JFK to LAX flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport · 2,475 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at JFK or LAX right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX) arrived on time 77% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 2.4% were cancelled, and 9% arrived an hour or more late.
- American Airlines was the most punctual airline here (80% on time); JetBlue was the least (75%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (87% on time); around 7pm did worst (67%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (81% on time) and Sunday the least (71%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling) (36%).
Which airline is most on time from JFK to LAX?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 80% | 2.4% | 20 min | 8.7% | 3,267 |
| Delta Air Lines | 77% | 2.2% | 16 min | 7.5% | 3,364 |
| JetBlue | 75% | 2.6% | 19 min | 9.8% | 3,478 |
| Frontier Airlines | 71% | 1.7% | 22 min | 7.1% | 172 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am87%787 flights
- 7am83%903 flights
- 8am80%729 flights
- 9am79%964 flights
- 10am88%195 flights
- 11am80%931 flights
- 12pm83%261 flights
- 1pm78%434 flights
- 2pm77%220 flights
- 3pm76%803 flights
- 4pm78%798 flights
- 5pm74%804 flights
- 6pm73%395 flights
- 7pm67%709 flights
- 8pm69%550 flights
- 9pm67%683 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday78%3.7% cancelled
- Tuesday81%3.3% cancelled
- Wednesday79%0.9% cancelled
- Thursday77%0.9% cancelled
- Friday79%1.7% cancelled
- Saturday74%2.6% cancelled
- Sunday71%3.8% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)36%
- Late-arriving aircraft35%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion24%
- Extreme weather4%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather64%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)22%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion13%
- Security0%
JFK to LAX: common questions
- How often are JFK to LAX 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 New York to Los Angeles cancelled?
- 2.4% of scheduled flights were cancelled (247 of 10,281).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 19 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 77 min behind schedule on average, and 8.7% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at JFK?
- Flights on this route spent 28 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: LAX to JFK — 79% on time
More flights from New York
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: JFK → LAX, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.