Why it's late
Late aircraft, ground stops, the five reasons airlines report and which ones they control. What a delay means for your morning.
- Does the first flight of the day leave on time? 88% do, against 74% laterThe aircraft's first flight of the day left on time 88% of the time, against 74% for later flights. By hour, month and airport, from a year of records.Updated Nov 7, 2026
- The five delay reasons airlines report, and which they controlAirlines report five delay causes. Late aircraft is the biggest at 40% of delay minutes. A rule moved to Feb 2027 changes what counts as their fault.Updated Nov 7, 2026
- Ground stop vs ground delay programA ground stop holds flights with no release time. A ground delay program gives each flight one. Both explained with real advisories from Nov 5 2026.Updated Nov 7, 2026
- "Late aircraft": your plane is still somewhere elseLate aircraft means the plane for your flight hasn't arrived. A year of flights shows your departure usually follows about 45 minutes after it parks.Updated Nov 7, 2026
- A ten-minute delay doesn't move your leave timeShould you still go to the airport if your flight is delayed? Yes, on time. A year of flights shows how often a late plane still leaves on schedule.Updated Nov 7, 2026
- What US airlines owe you when a flight is delayed or cancelledUS rules require a refund if you don't travel. Cash, meals and hotels come from each airline's own promises. The rules and commitments as of Nov 2026.Updated Nov 7, 2026