Route Reliability

Route reliability

Los Angeles (LAX) to Newark (EWR): which airline is most on time?

On-time arrivals, cancellations and long delays for every airline that reported nonstop flights from Los Angeles, CA (LAX) to Newark, NJ (EWR), September 2025 to August 2026.

Historical performance Official DOT data through August 2026 · Not live flight status

Los Angeles, CANewark, NJ

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Three-letter airport codes, nonstop U.S. domestic flights. One direction at a time.

Route at a glance · September 2025 to August 2026

LAX to EWR

Los Angeles, CA to Newark, NJ

On time
76.5%vs 75.6% U.S. average About average
Cancelled
2.1%vs 1.9% U.S. average About average
60+ min late
8.1%vs 8.1% U.S. average About average
Scheduled flights
4,748in 12 months4 airlines
Most reliable airline
Alaska Airlines89.2% on time · 490 flights

On time about as often as the U.S. average, with a typical cancellation rate.

Compared with all U.S. flights, September 2025 to August 2026. “About average” means within 1.5 points for on time, 0.3 for cancelled and 1 for 60+ minutes late.

Airlines on this route

Ranked by on-time arrival

Airlines from LAX to EWR, September 2025 to August 2026. Rates are shares of all scheduled flights.
Airline On time Cancelled 60+ min late Avg delay when late Diverted Flights
1. Alaska Airlines Most reliable 89.2% 1.6% 2.4% 58 min 1.0% 490
2. United Airlines 75.4% 1.8% 8.8% 77 min 1.3% 3,526
3. JetBlue Airways 74.8% 3.5% 9.6% 78 min 1.0% 480
4. Spirit Airlines Small sample (under 300 flights) 70.6% 5.2% 6.7% 51 min 0.8% 252

On time = arrived within 15 minutes of schedule. Avg delay when late = average arrival delay of flights 15+ minutes late. "Most reliable" needs at least 300 flights in 12 months. Tap a heading to sort.

What this means

Alaska Airlines has the strongest record on this route.

  • Alaska Airlines had the best on-time record from Los Angeles (LAX) to Newark (EWR): 89.2% of its 490 scheduled flights arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, compared with 74.8% for JetBlue Airways.
  • 2.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (about 1 in 48), about the same as the U.S. average of 1.9%.
  • 8.1% of flights, about 1 in 12, arrived an hour or more late. When a flight was late (15+ minutes), the average arrival delay was 75 min.
  • Overall, 76.5% of flights on this route arrived on time, 0.9 points higher than the U.S. average of 75.6%.
  • Over the last 3 years, October was the most reliable month on this route (84.3% on time) and July the least reliable (67.0%).
  • Cancellations peaked in July, when 3.9% of flights were cancelled.
  • Flights scheduled to depart 7 am to 8 am were the most punctual (91.1% on time); flights scheduled to depart 1 pm to 2 pm were the least (58.1%).
  • In the other direction, Newark (EWR) to Los Angeles (LAX), 68.8% of flights were on time and 2.5% were cancelled. Compare airlines EWR to LAX.

Best and worst months to fly LAX to EWR

Jan 79.1%
Feb 80.5%
Mar 77.4%
Apr 80.3%
May 76.1%
Jun 77.5%
Jul 67.0%
Aug 74.9%
Sep 80.8%
Oct 84.3%
Nov 80.9%
Dec 74.4%
Share of scheduled flights on time 12-month average 76.5%
All airlines combined, by calendar month, September 2023 to August 2026 (3 years pooled). Scale starts at zero.
Show as table
PeriodOn timeFlights
January 79.1% 1,104
February 80.5% 1,029
March 77.4% 1,206
April 80.3% 1,222
May 76.1% 1,325
June 77.5% 1,315
July 67.0% 1,361
August 74.9% 1,360
September 80.8% 1,480
October 84.3% 1,511
November 80.9% 1,384
December 74.4% 1,346
Best and worst calendar month by airline, September 2023 to August 2026.
AirlineBest monthWorst month
Alaska Airlines March (88.6%) January (71.4%)
United Airlines October (82.1%) July (65.8%)
JetBlue Airways February (91.4%) March (63.6%)
Spirit Airlines October (88.8%) July (64.5%)

Month by month, last 12 months

Sep 83.7%
Oct 80.2%
Nov 75.4%
Dec 73.3%
Jan 72.6%
Feb 73.2%
Mar 68.5%
Apr 87.3%
May 89.4%
Jun 81.1%
Jul 64.5%
Aug 68.6%
Share of scheduled flights on time U.S. average 75.6%
All airlines combined, September 2025 to August 2026. Scale starts at zero.
Show as table
PeriodOn timeFlights
Sep 2025 83.7% 467
Oct 2025 80.2% 481
Nov 2025 75.4% 468
Dec 2025 73.3% 475
Jan 2026 72.6% 325
Feb 2026 73.2% 302
Mar 2026 68.5% 368
Apr 2026 87.3% 354
May 2026 89.4% 339
Jun 2026 81.1% 381
Jul 2026 64.5% 403
Aug 2026 68.6% 385

Best and worst departure times

<6a 90.0%
6a 88.4%
7a 91.1%
8a 75.8%
9a Insufficient sample
10a 70.4%
11a 65.7%
12p 65.6%
1p 58.1%
2p 71.8%
4p 79.1%
8p 74.8%
9p 86.6%
10p 80.4%
11p 76.5%
Share of scheduled flights on time
By scheduled local departure hour at LAX, September 2025 to August 2026. Hours with no scheduled flights are omitted. Scale starts at zero.
Show as table
PeriodOn timeFlights
Departing before 6 am 90.0% 50
Departing 6 am to 7 am 88.4% 250
Departing 7 am to 8 am 91.1% 663
Departing 8 am to 9 am 75.8% 616
Departing 9 am to 10 am Insufficient sample 46
Departing 10 am to 11 am 70.4% 422
Departing 11 am to noon 65.7% 467
Departing noon to 1 pm 65.6% 331
Departing 1 pm to 2 pm 58.1% 363
Departing 2 pm to 3 pm 71.8% 142
Departing 4 pm to 5 pm 79.1% 263
Departing 8 pm to 9 pm 74.8% 147
Departing 9 pm to 10 pm 86.6% 479
Departing 10 pm to 11 pm 80.4% 168
Departing 11 pm to midnight 76.5% 341
Woman at an airport window watching a plane take off
Photo: Depositphotos (licensed stock, illustrative only). Credits

Sources & data dates

Source
U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Reporting Carrier On-Time Performance (1987-present)
Period
September 2025 to August 2026 (12 months); month-of-year patterns September 2023 to August 2026
Data through
August 2026
Processed
2026-11-03
Scope
Nonstop scheduled flights from Los Angeles, CA (LAX) to Newark, NJ (EWR), one direction. Airlines that report to the DOT only.
Method
Rates use all scheduled flights as the denominator; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Figures based on fewer than 50 scheduled flights are suppressed. Full methodology.

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