73% of flights leaving Nashville (BNA) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 2 points worse than the national average of 76%. That ranks 64 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 310 flights leave BNA on a typical day; 1.6% were cancelled. 70% pushed back from the gate on time, so most of the lateness is already there when the flight leaves the gate.
At a glance
- Best hour to fly: 5 a.m. (92% on time). Worst: 10 p.m. (59%).
- Best month: November (84%). Worst: July (67%).
- Most reliable airline here: Delta Air Lines (80%), vs JetBlue at 67%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (47% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (78% → 73%).
How late?
The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for flights leaving BNA: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 58% of the time. About 1 in 13 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 81 three hours or more; 1.6% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early73%
- 15–30 min late9.7%
- 30–60 min late7.4%
- 1–2 hours late4.8%
- 2–3 hours late1.6%
- 3+ hours late1.2%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled1.6%
Share of all 113,198 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of BNA
Time of day matters more at BNA than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 92% of the time; at 10 p.m. it was 59%, a 33-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 87% on time against 62% for the evening bank (5–10 p.m.). Early planes usually start the day at the airport, so they haven't had a chance to pick up delays elsewhere. By evening a late inbound aircraft, a crew running out of duty hours or an afternoon thunderstorm can push one late flight into the next. Cancellations cluster too: 7 p.m. departures were cancelled 2.5% of the time, against 1.6% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at BNA was a 5 a.m. departure in November (94% on time); the least, 8 p.m. in July (47%). If you can only move one thing, move the hour. Departure hour usually shifts the odds more than the month does.
Each cell: on-time rate for that departure hour in that calendar month, 2023–2026. Find your travel month, then look along the row for the greenest hour.
Best and worst months
July is the hardest month at BNA, with 67% of flights on time across 2023–2026; November is the best at 84%. Summer (June–August) runs 12 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 4 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (6.1% of flights).
Airlines at BNA
Southwest Airlines runs 56% of departures from BNA, so BNA is effectively its hub. When Southwest Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, Delta Air Lines was the most reliable (80% on time) and JetBlue the least (67%), a 12-point difference. On a route where both fly, that difference is worth more than a small fare gap.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 62,867 | 72% | 65% | 0.8% | −1 min |
| American Airlines | 18,454 | 73% | 74% | 2.9% | −6 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 15,100 | 80% | 81% | 2.5% | −9 min |
| United Airlines | 9,145 | 75% | 77% | 1.8% | −5 min |
| Allegiant Air | 2,232 | 75% | 78% | 0.7% | −5 min |
| Spirit Airlines | 1,740 | 74% | 72% | 4.3% | −7 min |
| JetBlue | 1,596 | 67% | 67% | 5.4% | −5 min |
| Alaska Airlines | 1,162 | 71% | 75% | 0.9% | −1 min |
| Frontier Airlines | 902 | 72% | 73% | 2.1% | −9 min |
Why flights are late at BNA
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At BNA, 47% of delay minutes came from late-arriving aircraft: the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Next is the airlines themselves at 31%. That's why the first flight of the morning is the safest bet: it has no earlier flight to inherit a delay from. Of the 1,796 cancellations, 61% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 17 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 73% of BNA departures were on time, against 78% in the 12 months before, a decline of 5 points. The best recent month was September 2025 (85%); the worst, July 2026 (63%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Sunday, Jan 25, 2026, when 85% of 285 scheduled departures were cancelled. Days like that are usually a major storm, a system outage or a holiday peak hitting bad weather. No average predicts them, so on a stormy forecast, check your airline's travel waivers.
| Date | Departures | Cancelled | On time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25, 2026 | 285 | 85% | 0% |
| Jan 24, 2026 | 222 | 66% | 20% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 261 | 36% | 27% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 337 | 18% | 26% |
| Mar 15, 2026 | 327 | 18% | 51% |
| Feb 23, 2026 | 302 | 16% | 71% |
| Jan 27, 2026 | 243 | 12% | 56% |
| Nov 9, 2025 | 339 | 12% | 38% |
| Jan 31, 2026 | 222 | 12% | 70% |
| Jul 21, 2026 | 326 | 10% | 55% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from BNA, each airline's final departure was cancelled 1.9% of the time, against 1.6% for its earlier flights, about the same. 1.5% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was Delta Air Lines to New York (10.4% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGA New York | Delta Air Lines | 7:59 p.m. | 10.4% | 2.8% | 60% |
| JFK New York | Delta Air Lines | 6:25 p.m. | 9.6% | 1.9% | 64% |
| JFK New York | JetBlue | 6:00 p.m. | 7.5% | 3.5% | 59% |
| PHL Philadelphia | American Airlines | 7:33 p.m. | 7.1% | 3.0% | 65% |
| DCA Washington | American Airlines | 7:32 p.m. | 7.1% | 2.5% | 62% |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | Spirit Airlines | — | 5.8% | 3.1% | 64% |
| ORD Chicago | American Airlines | 7:24 p.m. | 6.3% | 1.9% | 56% |
| LGA New York | American Airlines | 5:24 p.m. | 5.2% | 2.5% | 55% |
| ORD Chicago | United Airlines | 6:24 p.m. | 3.8% | 3.6% | 53% |
| BOS Boston | Delta Air Lines | 5:35 p.m. | 2.5% | 4.7% | 63% |
| EWR Newark | United Airlines | 7:25 p.m. | 5.2% | 1.9% | 64% |
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 7:28 p.m. | 4.4% | 2.2% | 62% |
Each airline's last scheduled departure of the day on a route, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Riskiest first.
BNA at the holidays
On the busy Thanksgiving travel days, flights from BNA arrived on time 74% of the time, against 84% normally (−10.2 points; 22th of the 30 busiest airports). On the busy Christmas–New Year travel days, flights from BNA arrived on time 76% of the time, against 77% normally (−1.7 points; 7th of the 30 busiest airports).
Thanksgiving: best days to fly → · Christmas: best days to fly →
Tips for flying out of BNA
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At BNA the 5 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in July? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Choosing between airlines? Delta Air Lines has the better record here.
- Connecting here? See how long a layover you need at BNA.
- Delayed already? Most delays at BNA come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Delayed at BNA right now? See how much later BNA delays usually get, and what to do →
Routes from BNA
Where you're going matters too. From BNA, the most reliable busy route was to Salt Lake City (SLC, 83% on time) and the least reliable to Boston (BOS, 66%). Flights into congested airports inherit their delays: an air traffic program at the destination holds planes on the ground here.
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOS Boston | 2,940 | 66% | 2.5% | −2 min |
| JAN Jackson | 366 | 66% | 0.3% | +2 min |
| OMA Omaha | 410 | 67% | 0.7% | +3 min |
| SFO San Francisco | 1,174 | 67% | 0.7% | +2 min |
| LGA New York | 4,470 | 68% | 4.2% | −3 min |
| LGB Long Beach | 365 | 68% | 0.3% | +3 min |
| ORD Chicago | 5,045 | 69% | 2.9% | −2 min |
| SRQ Sarasota | 708 | 69% | 1.1% | +3 min |
| DCA Washington | 4,387 | 69% | 3.1% | −1 min |
| MKE Milwaukee | 974 | 70% | 0.9% | +1 min |
| GSP Greer | 730 | 70% | 0.7% | −1 min |
| RSW Fort Myers | 829 | 70% | 0.7% | −1 min |
| CLE Cleveland | 1,038 | 71% | 0.7% | 0 min |
| CHS Charleston | 991 | 71% | 0.5% | +1 min |
| MEM Memphis | 546 | 71% | 0.4% | −1 min |
| SDF Louisville | 545 | 71% | 0.4% | +4 min |
| JAX Jacksonville | 1,103 | 71% | 0.5% | +1 min |
| PHL Philadelphia | 2,888 | 71% | 3.0% | −3 min |
| PIT Pittsburgh | 1,103 | 71% | 0.5% | +1 min |
| SEA Seattle | 1,481 | 72% | 1.1% | −0 min |
| SAN San Diego | 1,092 | 72% | 0.8% | −2 min |
| TPA Tampa | 2,479 | 72% | 0.9% | −1 min |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 2,177 | 72% | 2.4% | −3 min |
| RIC Richmond | 466 | 72% | 0.4% | 0 min |
| JFK New York | 2,732 | 72% | 5.4% | −8 min |
| MCO Orlando | 3,528 | 72% | 1.6% | −2 min |
| BUF Buffalo | 371 | 72% | 0.8% | 0 min |
| MDW Chicago | 1,898 | 72% | 1.2% | −4 min |
| EWR Newark | 1,883 | 72% | 3.1% | −6 min |
| MCI Kansas City | 1,381 | 73% | 0.7% | −1 min |
| OKC Oklahoma City | 555 | 73% | 0.9% | −2 min |
| DEN Denver | 3,632 | 74% | 0.6% | −2 min |
| DFW Dallas | 3,543 | 74% | 3.0% | −8 min |
| ECP Panama City | 1,082 | 74% | 0.5% | −1 min |
| RDU Raleigh | 2,851 | 74% | 2.0% | −3 min |
| MIA Miami | 2,534 | 74% | 1.2% | −4 min |
| HOU Houston | 1,819 | 74% | 0.8% | −5 min |
| SAV Savannah | 921 | 74% | 0.7% | −1 min |
| DAL Dallas | 2,471 | 74% | 1.1% | −3 min |
| BWI Baltimore | 1,794 | 75% | 1.7% | −4 min |
| LAS Las Vegas | 2,035 | 75% | 0.8% | −3 min |
| LAX Los Angeles | 2,332 | 75% | 0.8% | −3 min |
| BHM Birmingham | 543 | 76% | 0.5% | −2 min |
| MYR Myrtle Beach | 643 | 76% | 0.6% | 0 min |
| CVG Cincinnati | 552 | 76% | 0.5% | −2 min |
| CMH Columbus | 1,040 | 76% | 0.6% | −3 min |
| PNS Pensacola | 963 | 76% | 0.8% | −4 min |
| IND Indianapolis | 555 | 76% | 0.4% | −3 min |
| DTW Detroit | 2,427 | 76% | 1.3% | −5 min |
| PHX Phoenix | 2,366 | 77% | 0.9% | −3 min |
| MSY New Orleans | 1,506 | 77% | 0.7% | −4 min |
| STL St. Louis | 1,282 | 77% | 0.8% | −6 min |
| IAD Washington | 1,016 | 77% | 1.2% | −4 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 3,479 | 77% | 1.6% | −6 min |
| PVD Providence | 386 | 77% | 0.8% | −3 min |
| SAT San Antonio | 928 | 78% | 0.5% | −6 min |
| BDL Hartford | 386 | 78% | 1.0% | −2 min |
| ORF Norfolk | 423 | 79% | 1.2% | −2 min |
| MSP Minneapolis | 1,786 | 80% | 1.7% | −6 min |
| AUS Austin | 3,033 | 80% | 0.5% | −8 min |
| VPS Valparaiso | 823 | 80% | 0.2% | −9 min |
| ALB Albany | 436 | 80% | 0.2% | −6 min |
| TUL Tulsa | 545 | 81% | 0.7% | −6 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 4,272 | 81% | 1.7% | −11 min |
| IAH Houston | 1,795 | 82% | 0.7% | −12 min |
| SLC Salt Lake City | 1,205 | 83% | 0.7% | −5 min |
Flights into BNA
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Nashville, least reliable first. The weakest is from Dallas (65% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 3,544 | 65% | 2.7% |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 2,193 | 66% | 2.1% |
| BOS Boston | 2,939 | 67% | 2.5% |
| LGA New York | 4,470 | 67% | 5.4% |
| ORD Chicago | 5,044 | 67% | 2.5% |
| MIA Miami | 2,533 | 69% | 1.2% |
| DAL Dallas | 2,443 | 70% | 1.4% |
| JFK New York | 2,729 | 71% | 5.7% |
| PHX Phoenix | 2,361 | 72% | 0.6% |
| SFO San Francisco | 1,174 | 72% | 0.4% |
| EWR Newark | 1,882 | 72% | 3.3% |
| SAN San Diego | 1,107 | 72% | 1.1% |
| MCO Orlando | 3,550 | 72% | 1.9% |
| PHL Philadelphia | 2,888 | 72% | 3.0% |
| DCA Washington | 4,384 | 73% | 3.1% |
| TPA Tampa | 2,487 | 74% | 1.0% |
| BHM Birmingham | 542 | 74% | 0.9% |
| CLT Charlotte | 3,480 | 74% | 1.5% |
| DEN Denver | 3,617 | 74% | 0.5% |
| MEM Memphis | 546 | 75% | 0.4% |
| OMA Omaha | 410 | 75% | 0.5% |
| AUS Austin | 3,017 | 75% | 0.6% |
| IAH Houston | 1,796 | 76% | 0.4% |
| MSY New Orleans | 1,499 | 76% | 0.5% |
| BUF Buffalo | 370 | 76% | 0.8% |
Showing the 25 least reliable of 66 routes into BNA.
Questions about BNA delays
What is the best time to fly out of BNA?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 92% of BNA departures at that hour arrived on time, against 59% at 10 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at BNA?
July (67% on time). November is the best month (84%).
Which airline is most on time at BNA?
Delta Air Lines: 80% of its BNA departures arrived on time over the past year. JetBlue had the weakest record at 67%.
Why are flights delayed at BNA?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (47% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (31%).
How often are flights cancelled at BNA?
1.6% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 6.1%.
Hours are scheduled local departure times. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes late at the destination; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Method.