ON TIMEBOARD

DEN → TYS on time

Denver (Denver, CO) to McGhee Tyson (Knoxville, TN). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
81%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
0.4%
1,029 flights
Typical arrival
−7 min
median vs schedule
When late
+57 min
average delay
Flights / day
3
4 airlines

81% of flights from Denver to Knoxville arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is about the typical U.S. route. The 10 a.m. departures ran on time 84% of the time; the 5 p.m. ones 74%. Most reliable airline: Frontier Airlines (81%). 7% 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 DEN → TYS: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 59% of the time. About 1 in 16 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 172 three hours or more; 0.4% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 1,029 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
United Airlines72880%0.5%−7 min6.5%+60 minUnited Airlines 55%, SkyWest 45%
Frontier Airlines13181%0.0%−11 min6.1%+58 minFrontier Airlines
Southwest Airlines10478%0.0%−3 min3.8%+37 minSouthwest Airlines
Allegiant Air66—————Allegiant Air

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

40%70%100%8 a.m. departures: too few flights (28 flights)8a9 a.m. departures: too few flights (66 flights)9a10 a.m. departures: 84% on time (331 flights)8410a11 a.m. departures: too few flights (86 flights)11anoon departures: too few flights (4 flights)12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights (41 flights)1p2 p.m. departures: 80% on time (101 flights)802p3 p.m. departures: too few flights (5 flights)3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights (2 flights)4p5 p.m. departures: 74% on time (363 flights)745p
DEN → TYS, 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

By airline and hour

DepartsUnited Airlines
10 a.m.84%
5 p.m.74%

Last flight of the day

On DEN → TYS, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 0.5% of the time, against 0.5% for its earlier flights, about the same. It arrived 3+ hours late 1.1% of the time (earlier flights: 0.3%). 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 Airlines5:25 p.m.0.5%1.1%0.5%first flight 10:58 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: December (86%). Worst: August (67%).

40%70%100%Jan: 74% on time (221 flights)74JanFeb: 81% on time (189 flights)81FebMar: 83% on time (226 flights)83MarApr: 80% on time (227 flights)80AprMay: 78% on time (239 flights)78MayJun: 75% on time (271 flights)75JunJul: 72% on time (282 flights)72JulAug: 67% on time (279 flights)67AugSep: 77% on time (241 flights)77SepOct: 80% on time (257 flights)80OctNov: 84% on time (235 flights)84NovDec: 86% on time (237 flights)86Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday16081%0.0%
Tuesday12086%0.0%
Wednesday12887%0.0%
Thursday16780%0.0%
Friday15076%0.0%
Saturday12670%3.2%
Sunday17885%0.0%

Why flights were late

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

Late inbound plane 37%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 34%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 23%Severe weather 6%

Cancellations: weather 3 · air traffic/airport 1

Month by month

60%80%100%Sep 2023Jan 2024Jan 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026: 79% on time, 0.0% cancelledJul 2026: 76% on time, 0.0% cancelledAug 2026: 72% on time, 0.0% cancelled
Share of flights on time, by month (hover a point for cancellations)
DEN → TYS, 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
F9 23742:46 p.m.13081%0.0%−11 minFrontier Airlines
UA 24735:25 p.m.12364%0.0%+3 minUnited Airlines

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Mar 6, 202630%0
Jul 18, 202630%0
Aug 29, 202630%0
Jan 8, 202630%0
Jul 10, 2026425%0

Questions

How often are flights from DEN to TYS on time?

81% of 1,029 scheduled flights from Denver, CO to Knoxville, TN arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 0.4% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly DEN to TYS?

Flights scheduled to leave at 10 a.m. were the most reliable (84% on time). The 5 p.m. departures were the least (74%).

Which airline is most on time from DEN to TYS?

Frontier Airlines: 81% of its 131 flights on the route arrived on time. United Airlines: 80%. Southwest Airlines: 78%.

What month has the most delays from DEN to TYS?

August (67% on time). The best month is December (86%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from DEN to TYS more likely to be cancelled?

Not much. Each airline's last DEN–TYS flight of the day was cancelled 0.5% of the time over the past year, against 0.5% 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.