ON TIMEBOARD

ATL → TUS on time

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (Atlanta, GA) to Tucson (Tucson, AZ). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
81%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
1.7%
809 flights
Typical arrival
−5 min
median vs schedule
When late
+57 min
average delay
Flights / day
2
1 airline

81% of flights from Atlanta to Tucson arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is about the typical U.S. route. The 11 a.m. departures ran on time 88% of the time; the 9 p.m. ones 68%. 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 ATL → TUS: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 61% of the time. About 1 in 19 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 90 three hours or more; 1.7% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 809 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
Delta Air Lines80981%1.7%−5 min5.2%+57 minDelta Air Lines

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

40%70%100%10 a.m. departures: 82% on time (179 flights)8210a11 a.m. departures: 88% on time (186 flights)8811anoon departures: too few flights (31 flights)12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights (50 flights)1p2 p.m. departures: too few flights (18 flights)2p3 p.m. departures: too few flights3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights4p5 p.m. departures: too few flights (11 flights)5p6 p.m. departures: too few flights6p7 p.m. departures: too few flights (12 flights)7p8 p.m. departures: 81% on time (209 flights)818p9 p.m. departures: 68% on time (113 flights)689p
ATL → TUS, 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 ATL → TUS, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 0.8% of the time, against 2.5% for its earlier flights, so here the last flight is actually the safer one. It arrived 3+ hours late 1.6% of the time (earlier flights: 0.7%). 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
Delta Air Lines8:59 p.m.0.8%1.6%2.5%first flight 11:42 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: October (89%). Worst: July (69%).

40%70%100%Jan: 78% on time (219 flights)78JanFeb: 85% on time (206 flights)85FebMar: 82% on time (267 flights)82MarApr: 88% on time (213 flights)88AprMay: 75% on time (186 flights)75MayJun: 83% on time (180 flights)83JunJul: 69% on time (186 flights)69JulAug: 82% on time (186 flights)82AugSep: 82% on time (180 flights)82SepOct: 89% on time (186 flights)89OctNov: 87% on time (180 flights)87NovDec: 85% on time (212 flights)85Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday12178%2.5%
Tuesday11185%0.9%
Wednesday10985%0.0%
Thursday11884%0.0%
Friday12078%3.3%
Saturday11284%2.7%
Sunday11874%2.5%

Why flights were late

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

Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 46%Late inbound plane 36%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 17%Severe weather 1%

Cancellations: airline 11 · weather 2 · air traffic/airport 1

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
DL 93710:25 a.m.36585%1.6%−6 minDelta Air Lines
DL 12518:55 p.m.32875%0.9%−3 minDelta Air Lines

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Jan 26, 202630%1
Dec 29, 202530%0
Jan 25, 202630%1
Mar 17, 202630%1
Mar 16, 202630%1

Questions

How often are flights from ATL to TUS on time?

81% of 809 scheduled flights from Atlanta, GA to Tucson, AZ arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 1.7% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly ATL to TUS?

Flights scheduled to leave at 11 a.m. were the most reliable (88% on time). The 9 p.m. departures were the least (68%).

What month has the most delays from ATL to TUS?

July (69% on time). The best month is October (89%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from ATL to TUS more likely to be cancelled?

No, the opposite. Each airline's last ATL–TUS flight of the day was cancelled 0.8% of the time over the past year, against 2.5% 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.