Route profile
MCO→ATL
Flight reliability, delays and best times to fly from Orlando to Atlanta, 404 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 20% of comparable major US routes (4,598 compared)
Calculated from 26,737 flights. How this is calculated
MCO → ATL arrives on time 74.3% of the time; the return trip, ATL → MCO, arrives on time 71.3% of the time, a 3.0-point gap between the two directions of the same city pair.
MCO → ATL spends 31.2 minutes on the ground on a 404-mile trip: 20.3 minutes from pushback to wheels-up at MCO and 10.9 minutes from touchdown to gate at ATL.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026
What stands out
Which day you fly matters unusually much here, a wider weekday spread than 93% of 4,467 comparable routes.
81.3% on time on a typical Wednesday, against 66.7% on a Sunday.
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 4,467 in the comparison.
Why MCO → ATL flights are cancelled
July 2023 – July 2026
MCO → ATL cancelled 351 of 26,737 scheduled flights — about 1 in every 76. The reason filed most often was extreme weather, 57.0% of the cancellations coded on this route — about 1 in every 134 scheduled flights.
Share of cancellations
Of 351 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.
200 cancellations, 57.0% of the total.
Crew, maintenance, aircraft cleaning, baggage or fueling: what BTS counts as within the carrier’s own control.
129 cancellations, 36.8% of the total.
Airport capacity, air traffic control flow programs, heavy traffic and ordinary bad weather. A system decision, not the airline’s.
22 cancellations, 6.3% 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.
351 coded cancellations were recorded on MCO → ATL; the section appears from 50.
When it goes wrong
July 2023 – July 2026
63 min late
against a median of 4 min early
MCO → ATL has an average that understates its risk: a typical arrival is 4 min early, but the worst tenth are 67 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 26,737 operations; cancelled and diverted flights are counted separately.
Will your connection be tight enough?
Layovers at ATL after arriving from MCO.
| Connection time | Chance of missing | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| 30 min | 41% | Likely to miss |
| 45 min | 25% | High risk |
| 60 min | 18% | High risk |
| 90 min | 10% | Some risk |
| 120 min | 6.9% | 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 1.31% of the time and diverts 0.15% of the time, which a late arrival never shows up in.
Chance of missing is the share of 26,347 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 63 minutes late (90th-percentile gate arrival delay), over 26,737 operations.
Any other layover length: connection checker.
Best time to fly
MCO → ATL flights departing 5–9 AM arrived on time 89.2% of the time, against 58.4% for 6–9 PM departures, a gap of 30.8 percentage points.
By day and hour
On-time arrival rate for each weekday and scheduled departure hour, in local time at the departure airport (MCO).
Hour of departure matters more than day of the week: hourly averages sit a typical 12.3 points from the route-wide rate, weekday averages 4.4 points.
| Hour | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 AM–6 AM | |||||||
| 6 AM–7 AM | |||||||
| 7 AM–8 AM | |||||||
| 8 AM–9 AM | |||||||
| 9 AM–10 AM | |||||||
| 10 AM–11 AM | |||||||
| 11 AM–12 PM | |||||||
| 12 PM–1 PM | |||||||
| 1 PM–2 PM | |||||||
| 2 PM–3 PM | |||||||
| 3 PM–4 PM | |||||||
| 4 PM–5 PM | |||||||
| 5 PM–6 PM | |||||||
| 6 PM–7 PM | |||||||
| 7 PM–8 PM | |||||||
| 8 PM–9 PM |
On-time rate, % · stronger color, fewer on time
- 40–49
- 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 after 9 PM (1,073 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 | 90.2% on time213 flights | 97.4% on time153 flights | 95.1% on time164 flights | 96.2% on time186 flights | 94.3% on time218 flights | 94.9% on time179 flights | 90.6% on time185 flights |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 90.7% on time310 flights | 94.2% on time277 flights | 95.3% on time275 flights | 94.1% on time289 flights | 91.5% on time310 flights | 91.3% on time252 flights | 90.0% on time284 flights |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 81.4% on time203 flights | 84.8% on time193 flights | 91.6% on time191 flights | 88.6% on time213 flights | 85.4% on time201 flights | 87.3% on time209 flights | 80.0% on time197 flights |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 76.3% on time264 flights | 85.3% on time251 flights | 89.7% on time272 flights | 89.2% on time260 flights | 86.1% on time263 flights | 83.5% on time243 flights | 84.7% on time264 flights |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 83.6% on time261 flights | 87.9% on time208 flights | 94.1% on time224 flights | 87.6% on time268 flights | 88.9% on time266 flights | 77.0% on time242 flights | 79.7% on time277 flights |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 83.4% on time220 flights | 88.9% on time217 flights | 89.7% on time207 flights | 89.5% on time242 flights | 85.5% on time216 flights | 80.9% on time202 flights | 81.5% on time231 flights |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 81.4% on time205 flights | 80.7% on time220 flights | 82.8% on time218 flights | 79.2% on time209 flights | 77.0% on time205 flights | 78.4% on time223 flights | 74.5% on time194 flights |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 75.3% on time269 flights | 79.7% on time239 flights | 84.1% on time238 flights | 74.0% on time258 flights | 69.1% on time262 flights | 80.9% on time238 flights | 65.5% on time261 flights |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 75.2% on time205 flights | 77.4% on time201 flights | 79.7% on time208 flights | 72.0% on time221 flights | 73.6% on time211 flights | 68.9% on time199 flights | 67.3% on time217 flights |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 66.2% on time227 flights | 79.1% on time196 flights | 83.0% on time209 flights | 79.6% on time213 flights | 72.1% on time221 flights | 70.2% on time219 flights | 64.4% on time228 flights |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 67.3% on time258 flights | 80.1% on time257 flights | 74.5% on time268 flights | 71.5% on time256 flights | 62.7% on time257 flights | 65.6% on time270 flights | 56.9% on time250 flights |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 63.2% on time233 flights | 74.6% on time254 flights | 70.2% on time271 flights | 64.2% on time228 flights | 64.6% on time237 flights | 59.9% on time281 flights | 55.4% on time238 flights |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 56.2% on time223 flights | 62.2% on time283 flights | 66.1% on time231 flights | 63.1% on time248 flights | 57.5% on time228 flights | 54.4% on time221 flights | 43.9% on time229 flights |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 59.4% on time238 flights | 63.8% on time190 flights | 72.9% on time199 flights | 54.8% on time220 flights | 57.9% on time218 flights | 51.7% on time211 flights | 42.9% on time224 flights |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 52.3% on time245 flights | 61.6% on time257 flights | 69.9% on time258 flights | 56.3% on time245 flights | 53.8% on time253 flights | 54.7% on time251 flights | 45.8% on time263 flights |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 62.8% on time213 flights | 67.2% on time134 flights | 67.5% on time121 flights | 66.3% on time209 flights | 66.5% on time202 flights | 68 flights, too few to score | 53.7% on time210 flights |
By departure window
By departure hour
- 12 AM to 4 AM: too few flights to score
- 5 AM: 94.0% on time from 1,298 flights
- 6 AM: 92.4% on time from 1,997 flights
- 7 AM: 85.6% on time from 1,407 flights
- 8 AM: 85.0% on time from 1,817 flights
- 9 AM: 85.4% on time from 1,746 flights
- 10 AM: 85.7% on time from 1,535 flights
- 11 AM: 79.2% on time from 1,474 flights
- 12 PM: 75.3% on time from 1,765 flights
- 1 PM: 73.4% on time from 1,462 flights
- 2 PM: 73.3% on time from 1,513 flights
- 3 PM: 68.5% on time from 1,816 flights
- 4 PM: 64.7% on time from 1,742 flights
- 5 PM: 57.9% on time from 1,663 flights
- 6 PM: 57.3% on time from 1,500 flights
- 7 PM: 56.4% on time from 1,772 flights
- 8 PM: 63.0% on time from 1,157 flights
- 9 PM: 61.0% on time from 550 flights
- 10 PM: 56.7% on time from 428 flights
- 11 PM: too few flights to score
Why MCO → ATL runs late
July 2023 – July 2026
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 MCO → ATL. Only delays of 15 minutes or more are attributed.
Late-arriving aircraft is the largest cause on MCO → ATL, at 42.5%: flights here mostly leave late because the plane came in late, and the day shows it: 5–9 AM departures arrived on time 89.2% of the time and 6–9 PM departures 58.4%.
How this route holds up in bad weather
July 2023 – July 2026
Bad weather raises cancellations by a similar amount at both ends of MCO to ATL: 3.2 times the normal rate at MCO and 3.3 times at ATL. Cancelled in bad weather against normal hours: MCO 4.0% against 1.3%, ATL 3.4% against 1.0%. Flights that did leave MCO in bad weather arrived on time 54.1% of the time, against 76.3% in normal hours.
Bad weather and normal hours at the airports
Scheduled departures, July 2023 – July 2026| Departures from | MCO | ATL |
|---|---|---|
| Cancelled in bad weather | 4.0% | 3.4% |
| Cancelled in normal hours | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Arrived on time, bad weather | 54.1% | 66.5% |
| Arrived on time, normal hours | 76.3% | 80.2% |
| Departures in bad weather | 33,297 | 105,854 |
Of the carriers on this route, Southwest Airlines (3.3% cancelled against 4.4% for the other carriers at MCO) cancelled the fewest departures from MCO in bad weather and Spirit Airlines (5.7% cancelled against 3.9% for the other carriers at MCO) the most.
This route’s airlines in bad weather at MCO
All departures from MCO| Airline | Bad-weather departures | Cancelled | Other carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 9,331 | 3.3%below the others | 4.4% |
| Delta Air Lines | 4,556 | 3.3%below the others | 4.3% |
| Frontier Airlines | 3,840 | 4.7%above the others | 3.9% |
| Spirit Airlines | 4,014 | 5.7%above the others | 3.9% |
These are airport figures, not route figures: every scheduled departure from MCO and ATL, to any destination, in hours the weather report called bad. The airline rows count each carrier’s departures from MCO on every route.
Weather source and limits. In full: MCO (airlines), ATL, 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 | 16,815 | 77.1% | 1.02% | -6 min | 10.0% |
| Southwest Airlines | 4,449 | 73.7% | 1.15% | -1 min | 8.8% |
| Frontier Airlines | 3,494 | 65.2% | 2.55% | 0 min | 14.3% |
| Spirit Airlines | 1,979 | 67.5% | 1.97% | 0 min | 12.1% |
Delta Air Lines flew 62.9% of the 26,737 flights listed. Frontier Airlines cancelled 2.55% of its flights here against 1.02% for Delta Air Lines.
Delta Air Lines arrived on time 11.9 percentage points more often than Frontier Airlines on this route.
Flights on this route
Flight numbers with at least 600 operations here and still on the schedule.
| Flight | Scheduled | Operations | On time |
|---|---|---|---|
| DL2204 Delta Air Lines | 10:00 AM | 829 | 86.4% |
| DL1494 Delta Air Lines | 6:15 AM | 783 | 92.8% |
| DL1463 Delta Air Lines | 8:00 AM | 775 | 86.8% |
| DL1505 Delta Air Lines | 9:00 AM | 766 | 85.8% |
| F94025 Frontier Airlines | 5:10 PM | 712 | 56.8% |
| F93507 Frontier Airlines | 12:15 PM | 709 | 67.7% |
| F91563 Frontier Airlines | 6:00 AM | 693 | 79.9% |
| DL1548 Delta Air Lines | 5:30 AM | 620 | 94.6% |
DL1548 (5:30 AM) arrived on time 94.6% of the time, 37.8 points more often than F94025 (5:10 PM) at 56.8%.
Weekly and seasonal patterns
By day of week
Wednesday is historically the most reliable day and Sunday the least, a gap of 14.6 percentage points.
By month
- Jan: 76.0%
- Feb: 77.5%
- Mar: 71.9%
- Apr: 80.8%
- May: 72.2%
- Jun: 71.7%
- Jul: 60.4%
- Aug: 66.3%
- Sep: 78.9%
- Oct: 82.1%
- Nov: 82.1%
- Dec: 76.5%
July is historically the weakest month and October the strongest, a spread of 21.7 percentage points.
Reliability over time
July 2023 – July 2026
- July 2023: 56.5% from 781 flights
- August 2023: 68.2% from 753 flights
- September 2023: 78.8% from 744 flights
- October 2023: 83.5% from 779 flights
- November 2023: 82.4% from 769 flights
- December 2023: 81.4% from 821 flights
- January 2024: 75.3% from 792 flights
- February 2024: 80.4% from 737 flights
- March 2024: 68.7% from 819 flights
- April 2024: 80.8% from 799 flights
- May 2024: 69.8% from 794 flights
- June 2024: 74.3% from 732 flights
- July 2024: 54.4% from 728 flights
- August 2024: 63.9% from 708 flights
- September 2024: 75.4% from 695 flights
- October 2024: 86.4% from 732 flights
- November 2024: 84.5% from 705 flights
- December 2024: 74.3% from 726 flights
- January 2025: 75.1% from 673 flights
- February 2025: 76.9% from 660 flights
- March 2025: 73.2% from 760 flights
- April 2025: 79.1% from 724 flights
- May 2025: 70.8% from 722 flights
- June 2025: 64.2% from 684 flights
- July 2025: 68.2% from 698 flights
- August 2025: 66.7% from 634 flights
- September 2025: 83.3% from 564 flights
- October 2025: 76.1% from 663 flights
- November 2025: 79.0% from 637 flights
- December 2025: 73.1% from 721 flights
- January 2026: 77.8% from 701 flights
- February 2026: 74.8% from 661 flights
- March 2026: 74.0% from 782 flights
- April 2026: 82.4% from 758 flights
- May 2026: 76.2% from 723 flights
- June 2026: 76.3% from 665 flights
- July 2026: 62.9% from 693 flights
Over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), on-time arrivals averaged 75.2% against 74.4% in the 12 months before — broadly unchanged.
Data and methodology
Calculated by FlyerIntel from 26,737 MCO → ATL 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