ON TIMEBOARD

SDF → IAD on time

Louisville Muhammad Ali (Louisville, KY) to Washington Dulles (Washington, DC). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
88%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
0.8%
866 flights
Typical arrival
−10 min
median vs schedule
When late
+94 min
average delay
Flights / day
2
1 airline

88% of flights from Louisville to Washington arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is better than the typical U.S. route. The 1 p.m. departures ran on time 90% of the time; the 2 p.m. ones 83%. 6% 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 SDF → IAD: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 45% of the time. About 1 in 21 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 96 three hours or more; 0.8% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 866 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
United Airlines86688%0.8%−10 min4.7%+94 minMesa Airlines 71%, Republic Airways 28%, United Airlines 0%

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 SDF). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%5 a.m. departures: too few flights (20 flights)5a6 a.m. departures: too few flights (97 flights)6a7 a.m. departures: too few flights7a8 a.m. departures: too few flights8a9 a.m. departures: 87% on time (262 flights)879a10 a.m. departures: 90% on time (103 flights)9010a11 a.m. departures: too few flights11anoon departures: too few flights12p1 p.m. departures: 90% on time (126 flights)901p2 p.m. departures: 83% on time (258 flights)832p
SDF → IAD, 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 SDF → IAD, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 0.8% of the time, against 0.8% for its earlier flights, about the same. It arrived 3+ hours late 1.4% of the time (earlier flights: 0.8%). 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 Airlines1:48 p.m.0.8%1.4%0.8%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.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: November (93%). Worst: January (77%).

40%70%100%Jan: 77% on time (177 flights)77JanFeb: 90% on time (167 flights)90FebMar: 89% on time (212 flights)89MarApr: 91% on time (200 flights)91AprMay: 85% on time (258 flights)85MayJun: 86% on time (269 flights)86JunJul: 83% on time (306 flights)83JulAug: 91% on time (287 flights)91AugSep: 90% on time (237 flights)90SepOct: 92% on time (217 flights)92OctNov: 93% on time (210 flights)93NovDec: 80% on time (178 flights)80Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday12884%0.0%
Tuesday12287%0.8%
Wednesday12590%0.8%
Thursday12292%0.8%
Friday12587%0.0%
Saturday11991%1.7%
Sunday12583%1.6%

Why flights were late

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

Late inbound plane 42%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 28%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 27%Severe weather 4%

Cancellations: weather 4 · air traffic/airport 3

Month by month

60%80%100%Sep 2023Jan 2024Jan 2025Jan 2026Jul 2025: 83% on time, 0.8% cancelledAug 2025: 89% on time, 0.0% cancelled
Share of flights on time, by month (hover a point for cancellations)
SDF → IAD, monthly on-time and cancellation rate.

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 40671:48 p.m.19587%1.0%−11 minMesa Airlines

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Jun 12, 202630%0
May 3, 2026333%0
Jul 3, 2026333%0
May 20, 2026367%0
Sep 8, 2025367%0

Nearby airport alternatives

Other ways to make the same trip, using airports within 60 miles of Louisville or Washington. None has been clearly more reliable than SDF → IAD.

RouteFlightsOn timeCancelled
SDF → IAD (this route)86688%0.8%
SDF → BWI Louisville Muhammad Ali to Baltimore/Washington88085%1.8%
SDF → DCA Louisville Muhammad Ali to Washington Reagan National1,02574%4.6%

Questions

How often are flights from SDF to IAD on time?

88% of 866 scheduled flights from Louisville, KY to Washington, DC arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 0.8% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly SDF to IAD?

Flights scheduled to leave at 1 p.m. were the most reliable (90% on time). The 2 p.m. departures were the least (83%).

What month has the most delays from SDF to IAD?

January (77% on time). The best month is November (93%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from SDF to IAD more likely to be cancelled?

Not much. Each airline's last SDF–IAD flight of the day was cancelled 0.8% of the time over the past year, against 0.8% 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.