South Florida Airports Compared: MIA vs FLL Delays and Cancellations
South Florida travelers choose between 2 airports: Miami (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL). Across January 2023 to December 2025, delay rates for flights departing them ranged from 27.0% at MIA to 27.3% at FLL, a spread of 0.3 points. Cancellations in 2024 to 2025 ranged from 1.44% to 1.49%. The table uses BTS data for flights departing each airport.
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.
South Florida airports head to head| Airport | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled | Before 8 AM | After 8 PM | Best hour | Worst hour | Worst month | Largest carrier in this window |
|---|
| Miami (MIA) | 27.0% | 319,024 | 1.49% | 11.0% | 32.3% | 5 AM (10.2%) | 5 PM (36.9%) | July (36.7%) | American Airlines (54.3%) |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | 27.3% | 264,272 | 1.44% | 10.5% | 38.8% | 5 AM (8.5%) | 9 PM (41.1%) | July (34.6%) | Spirit Airlines (26.3%) (ceased 2 May 2026) |
Pick this airport if
- Pick MIA if you want the lowest overall delay rate (27.0% of departures arrived 15+ minutes late).
- Pick FLL if avoiding cancellations matters most (1.44% of scheduled departures cancelled, 2024 to 2025).
- Pick FLL for a flight before 8 AM (10.5% late, the lowest of the set).
- Pick MIA if you must fly after 8 PM (32.3% late, the lowest of the set).
What shapes each airport
- MIA: American Airlines flies 54.3% of departures, so the airport's record tracks its schedule.
- FLL: Spirit Airlines flew 26.3% of departures in this window and ceased operations on 2 May 2026, so the airport's historical record tracks its schedule.
Predict a MIA flight Predict a FLL flight
Questions
- Which South Florida airport has the fewest delays?
- Miami (MIA) has the lowest delay rate at 27.0% across 319,024 departures, January 2023 to December 2025. The others: FLL 27.3%.
- Which South Florida airport cancels the fewest flights?
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL) at 1.44% of 179,475 scheduled departures, 2024 to 2025.
- Is the cheapest South Florida airport worth a higher delay risk?
- The delay-rate gap across these airports is 0.3 points. This page compares reliability only, not fares. Check a specific flight in the predictor before you decide.