713 flights
- November 2024: 88.0% from 585 flights
- December 2024: 76.7% from 592 flights
- January 2025: 72.2% from 576 flights
- February 2025: 78.2% from 528 flights
- March 2025: 76.9% from 579 flights
- April 2025: 76.4% from 578 flights
- May 2025: 63.7% from 605 flights
- June 2025: 60.8% from 599 flights
- July 2025: 61.8% from 620 flights
- August 2025: 78.3% from 607 flights
- September 2025: 86.8% from 744 flights
- October 2025: 70.9% from 799 flights
- November 2025: 68.1% from 760 flights
- December 2025: 65.0% from 753 flights
- January 2026: 83.8% from 733 flights
- February 2026: 78.1% from 672 flights
- March 2026: 65.0% from 674 flights
- April 2026: 75.7% from 640 flights
- May 2026: 72.9% from 677 flights
- June 2026: 72.2% from 665 flights
- July 2026: 58.5% from 689 flights
Over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), on-time arrivals averaged 72.9% against 75.7% in the 12 months before — declining by 2.8 percentage points.
Data and methodology
Calculated by FlyerIntel from 24,620 ATL → LGA flight records from the US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, covering July 2023 – July 2026. Late means 15 or more minutes past scheduled arrival; cancelled and diverted flights are left out of on-time rates.
Full methodology · Data sources · Report a problem
Related research: How Long a Layover Needs to Be · Two Airlines on One Route · Best Time of Day to Fly From Major US Airports
Analysis last recomputed