ON TIMEBOARD

MEM → EWR on time

Frederick W. Smith (Memphis, TN) to Newark (Newark, NJ). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
77%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
4.9%
486 flights
Typical arrival
−15 min
median vs schedule
When late
+73 min
average delay
Flights / day
1
1 airline

77% of flights from Memphis to Newark arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is about the typical U.S. route. The 6 a.m. departures ran on time 91% of the time; the 4 p.m. ones 58%. 14% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.

How late?

The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for MEM → EWR: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 47% of the time. About 1 in 12 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 69 three hours or more; 4.9% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 486 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
United Airlines48677%4.9%−15 min8.2%+73 minRepublic Airways 99%, United Airlines 1%

Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.

Best time of day to fly

On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at MEM). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%6 a.m. departures: 91% on time (255 flights)916a7 a.m. departures: too few flights7a8 a.m. departures: too few flights8a9 a.m. departures: too few flights9a10 a.m. departures: too few flights10a11 a.m. departures: too few flights11anoon departures: too few flights (18 flights)12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights1p2 p.m. departures: too few flights2p3 p.m. departures: too few flights (1 flights)3p4 p.m. departures: 58% on time (212 flights)584p
MEM → EWR, share of flights arriving on time, by departure hour. Hours with under 100 flights are greyed out.
82%+ on time76–82%68–76%under 68%too few flights

Last flight of the day

On MEM → EWR, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 7.8% of the time, against 2.6% for its earlier flights (3.0× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 2.2% of the time (earlier flights: 0.9%). It matters more than the numbers suggest. Miss an earlier flight and there's another one that evening; miss the last one and you're usually waiting until morning.

AirlineLast departureLast: cancelledLast: 3h+ lateEarlier: cancelledNext morning
United Airlines4:08 p.m.7.8%2.2%2.6%first flight 6:00 a.m.

Last flight = the airline's last scheduled departure on this route that day, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Times are typical scheduled times over the latest three months.

If you need to be in EWR tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: May (85%). Worst: July (64%).

40%70%100%Jan: too few flightsJanFeb: too few flightsFebMar: too few flightsMarApr: too few flights (94 flights)AprMay: 85% on time (141 flights)85MayJun: 74% on time (158 flights)74JunJul: 64% on time (178 flights)64JulAug: 70% on time (172 flights)70AugSep: 79% on time (170 flights)79SepOct: 84% on time (178 flights)84OctNov: 75% on time (163 flights)75NovDec: too few flights (94 flights)Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday75——
Tuesday74——
Wednesday74——
Thursday71——
Friday72——
Saturday48——
Sunday72——

Why flights were late

Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.

Air traffic & airport (NAS) 54%Late inbound plane 25%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 19%Severe weather 1%

Cancellations: weather 13 · air traffic/airport 11

Month by month

Not enough months with data to draw a trend.

Flight numbers on this route

Regular flights with at least 120 scheduled trips in the past year. Sorted by departure time.

FlightDepartsFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrivalOperated by
UA 36426:00 a.m.25291%2.4%−19 minRepublic Airways

Nearby airport alternatives

Other ways to make the same trip, using airports within 60 miles of Memphis or Newark. None has been clearly more reliable than MEM → EWR.

RouteFlightsOn timeCancelled
MEM → EWR (this route)48677%4.9%
MEM → LGA Frederick W. Smith to LaGuardia1,64873%5.5%

Questions

How often are flights from MEM to EWR on time?

77% of 486 scheduled flights from Memphis, TN to Newark, NJ arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 4.9% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly MEM to EWR?

Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. were the most reliable (91% on time). The 4 p.m. departures were the least (58%).

What month has the most delays from MEM to EWR?

July (64% on time). The best month is May (85%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from MEM to EWR more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last MEM–EWR flight of the day was cancelled 7.8% of the time over the past year, against 2.6% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.

Related

Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.