Route reliability

Chicago (ORD) to Columbus (CMH): which airline is most on time?

On-time arrivals, cancellations and long delays for every airline that reported nonstop flights from Chicago, IL (ORD) to Columbus, OH (CMH), September 2025 to August 2026.

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

Chicago, ILColumbus, OH

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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

ORD to CMH

Chicago, IL to Columbus, OH

On time
71.4%vs 75.6% U.S. average Worse than average
Cancelled
2.8%vs 1.9% U.S. average Worse than average
60+ min late
10.6%vs 8.1% U.S. average Worse than average
Scheduled flights
4,990in 12 months6 airlines
Most reliable airline
Republic Airways72.9% on time · 1,617 flights

On time less often than the U.S. average, with more cancellations.

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 ORD to CMH, 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. Republic Airways Operating carrier; sold as American Eagle, Delta Connection, United Express Most reliable 72.9% 3.4% 10.5% 81 min 0.1% 1,617
2. Envoy Air Operating carrier; sold as American Eagle 72.5% 2.2% 10.1% 71 min 0.2% 1,409
3. United Airlines 70.6% 1.7% 10.7% 71 min 0.0% 1,222
4. SkyWest Airlines Operating carrier; sold as United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle, Alaska 68.7% 4.8% 11.5% 74 min 0.2% 584
5. PSA Airlines Operating carrier; sold as American Eagle Small sample (under 300 flights) 64.8% 3.7% 18.5% 77 min 0.0% 54
6. American Airlines Small sample (under 300 flights) 62.5% 1.0% 11.5% 86 min 0.0% 104

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

Republic Airways has the strongest record on this route.

  • Republic Airways had the best on-time record from Chicago (ORD) to Columbus (CMH): 72.9% of its 1,617 scheduled flights arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, compared with 68.7% for SkyWest Airlines.
  • 2.8% of flights on this route were cancelled (about 1 in 36), 0.9 points higher than the U.S. average of 1.9%.
  • 10.6% of flights, about 1 in 9, arrived an hour or more late. When a flight was late (15+ minutes), the average arrival delay was 75 min.
  • Overall, 71.4% of flights on this route arrived on time, 4.2 points lower than the U.S. average of 75.6%.
  • Over the last 3 years, October was the most reliable month on this route (82.2% on time) and July the least reliable (66.5%).
  • Cancellations peaked in July, when 3.7% of flights were cancelled.
  • Flights scheduled to depart 7 am to 8 am were the most punctual (87.1% on time); flights scheduled to depart 6 pm to 7 pm were the least (60.6%).
  • In the other direction, Columbus (CMH) to Chicago (ORD), 73.3% of flights were on time and 2.7% were cancelled. Compare airlines CMH to ORD.

Best and worst months to fly ORD to CMH

Jan 69.7%
Feb 79.5%
Mar 75.7%
Apr 77.9%
May 74.8%
Jun 69.3%
Jul 66.5%
Aug 69.9%
Sep 79.8%
Oct 82.2%
Nov 80.1%
Dec 72.5%
Share of scheduled flights on time 12-month average 71.4%
All airlines combined, by calendar month, September 2023 to August 2026 (3 years pooled). Scale starts at zero.
Show as table
PeriodOn timeFlights
January 69.7% 808
February 79.5% 853
March 75.7% 1,016
April 77.9% 1,112
May 74.8% 1,153
June 69.3% 1,084
July 66.5% 1,120
August 69.9% 1,178
September 79.8% 1,004
October 82.2% 1,039
November 80.1% 911
December 72.5% 883
Best and worst calendar month by airline, September 2023 to August 2026.
AirlineBest monthWorst month
Republic Airways October (92.3%) July (67.9%)
Envoy Air November (81.2%) July (59.0%)
United Airlines September (80.5%) August (66.9%)
SkyWest Airlines October (86.7%) January (56.7%)

Month by month, last 12 months

Sep 75.7%
Oct 75.9%
Nov 72.9%
Dec 61.0%
Jan 64.7%
Feb 76.4%
Mar 68.9%
Apr 70.6%
May 79.3%
Jun 73.3%
Jul 72.5%
Aug 63.2%
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 75.7% 411
Oct 2025 75.9% 439
Nov 2025 72.9% 391
Dec 2025 61.0% 349
Jan 2026 64.7% 303
Feb 2026 76.4% 330
Mar 2026 68.9% 441
Apr 2026 70.6% 463
May 2026 79.3% 460
Jun 2026 73.3% 450
Jul 2026 72.5% 488
Aug 2026 63.2% 465

Best and worst departure times

<6a Insufficient sample
6a 84.3%
7a 87.1%
8a 80.4%
9a 85.5%
10a 74.0%
11a 71.3%
12p 81.7%
1p 75.7%
2p 66.7%
3p 80.1%
4p 68.2%
5p 62.9%
6p 60.6%
7p 65.5%
8p 65.3%
9p 62.4%
10p Insufficient sample
11p Insufficient sample
Share of scheduled flights on time
By scheduled local departure hour at ORD, 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 Insufficient sample 1
Departing 6 am to 7 am 84.3% 51
Departing 7 am to 8 am 87.1% 503
Departing 8 am to 9 am 80.4% 194
Departing 9 am to 10 am 85.5% 69
Departing 10 am to 11 am 74.0% 423
Departing 11 am to noon 71.3% 258
Departing noon to 1 pm 81.7% 350
Departing 1 pm to 2 pm 75.7% 103
Departing 2 pm to 3 pm 66.7% 489
Departing 3 pm to 4 pm 80.1% 292
Departing 4 pm to 5 pm 68.2% 358
Departing 5 pm to 6 pm 62.9% 353
Departing 6 pm to 7 pm 60.6% 325
Departing 7 pm to 8 pm 65.5% 588
Departing 8 pm to 9 pm 65.3% 196
Departing 9 pm to 10 pm 62.4% 412
Departing 10 pm to 11 pm Insufficient sample 21
Departing 11 pm to midnight Insufficient sample 4
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 Chicago, IL (ORD) to Columbus, OH (CMH), 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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