US Routes With the Highest Flight Cancellation Rates, 2024 to 2025
Across 2024 to 2025, 1.41% of scheduled US domestic flights were cancelled. These 25 routes ran well above that, led by EWR to MKE at 5.49% of 1,639 scheduled flights. Each route has at least 1,000 scheduled flights in the window and both airports are covered by the DelayGuard predictor. The cancellation figure and the delay figure are separate: a cancelled flight is not counted as delayed.
Delay window: January 2023 to December 2025. Cancellation window: 2024 to 2025. Last updated: 2026-10-01. Delayed means a flight arrived 15 or more minutes after its scheduled arrival, the BTS and DOT on-time standard. Cancelled and diverted flights are excluded from delay rates. Historical BTS figures are separate from DelayGuard's per-flight model probability and from live FAA, weather and ground-delay status.
Highest-cancellation routes| Route | Cancelled | Scheduled flights | Delayed 15+ min | Link |
|---|
| EWR to MKE | 5.49% | 1,639 | 17.0% | Predict this route |
| DCA to CLE | 4.91% | 3,013 | 22.5% | Predict this route |
| ORF to EWR | 4.80% | 1,605 | 20.2% | Predict this route |
| MKE to EWR | 4.76% | 1,638 | 19.2% | Predict this route |
| DCA to SDF | 4.73% | 2,009 | 19.6% | Predict this route |
| BUF to DCA | 4.71% | 2,464 | 23.4% | Predict this route |
| CLE to DCA | 4.61% | 3,017 | 21.9% | Predict this route |
| DCA to GRR | 4.60% | 1,391 | 25.8% | Predict this route |
| DCA to BUF | 4.59% | 2,463 | 23.8% | Predict this route |
| SAV to DCA | 4.57% | 1,969 | 20.6% | Predict this route |
| LGA to OKC | 4.48% | 2,030 | 24.7% | Predict this route |
| EWR to PIT | 4.47% | 4,434 | 17.1% | Predict this route |
| ORF to JFK | 4.46% | 2,175 | 15.8% | Predict this route |
| EWR to ORF | 4.39% | 1,641 | 21.2% | Predict this route |
| GRR to DCA | 4.39% | 1,391 | 22.5% | Predict this route |
| LGA to ORF | 4.30% | 3,140 | 17.4% | Predict this route |
| CHS to DCA | 4.22% | 3,653 | 20.9% | Predict this route |
| EWR to BUF | 4.14% | 1,207 | 23.9% | Predict this route |
| DCA to JFK | 4.12% | 5,000 | 20.6% | Predict this route |
| JFK to DCA | 4.11% | 5,032 | 20.7% | Predict this route |
| LGA to BUF | 4.08% | 3,802 | 17.0% | Predict this route |
| LGA to SAV | 4.06% | 1,699 | 22.1% | Predict this route |
| BDL to DCA | 4.02% | 3,852 | 23.6% | Predict this route |
| LGA to RIC | 3.98% | 3,916 | 17.7% | Predict this route |
| DFW to HOU | 3.96% | 4,547 | 21.3% | Predict this route |
All US airline cancellation rates
Questions
- Which US route cancels the most flights?
- EWR to MKE: 5.49% of 1,639 scheduled flights were cancelled in 2024 to 2025, against 1.41% for all US domestic flights (BTS).
- How are these routes chosen?
- Routes need at least 1,000 scheduled flights in the window and both airports must be covered by DelayGuard. Smaller samples are left out rather than estimated.
- Does a high cancellation rate mean a high delay rate?
- No. The delay column on this page is separate and counts only flights that operated. Compare the two before you choose a route.