BUF to MDW flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Buffalo Niagara International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport · 468 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at BUF or MDW right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Buffalo (BUF) to Chicago (MDW) arrived on time 77% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 1.3% were cancelled, and 7% arrived an hour or more late.
- Southwest Airlines is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Departures scheduled around 7am did best (100% on time); around 7pm did worst (48%).
- Wednesday was the most reliable day to fly (82% on time) and Sunday the least (70%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (54%).
Which airline is most on time from BUF to MDW?
Ranked by on-time arrival rate. Regional airlines fly under their partner's brand (e.g. SkyWest for Delta Connection or United Express).
| Airline | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | 1 hr+ late | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 77% | 1.3% | 15 min | 7.0% | 824 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am86%37 flights
- 6am92%210 flights
- 7am100%35 flights
- 8am85%75 flights
- 11am85%26 flights
- 12pm79%79 flights
- 2pm60%16 flights
- 3pm81%21 flights
- 4pm59%59 flights
- 5pm85%13 flights
- 6pm76%78 flights
- 7pm48%86 flights
- 8pm57%75 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday76%3.1% cancelled
- Tuesday79%0.8% cancelled
- Wednesday82%0.8% cancelled
- Thursday76%0.8% cancelled
- Friday78%0.8% cancelled
- Saturday75%1.3% cancelled
- Sunday70%1.7% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft54%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion29%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)17%
- Extreme weather0%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather73%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)27%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion0%
- Security0%
BUF to MDW: common questions
- How often are BUF to MDW flights on time?
- 77% of flights arrived less than 15 minutes late in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, compared with 78% for all US flights.
- How often are flights from Buffalo to Chicago cancelled?
- 1.3% of scheduled flights were cancelled (11 of 824).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 15 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 58 min behind schedule on average, and 7.0% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at BUF?
- Flights on this route spent 14 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: MDW to BUF — 74% on time
More flights from Buffalo
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: BUF → MDW, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.