Route profile
PHX→DFW
Flight reliability, delays and best times to fly from Phoenix to Dallas–Fort Worth, 868 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 41% of comparable major US routes (4,598 compared)
Calculated from 16,005 flights. How this is calculated
PHX → DFW arrives on time 80.0% of the time; the return trip, DFW → PHX, arrives on time 71.1% of the time, an 8.9-point gap between the two directions of the same city pair.
PHX → DFW spends 29.5 minutes on the ground on an 868-mile trip: 16.5 minutes from pushback to wheels-up at PHX and 13.1 minutes from touchdown to gate at DFW.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026
What stands out
Every day of the week performs about the same on this route, steadier than 93% of 4,467 comparable routes.
82.4% on time on the best day (Tuesday) against 77.9% on the worst (Friday).
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 PHX → DFW flights are cancelled
July 2023 – July 2026
PHX → DFW cancelled 284 of 16,005 scheduled flights — about 1 in every 56. The reason filed most often was extreme weather, 85.9% of the cancellations coded on this route — about 1 in every 66 scheduled flights.
Share of cancellations
Of 284 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.
244 cancellations, 85.9% of the total.
Crew, maintenance, aircraft cleaning, baggage or fueling: what BTS counts as within the carrier’s own control.
36 cancellations, 12.7% of the total.
Airport capacity, air traffic control flow programs, heavy traffic and ordinary bad weather. A system decision, not the airline’s.
4 cancellations, 1.4% 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.
284 coded cancellations were recorded on PHX → DFW; the section appears from 50.
When it goes wrong
July 2023 – July 2026
44 min late
against a median of 7 min early
Percentiles over 16,005 operations; cancelled and diverted flights are counted separately.
Will your connection be tight enough?
Layovers at DFW after arriving from PHX.
| Connection time | Chance of missing | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| 30 min | 35% | Likely to miss |
| 45 min | 19% | High risk |
| 60 min | 13% | Some risk |
| 90 min | 7.4% | Some risk |
| 120 min | 4.7% | Low 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 1.77% of the time and diverts 0.29% of the time, which a late arrival never shows up in.
Chance of missing is the share of 15,674 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 44 minutes late (90th-percentile gate arrival delay), over 16,005 operations.
Any other layover length: connection checker.
Best time to fly
PHX → DFW flights departing 5–9 AM arrived on time 89.1% of the time, against 68.1% for 3–6 PM departures, a gap of 21.0 percentage points.
By day and hour
On-time arrival rate for each weekday and scheduled departure hour, in local time at the departure airport (PHX).
Hour of departure matters more than day of the week: hourly averages sit a typical 8.3 points from the route-wide rate, weekday averages 1.6 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 |
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 5 AM and after 7 PM (1,880 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 | 88.5% on time204 flights | 90.4% on time183 flights | 90.1% on time183 flights | 91.0% on time192 flights | 87.0% on time216 flights | 89.3% on time197 flights | 91.0% on time201 flights |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 92.2% on time208 flights | 91.0% on time190 flights | 89.0% on time183 flights | 89.0% on time221 flights | 91.0% on time203 flights | 89.1% on time206 flights | 92.1% on time218 flights |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 89.9% on time182 flights | 89.7% on time178 flights | 88.8% on time172 flights | 90.6% on time183 flights | 86.0% on time173 flights | 90.5% on time174 flights | 89.1% on time186 flights |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 90.3% on time158 flights | 85.6% on time161 flights | 84.2% on time175 flights | 87.4% on time160 flights | 85.3% on time158 flights | 89.5% on time178 flights | 85.1% on time155 flights |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 105 flights, too few to score | 109 flights, too few to score | 114 flights, too few to score | 101 flights, too few to score | 107 flights, too few to score | 100 flights, too few to score | 108 flights, too few to score |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 117 flights, too few to score | 84.7% on time124 flights | 85.4% on time125 flights | 88.3% on time129 flights | 84.7% on time126 flights | 85.7% on time127 flights | 86.3% on time132 flights |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 99 flights, too few to score | 112 flights, too few to score | 115 flights, too few to score | 116 flights, too few to score | 100 flights, too few to score | 109 flights, too few to score | 104 flights, too few to score |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 71.0% on time134 flights | 73.3% on time124 flights | 103 flights, too few to score | 83.7% on time130 flights | 68.1% on time122 flights | 109 flights, too few to score | 74.4% on time124 flights |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 72.8% on time153 flights | 80.0% on time154 flights | 72.3% on time157 flights | 79.9% on time158 flights | 76.9% on time159 flights | 75.2% on time150 flights | 75.0% on time163 flights |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 75 flights, too few to score | 78 flights, too few to score | 75 flights, too few to score | 77 flights, too few to score | 75 flights, too few to score | 84 flights, too few to score | 73 flights, too few to score |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 57.7% on time133 flights | 73.0% on time131 flights | 70.1% on time140 flights | 69.8% on time129 flights | 71.4% on time130 flights | 69.2% on time145 flights | 62.6% on time130 flights |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 66.1% on time187 flights | 75.0% on time145 flights | 81.8% on time149 flights | 64.1% on time175 flights | 63.2% on time197 flights | 65.2% on time165 flights | 62.0% on time166 flights |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 60.7% on time153 flights | 78.0% on time138 flights | 73.1% on time152 flights | 67.2% on time134 flights | 68.2% on time149 flights | 70.4% on time149 flights | 66.4% on time146 flights |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 72.4% on time135 flights | 118 flights, too few to score | 118 flights, too few to score | 71.4% on time146 flights | 74.6% on time130 flights | 78.3% on time122 flights | 70.1% on time159 flights |
By departure window
By departure hour
- 12 AM: 77.8% on time from 280 flights
- 1 AM to 4 AM: too few flights to score
- 5 AM: 89.6% on time from 1,376 flights
- 6 AM: 90.5% on time from 1,429 flights
- 7 AM: 89.3% on time from 1,248 flights
- 8 AM: 86.8% on time from 1,145 flights
- 9 AM: 87.4% on time from 744 flights
- 10 AM: 86.1% on time from 880 flights
- 11 AM: 82.4% on time from 755 flights
- 12 PM: 74.4% on time from 846 flights
- 1 PM: 76.0% on time from 1,094 flights
- 2 PM: 72.1% on time from 537 flights
- 3 PM: 67.7% on time from 938 flights
- 4 PM: 67.7% on time from 1,184 flights
- 5 PM: 69.0% on time from 1,021 flights
- 6 PM: 75.1% on time from 928 flights
- 7 PM: 76.6% on time from 770 flights
- 8 PM: 72.7% on time from 579 flights
- 9 PM: 83.9% on time from 198 flights
- 10 PM to 11 PM: too few flights to score
Why PHX → DFW runs late
July 2023 – July 2026
the inbound aircraft was late, so this flight started late
airspace and airport capacity, including weather-driven flow control
crew, maintenance, boarding and fueling, all within the carrier’s 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 PHX → DFW. Only delays of 15 minutes or more are attributed.
Late-arriving aircraft is the largest cause on PHX → DFW, at 40.9%: flights here mostly leave late because the plane came in late, and the day shows it: 5–9 AM departures arrived on time 89.1% of the time and 3–6 PM departures 68.1%.
How this route holds up in bad weather
July 2023 – July 2026
The harder-hit end is DFW, where the flight lands. Its figure counts departures from DFW, so it says more about how that airport copes than about this route. Bad weather cancels 7.0 times the normal rate at DFW against 3.9 times at PHX. Cancelled in bad weather against normal hours: PHX 2.5% against 0.6%, DFW 10.4% against 1.5%. Flights that did leave PHX in bad weather arrived on time 53.7% of the time, against 80.6% in normal hours.
Bad weather and normal hours at the airports
Scheduled departures, July 2023 – July 2026| Departures from | PHX | DFW |
|---|---|---|
| Cancelled in bad weather | 2.5% | 10.4% |
| Cancelled in normal hours | 0.6% | 1.5% |
| Arrived on time, bad weather | 53.7% | 56.4% |
| Arrived on time, normal hours | 80.6% | 74.4% |
| Departures in bad weather | 6,215 | 72,822 |
These are airport figures, not route figures: every scheduled departure from PHX and DFW, to any destination, in hours the weather report called bad.
Weather source and limits. In full: PHX, DFW, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 13,740 | 80.6% | 1.84% | -7 min | 7.0% |
| Frontier Airlines | 1,627 | 78.5% | 1.66% | -6 min | 9.5% |
| Spirit Airlines | 627 | 69.7% | 0.64% | 0 min | 12.7% |
American Airlines flew 85.9% of the 15,994 flights listed. American Airlines cancelled 1.84% of its flights here against 0.64% for Spirit Airlines.
American Airlines arrived on time 10.9 percentage points more often than Spirit Airlines on this route.
Flights on this route
Flight numbers with at least 600 operations here and still on the schedule.
Weekly and seasonal patterns
By day of week
Tuesday is historically the most reliable day and Friday the least, a gap of 4.5 percentage points.
By month
- Jan: 80.7%
- Feb: 87.5%
- Mar: 77.7%
- Apr: 82.5%
- May: 74.9%
- Jun: 73.9%
- Jul: 71.3%
- Aug: 77.8%
- Sep: 84.0%
- Oct: 86.6%
- Nov: 82.8%
- Dec: 84.3%
July is historically the weakest month and February the strongest, a spread of 16.2 percentage points.
Reliability over time
July 2023 – July 2026
- July 2023: 73.5% from 398 flights
- August 2023: 76.9% from 393 flights
- September 2023: 80.7% from 381 flights
- October 2023: 86.5% from 446 flights
- November 2023: 88.0% from 424 flights
- December 2023: 85.5% from 422 flights
- January 2024: 75.2% from 417 flights
- February 2024: 87.5% from 409 flights
- March 2024: 76.6% from 485 flights
- April 2024: 80.6% from 456 flights
- May 2024: 64.5% from 474 flights
- June 2024: 70.7% from 418 flights
- July 2024: 67.6% from 434 flights
- August 2024: 83.1% from 425 flights
- September 2024: 87.3% from 418 flights
- October 2024: 87.9% from 432 flights
- November 2024: 86.1% from 417 flights
- December 2024: 84.4% from 418 flights
- January 2025: 85.8% from 392 flights
- February 2025: 90.3% from 393 flights
- March 2025: 77.7% from 526 flights
- April 2025: 80.2% from 488 flights
- May 2025: 78.5% from 456 flights
- June 2025: 75.4% from 437 flights
- July 2025: 71.1% from 421 flights
- August 2025: 72.5% from 363 flights
- September 2025: 83.5% from 398 flights
- October 2025: 85.3% from 430 flights
- November 2025: 73.6% from 397 flights
- December 2025: 82.9% from 426 flights
- January 2026: 81.8% from 403 flights
- February 2026: 84.6% from 400 flights
- March 2026: 78.7% from 487 flights
- April 2026: 86.5% from 475 flights
- May 2026: 81.2% from 502 flights
- June 2026: 75.4% from 465 flights
- July 2026: 73.1% from 479 flights
Over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), on-time arrivals averaged 80.0% against 82.1% in the 12 months before — declining by 2.1 percentage points.
Data and methodology
Calculated by FlyerIntel from 16,005 PHX → DFW 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