Holiday record
Easter weekend 2026 flight delays
Friday 3 April 2026 to Monday 6 April 2026 · 80,633 flights
Historical statistics for Easter weekend 2026, not live status and not a forecast for a future Easter weekend.
By the numbers, Easter weekend 2026 was an ordinary stretch of flying. The on-time rate slipped to 78.2% from 80.1% in the surrounding weeks, late flights averaged 70 minutes against 68, and cancellations were 1.57% against 0.92%, all inside the range a normal fortnight produces.
Key figures
On time
78.2%
Normal weeks: 80.1%
Avg delay
70 min
Delayed flights only. Normal weeks: 68 min
Cancelled
1.57%
Normal weeks: 0.92%
1 hour+ late
7.5%
Normal weeks: 6.5%
The window ran from Friday 3 April 2026 to Monday 6 April 2026, 4 days carrying 80,633 scheduled flights. That is about 20,158 a day against 19,982 a day across the 22 baseline days, almost exactly the same daily schedule.
Against normal weeks
Easter weekend 2026 next to the weeks around it
| Period | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All flights, Easter weekend 2026 | 80,633 | 78.2% | 80.1% | −1.9 | 1.57% | 0.92% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Day by day
Which day of Easter weekend ran best
Saturday 4 April at 76.5% on time was the day the holiday went wrong, 6.5 points below the 83.0% of ordinary Saturdays. The best day was Sunday 5 April at 79.4%, while Friday 3 April was the busiest, with 20,791 flights scheduled. 2 of the 4 days ran below the figure for the same weekday in the baseline weeks.
Against the same weekday in normal weeks, day by day: Fri 3 +0.4, Sat 4 −6.5, Sun 5 +1.4, Mon 6 −3.2 points. No more than one day in a row ran below the weekday baseline, so the weak days were isolated rather than a sustained slowdown.
| Day | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 3 April | 20,791 | 77.9% | 77.5% | +0.4 | 2.24% | 1.24% |
| Saturday 4 April | 18,506 | 76.5% | 83.0% | −6.5 | 2.04% | 0.46% |
| Sunday 5 April | 20,579 | 79.4% | 78.0% | +1.4 | 1.32% | 0.50% |
| Monday 6 April | 20,757 | 78.9% | 82.1% | −3.2 | 0.74% | 0.62% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Here “normal weeks” means the same day of the week in the baseline weeks, so a Sunday is set against the baseline Sundays.
Departure window
The best time of day to fly it
The later the flight, the worse the odds: 5am–8am departures 88.4% on time, 5pm–8pm departures 71.6%. The 8am–11am window moved most against its normal weeks, 2.6 points worse than 85.9%.
| Departure | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–8am | 13,647 | 88.4% | 90.7% | −2.3 | 2.25% | 0.73% |
| 8am–11am | 14,611 | 83.3% | 85.9% | −2.6 | 1.92% | 0.60% |
| 11am–2pm | 13,468 | 78.5% | 80.6% | −2.1 | 1.16% | 0.55% |
| 2pm–5pm | 13,690 | 74.1% | 75.9% | −1.8 | 0.96% | 0.84% |
| 5pm–8pm | 13,954 | 71.6% | 72.5% | −0.9 | 1.34% | 1.34% |
| 8pm–5am | 11,263 | 72.6% | 73.0% | −0.4 | 1.81% | 1.67% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Airport by airport
Airports over Easter weekend 2026
Ranked by on-time rate, Honolulu (HNL) at 88.9%, Sacramento (SMF) at 88.6% and Washington (IAD) at 87.9% led the large airports and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) at 60.0%, New York (LGA) at 62.4% and Orlando (MCO) at 67.6% trailed. Charlotte (CLT) fell furthest against its own normal weeks, from 79.9% to 67.9%. Against their own normal weeks, 25 of 43 slipped.
The biggest airports carried the most weight: Chicago (ORD, 4,253 departures, 68.4% on time), Atlanta (ATL, 3,477 departures, 83.0% on time) and Denver (DEN, 3,429 departures, 84.1% on time), together 14% of every departure in the window.
Best against their own normal weeks: San Diego (SAN, +5.6 points), Las Vegas (LAS, +4.8 points) and Sacramento (SMF, +4.7 points).
How long a delay lasted depended heavily on the airport. Delayed departures from Fort Myers (RSW) averaged 112 minutes, against 68 in its normal weeks, the longest of any large airport; at Houston (HOU) the average was 47 minutes.
Holiday traffic did not rise evenly. Daily departures rose most at Fort Myers (RSW, +16%), Fort Lauderdale (FLL, +12%) and Tampa (TPA, +8%), and fell most at New York (LGA, −6%). 3 of the three fastest-growing airports ran below their normal on-time rate.
| Airport | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago (ORD) | 4,253 | 68.4% | 67.8% | +0.6 | 3.79% | 4.13% |
| Atlanta (ATL) | 3,477 | 83.0% | 84.9% | −1.9 | 3.36% | 0.59% |
| Denver (DEN) | 3,429 | 84.1% | 82.8% | +1.3 | 0.41% | 0.30% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) | 3,375 | 71.5% | 79.1% | −7.6 | 2.96% | 0.24% |
| Phoenix (PHX) | 2,482 | 84.3% | 80.4% | +3.9 | 0.16% | 0.29% |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | 2,128 | 82.3% | 80.7% | +1.6 | 0.94% | 0.45% |
| Orlando (MCO) | 2,094 | 67.6% | 78.6% | −11.0 | 0.91% | 0.43% |
| Charlotte (CLT) | 2,011 | 67.9% | 79.9% | −12.0 | 0.70% | 0.28% |
| Las Vegas (LAS) | 1,995 | 83.1% | 78.3% | +4.8 | 0.90% | 0.42% |
| Seattle (SEA) | 1,673 | 86.7% | 83.8% | +2.9 | 0.30% | 0.16% |
| San Francisco (SFO) | 1,667 | 79.3% | 75.9% | +3.4 | 0.66% | 0.80% |
| Boston (BOS) | 1,552 | 74.3% | 78.2% | −3.9 | 0.77% | 0.61% |
| Washington (DCA) | 1,519 | 69.1% | 79.2% | −10.1 | 1.18% | 1.03% |
| New York (LGA) | 1,425 | 62.4% | 71.1% | −8.7 | 3.02% | 3.43% |
| Detroit (DTW) | 1,402 | 79.1% | 79.3% | −0.2 | 2.07% | 1.28% |
| Newark (EWR) | 1,391 | 78.6% | 84.1% | −5.5 | 1.29% | 0.76% |
| Miami (MIA) | 1,372 | 71.3% | 73.0% | −1.7 | 0.95% | 0.34% |
| Salt Lake City (SLC) | 1,365 | 87.9% | 84.4% | +3.5 | 0.73% | 0.30% |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | 1,352 | 60.0% | 65.6% | −5.6 | 1.63% | 1.46% |
| Houston (IAH) | 1,330 | 74.5% | 81.1% | −6.6 | 1.28% | 0.50% |
| Nashville (BNA) | 1,268 | 80.3% | 78.8% | +1.5 | 1.18% | 0.68% |
| Minneapolis (MSP) | 1,256 | 81.6% | 82.6% | −1.0 | 1.83% | 0.60% |
| New York (JFK) | 1,153 | 71.4% | 81.0% | −9.6 | 0.87% | 0.18% |
| San Diego (SAN) | 1,140 | 84.7% | 79.1% | +5.6 | 0.18% | 0.39% |
| Philadelphia (PHL) | 1,069 | 72.7% | 80.3% | −7.6 | 1.59% | 0.75% |
| Baltimore (BWI) | 1,059 | 81.6% | 79.1% | +2.5 | 0.38% | 0.67% |
| Tampa (TPA) | 1,023 | 77.2% | 83.6% | −6.4 | 0.88% | 0.54% |
| Austin (AUS) | 1,021 | 78.0% | 79.1% | −1.1 | 1.67% | 0.44% |
| Chicago (MDW) | 870 | 78.1% | 75.6% | +2.5 | 1.15% | 1.40% |
| Dallas (DAL) | 797 | 75.8% | 77.0% | −1.2 | 1.38% | 0.39% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Route by route
The busiest routes over Easter weekend 2026
No route reached 500 flights over the 4 days, so none is ranked. The busiest were LAX to SFO (131 flights, 66.2% on time against 57.6% normally), SFO to LAX (130 flights, 82.0% on time against 69.5% normally) and LGA to ORD (120 flights, 52.7% on time against 60.6% normally); 7 of the ten busiest beat their normal weeks, and all ten appear below with a small-sample mark.
| Route | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAX to SFOsmall sample | 131 | 66.2% | 57.6% | +8.6 | 0.76% | 1.37% |
| SFO to LAXsmall sample | 130 | 82.0% | 69.5% | +12.5 | 1.54% | 1.37% |
| LGA to ORDsmall sample | 120 | 52.7% | 60.6% | −7.9 | 5.83% | 5.80% |
| ORD to LGAsmall sample | 119 | 46.4% | 53.6% | −7.2 | 3.36% | 6.22% |
| DEN to PHXsmall sample | 115 | 93.9% | 84.3% | +9.6 | 0.00% | 0.32% |
| PHX to DENsmall sample | 115 | 92.2% | 83.9% | +8.3 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| LAX to JFKsmall sample | 113 | 82.1% | 81.4% | +0.7 | 0.00% | 0.48% |
| JFK to LAXsmall sample | 113 | 77.9% | 84.4% | −6.5 | 0.00% | 0.48% |
| HNL to OGGsmall sample | 109 | 91.7% | 82.9% | +8.8 | 0.92% | 0.34% |
| OGG to HNLsmall sample | 108 | 90.7% | 81.9% | +8.8 | 0.93% | 0.34% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Carrier by carrier
Airlines over Easter weekend 2026
Spirit Airlines had the weakest holiday at 57.0% on time, 31.0 points behind Alaska Airlines at 88.0%. PSA Airlines lost the most ground against its own normal weeks, 11.7 points. Alaska Airlines gained the most on its normal weeks, 4.7 points.
The number that decides a missed connection is the share of flights an hour or more late. 7.5% of arrivals over Easter weekend 2026 were an hour or more late, against 6.5% normally, up 1.0 point. New York (LGA) had the highest share among large airports at 16.3%.
Cancellations were local rather than general. Overall 1.57% of flights were called off against 0.92% normally, but Chicago (ORD) reached 3.79% and Atlanta (ATL) 3.36%.
| Airline | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 16,159 | 81.5% | 78.3% | +3.2 | 0.35% | 0.33% |
| Delta Air Lines | 11,200 | 85.0% | 86.1% | −1.1 | 3.03% | 0.50% |
| American Airlines | 10,829 | 73.1% | 78.5% | −5.4 | 1.15% | 0.52% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 9,697 | 80.8% | 80.0% | +0.8 | 2.19% | 1.85% |
| United Airlines | 9,320 | 81.1% | 82.5% | −1.4 | 1.07% | 0.48% |
| Republic Airways | 4,011 | 72.0% | 79.2% | −7.2 | 1.62% | 2.70% |
| Alaska Airlines | 3,648 | 88.0% | 83.3% | +4.7 | 0.60% | 0.41% |
| Envoy Air | 3,490 | 81.1% | 81.9% | −0.8 | 2.95% | 2.03% |
| Frontier Airlines | 3,010 | 66.1% | 74.5% | −8.4 | 2.49% | 1.43% |
| JetBlue Airways | 2,860 | 66.8% | 74.7% | −7.9 | 0.10% | 0.22% |
| PSA Airlines | 2,780 | 69.9% | 81.6% | −11.7 | 2.99% | 0.99% |
| Allegiant Air | 1,970 | 69.8% | 76.1% | −6.3 | 0.10% | 0.15% |
| Spirit Airlines | 1,659 | 57.0% | 59.7% | −2.7 | 4.94% | 4.88% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Year on year
Easter weekend across the years
2026 was the weakest Easter weekend in the data: 83.2% in 2023, 82.4% in 2024, 81.4% in 2025 and 78.2% in 2026. By this site's test, 3 years out of 4 had a real holiday effect.
| Year | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 74,691 | 83.2% | 76.1% | +7.1 | 0.56% | 1.76% |
| 2024 | 77,640 | 82.4% | 79.0% | +3.4 | 0.27% | 0.83% |
| 2025 | 78,819 | 81.4% | 79.7% | +1.7 | 0.47% | 0.83% |
| 2026 (this page) | 80,633 | 78.2% | 80.1% | −1.9 | 1.57% | 0.92% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
What to do with this
Planning around Easter weekend
What 2026 suggests for a future Easter weekend: Sunday 5 April was the best day to fly; book before the evening, since 5pm–8pm departures ran 16.8 points worse than 5am–8am ones; and allow extra connection time at Charlotte (CLT) and Orlando (MCO). A single year can be decided by one storm, so weigh it against the other years before planning around it.
On time means arriving less than 15 minutes after the scheduled gate time. Average delay counts delayed flights only; cancellations are a share of every scheduled flight. A holiday is compared with the two weeks either side of it, leaving out days that belong to other holidays. The measurable-effect test asks for 3 points of on-time rate, 5 minutes of average delay or 2 points of cancellations; airports, routes and carriers need 500 flights in the window to be ranked. The US DOT publishes on-time data about two months after the month it covers.
Related
Where to go next
- Easter weekend: every year and the next one
- Easter weekend 2023
- Easter weekend 2024
- Easter weekend 2025
- Press kit: chart, data file and summary for Easter weekend 2026
- Every US travel holiday
- The holidays that fly better than a normal week
- The busiest US travel days, and what they cost in punctuality
- Chicago O'Hare International (ORD) all year
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) all year
- Denver International (DEN) all year
Holiday comparisons use US DOT on-time data from December 2022 to June 2026. Methodology.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, on-time performance data, July 2025 to June 2026. Last updated 15 September 2026; recomputed monthly. How this data is collected.