Holiday record
Presidents Day weekend 2026 flight delays
Friday 13 February 2026 to Monday 16 February 2026 · 76,916 flights
Historical statistics for Presidents Day weekend 2026, not live status and not a forecast for a future Presidents Day weekend.
Presidents Day weekend 2026 barely registered as a holiday in the flight data: an on-time rate of 78.2% against 80.6%, delays averaging 74 minutes against 69, cancellations at 1.27% against 2.59%. The gaps are the size a normal fortnight throws up.
Key figures
On time
78.2%
Normal weeks: 80.6%
Avg delay
74 min
Delayed flights only. Normal weeks: 69 min
Cancelled
1.27%
Normal weeks: 2.59%
1 hour+ late
7.9%
Normal weeks: 6.4%
4 days and 76,916 flights: that is the window from Friday 13 February 2026 to Monday 16 February 2026. At 19,229 flights a day it ran 5% above the 18,271 of the weeks around it.
Against normal weeks
Presidents Day weekend 2026 next to the weeks around it
| Period | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All flights, Presidents Day weekend 2026 | 76,916 | 78.2% | 80.6% | −2.4 | 1.27% | 2.59% |
“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 Presidents Day weekend ran best
The return leg was the weak point: the final day, Monday 16 February at 72.9% on time, 9.9 points below the 82.8% of ordinary Mondays. The best day was Friday 13 February at 81.8%, which was also the busiest, with 20,229 flights scheduled. 2 of the 4 days ran below the figure for the same weekday in the baseline weeks.
Day-by-day change against normal weekdays: Fri 13 +4.3, Sat 14 +0.7, Sun 15 −0.3, Mon 16 −9.9 points. No more than two days 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 13 February | 20,229 | 81.8% | 77.5% | +4.3 | 0.33% | 1.12% |
| Saturday 14 February | 17,353 | 81.2% | 80.5% | +0.7 | 2.38% | 3.28% |
| Sunday 15 February | 19,274 | 77.1% | 77.4% | −0.3 | 1.39% | 4.69% |
| Monday 16 February | 20,060 | 72.9% | 82.8% | −9.9 | 1.16% | 5.54% |
“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
Departure time mattered more than the date. Flights leaving 5am–8am ran 89.1% on time, and by 5pm–8pm that had fallen to 70.5%, 18.6 points lower. The 8pm–5am window moved most against its normal weeks, 6.4 points worse than 77.4%.
| Departure | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–8am | 12,958 | 89.1% | 89.0% | +0.1 | 1.18% | 2.81% |
| 8am–11am | 14,302 | 83.9% | 84.4% | −0.5 | 1.35% | 2.46% |
| 11am–2pm | 13,408 | 78.2% | 80.6% | −2.4 | 1.32% | 2.38% |
| 2pm–5pm | 13,422 | 74.1% | 76.9% | −2.8 | 1.30% | 2.41% |
| 5pm–8pm | 13,341 | 70.5% | 74.8% | −4.3 | 1.08% | 2.68% |
| 8pm–5am | 9,485 | 71.0% | 77.4% | −6.4 | 1.44% | 2.96% |
“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 Presidents Day weekend 2026
Among large airports the on-time rate ran from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) at 55.4%, Fort Myers (RSW) at 66.4% and Orlando (MCO) at 66.7% at the low end to Indianapolis (IND) at 85.4%, Minneapolis (MSP) at 85.3% and Denver (DEN) at 84.7% at the top. Fort Lauderdale (FLL) fell furthest against its own normal weeks, from 69.3% to 55.4%. Measured against each airport's own normal weeks, 29 of 41 did worse.
By volume the holiday ran through Chicago (ORD, 3,847 departures, 79.1% on time), Denver (DEN, 3,472 departures, 84.7% on time) and Atlanta (ATL, 3,270 departures, 79.6% on time), which handled 14% of all departures between them.
Not every airport struggled: Chicago (ORD, +7.8 points), Boston (BOS, +6.0 points) and Washington (DCA, +6.0 points) improved on their usual on-time rate.
Delay length varied widely by airport. Delayed departures from Raleigh (RDU) averaged 99 minutes, against 73 in its normal weeks, the longest of any large airport; at Atlanta (ATL) the average was 55 minutes.
Some airports took far more of the holiday rush than others. Daily departures rose most at New Orleans (MSY, +22%), Fort Myers (RSW, +16%) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL, +13%), and fell most at New York (LGA, −4%). All three ran below their normal on-time rate, which fits airports stretched by the extra schedule.
| Airport | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago (ORD) | 3,847 | 79.1% | 71.3% | +7.8 | 0.65% | 1.93% |
| Denver (DEN) | 3,472 | 84.7% | 83.0% | +1.7 | 0.52% | 0.92% |
| Atlanta (ATL) | 3,270 | 79.6% | 80.3% | −0.7 | 1.10% | 2.78% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) | 3,250 | 69.9% | 80.1% | −10.2 | 3.75% | 1.02% |
| Phoenix (PHX) | 2,382 | 81.3% | 83.8% | −2.5 | 0.59% | 0.70% |
| Orlando (MCO) | 2,072 | 66.7% | 74.5% | −7.8 | 2.99% | 2.48% |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | 2,012 | 75.1% | 82.3% | −7.2 | 0.80% | 1.42% |
| Charlotte (CLT) | 1,985 | 75.5% | 79.4% | −3.9 | 1.01% | 6.40% |
| Las Vegas (LAS) | 1,958 | 77.2% | 84.1% | −6.9 | 0.87% | 0.86% |
| Seattle (SEA) | 1,598 | 79.1% | 85.3% | −6.2 | 0.81% | 0.78% |
| San Francisco (SFO) | 1,541 | 74.9% | 83.8% | −8.9 | 0.97% | 1.14% |
| Washington (DCA) | 1,525 | 75.3% | 69.3% | +6.0 | 0.52% | 5.05% |
| Boston (BOS) | 1,510 | 80.1% | 74.1% | +6.0 | 0.86% | 8.40% |
| New York (LGA) | 1,416 | 74.7% | 78.7% | −4.0 | 0.92% | 8.58% |
| Miami (MIA) | 1,363 | 67.1% | 75.4% | −8.3 | 0.51% | 2.05% |
| Newark (EWR) | 1,360 | 79.3% | 82.8% | −3.5 | 1.32% | 8.08% |
| Salt Lake City (SLC) | 1,350 | 83.1% | 86.2% | −3.1 | 0.96% | 0.95% |
| Detroit (DTW) | 1,327 | 77.3% | 76.3% | +1.0 | 1.96% | 2.30% |
| Houston (IAH) | 1,317 | 78.7% | 86.7% | −8.0 | 1.21% | 1.05% |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | 1,315 | 55.4% | 69.3% | −13.9 | 3.73% | 4.07% |
| Minneapolis (MSP) | 1,137 | 85.3% | 80.5% | +4.8 | 0.26% | 1.32% |
| Nashville (BNA) | 1,134 | 78.5% | 81.6% | −3.1 | 0.71% | 1.95% |
| New York (JFK) | 1,109 | 70.6% | 76.9% | −6.3 | 1.35% | 8.92% |
| San Diego (SAN) | 1,049 | 77.8% | 85.5% | −7.7 | 0.76% | 0.95% |
| Philadelphia (PHL) | 995 | 80.9% | 79.4% | +1.5 | 0.90% | 6.54% |
| Baltimore (BWI) | 984 | 84.4% | 82.7% | +1.7 | 1.12% | 3.96% |
| Austin (AUS) | 964 | 77.0% | 82.7% | −5.7 | 0.93% | 1.06% |
| Tampa (TPA) | 947 | 71.5% | 78.6% | −7.1 | 1.48% | 2.33% |
| Dallas (DAL) | 761 | 70.4% | 81.2% | −10.8 | 3.42% | 0.55% |
| New Orleans (MSY) | 691 | 78.2% | 83.9% | −5.7 | 1.59% | 1.81% |
“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 Presidents Day weekend 2026
The busiest routes were ORD to LGA (118 flights, 77.8% on time against 78.7% normally), LGA to ORD (118 flights, 69.5% on time against 78.2% normally) and OGG to HNL (112 flights, 88.3% on time against 78.4% normally). No route reached 500 flights in 4 days, so the table shows the ten busiest with a small-sample mark and they are not ranked. 5 of those ten ran above their normal on-time rate.
| Route | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORD to LGAsmall sample | 118 | 77.8% | 78.7% | −0.9 | 0.85% | 7.89% |
| LGA to ORDsmall sample | 118 | 69.5% | 78.2% | −8.7 | 0.00% | 8.35% |
| OGG to HNLsmall sample | 112 | 88.3% | 78.4% | +9.9 | 0.89% | 1.37% |
| HNL to OGGsmall sample | 111 | 85.6% | 79.6% | +6.0 | 0.00% | 1.25% |
| LAX to SFOsmall sample | 109 | 50.9% | 75.0% | −24.1 | 0.92% | 0.68% |
| SFO to LAXsmall sample | 109 | 61.1% | 81.9% | −20.8 | 0.92% | 0.68% |
| PHX to DENsmall sample | 108 | 87.9% | 82.7% | +5.2 | 0.93% | 0.14% |
| DEN to PHXsmall sample | 108 | 84.1% | 84.0% | +0.1 | 0.93% | 0.28% |
| LAX to JFKsmall sample | 104 | 78.6% | 73.8% | +4.8 | 0.96% | 8.23% |
| JFK to LAXsmall sample | 104 | 71.2% | 78.5% | −7.3 | 0.00% | 7.99% |
“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 Presidents Day weekend 2026
The airline mattered a great deal. Republic Airways ran 85.7% on time and Spirit Airlines 56.6%, a 29.1 points gap across 13 carriers. Spirit Airlines lost the most ground against its own normal weeks, 13.4 points. Republic Airways gained the most on its normal weeks, 7.4 points.
Tight connections depend less on the on-time rate than on how many flights ran badly late. 7.9% of arrivals over Presidents Day weekend 2026 were an hour or more late, against 6.4% normally, up 1.5 points. Fort Lauderdale (FLL) had the highest share among large airports at 18.0%.
Cancellations were local rather than general. Overall 1.27% of flights were called off against 2.59% normally, but Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) reached 3.75% and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) 3.73%.
| Airline | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 15,404 | 76.8% | 82.9% | −6.1 | 0.88% | 1.03% |
| American Airlines | 10,728 | 75.9% | 78.8% | −2.9 | 1.06% | 2.77% |
| Delta Air Lines | 10,431 | 82.6% | 83.7% | −1.1 | 1.20% | 2.75% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 9,089 | 77.8% | 78.8% | −1.0 | 1.63% | 1.35% |
| United Airlines | 8,916 | 83.4% | 84.4% | −1.0 | 0.11% | 1.72% |
| Republic Airways | 3,866 | 85.7% | 78.3% | +7.4 | 0.05% | 7.74% |
| Alaska Airlines | 3,516 | 82.0% | 83.4% | −1.4 | 0.60% | 1.25% |
| Envoy Air | 3,384 | 84.7% | 82.4% | +2.3 | 1.36% | 1.18% |
| JetBlue Airways | 2,788 | 64.0% | 68.5% | −4.5 | 1.54% | 7.76% |
| Frontier Airlines | 2,764 | 74.9% | 79.1% | −4.2 | 1.77% | 1.29% |
| PSA Airlines | 2,574 | 69.4% | 73.2% | −3.8 | 2.68% | 6.36% |
| Allegiant Air | 1,740 | 74.9% | 78.7% | −3.8 | 0.00% | 0.87% |
| Spirit Airlines | 1,716 | 56.6% | 70.0% | −13.4 | 12.65% | 7.54% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Year on year
Presidents Day weekend across the years
2026 sits in the middle of the 4 years in the data: 82.0% in 2023, 78.4% in 2024, 64.1% in 2025 and 78.2% in 2026. 2 of them cleared the measurable-effect test.
| Year | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023, close to normal | 71,995 | 82.0% | 80.5% | +1.5 | 0.44% | 1.55% |
| 2024 | 73,096 | 78.4% | 84.2% | −5.8 | 0.40% | 0.60% |
| 2025 | 75,449 | 64.1% | 82.4% | −18.3 | 3.19% | 1.09% |
| 2026 (this page) | 76,916 | 78.2% | 80.6% | −2.4 | 1.27% | 2.59% |
“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 Presidents Day weekend
Lessons from 2026: avoid the final day of the window, the worst of 2026; book before the evening, since 5pm–8pm departures ran 18.6 points worse than 5am–8am ones; and allow extra connection time at Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Dallas (DAL). Those are one year's patterns; check them against the other years before relying on them.
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
- Presidents Day weekend: every year and the next one
- Presidents Day weekend 2023
- Presidents Day weekend 2024
- Presidents Day weekend 2025
- Press kit: chart, data file and summary for Presidents Day 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
- Denver International (DEN) all year
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) 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.