The Essentials

What Time Do Most Flights Get Canceled?

This has been the summer, if not the year, of flight delays and cancellations. So is there a best time of the day to avoid getting stuck at the airport, or on the tarmac?

 

According to data analyzed by the official airline guides, the worst time of the day for cancellations and delays is 3 p.m. and it gets worse every hour until 9 p.m.

 

Some number comparisons for the three months analyzed include 4,000 flights canceled in the 5 a.m. hour, but at 6 p.m. that number jumped to more than 32,000.

 

And the most canceled flights happen on a Friday. The least canceled flights occured on a Tuesday.