ON TIMEBOARD

SDF → MCO on time

Louisville Muhammad Ali (Louisville, KY) to Orlando (Orlando, FL). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
79%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
1.8%
865 flights
Typical arrival
−6 min
median vs schedule
When late
+59 min
average delay
Flights / day
2
3 airlines

79% of flights from Louisville to Orlando arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is about the typical U.S. route. The 7 a.m. departures ran on time 92% of the time; the 5 p.m. ones 65%. 9% 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 → MCO: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 57% of the time. About 1 in 17 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 108 three hours or more; 1.8% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 865 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
Southwest Airlines74778%1.6%−5 min6.2%+59 minSouthwest Airlines
Spirit Airlines90—————Spirit Airlines
Delta Air Lines28—————Republic Airways

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%6 a.m. departures: 91% on time (105 flights)916a7 a.m. departures: 92% on time (261 flights)927a8 a.m. departures: too few flights (4 flights)8a9 a.m. departures: too few flights (10 flights)9a10 a.m. departures: too few flights (44 flights)10a11 a.m. departures: too few flights (10 flights)11anoon departures: too few flights (30 flights)12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights (58 flights)1p2 p.m. departures: too few flights (3 flights)2p3 p.m. departures: too few flights (9 flights)3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights (26 flights)4p5 p.m. departures: 65% on time (229 flights)655p6 p.m. departures: too few flights (38 flights)6p
SDF → MCO, 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

DepartsSouthwest Airlines
6 a.m.91%
7 a.m.92%
5 p.m.65%

Last flight of the day

On SDF → MCO, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 2.5% of the time, against 1.1% for its earlier flights (2.3× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 1.2% 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
Southwest Airlines5:30 p.m.2.5%1.2%1.1%first flight 6:40 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 MCO tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: April (84%). Worst: June (73%).

40%70%100%Jan: 78% on time (223 flights)78JanFeb: 83% on time (223 flights)83FebMar: 75% on time (281 flights)75MarApr: 84% on time (262 flights)84AprMay: 82% on time (244 flights)82MayJun: 73% on time (247 flights)73JunJul: 75% on time (244 flights)75JulAug: 82% on time (165 flights)82AugSep: 81% on time (183 flights)81SepOct: 77% on time (268 flights)77OctNov: 79% on time (211 flights)79NovDec: 75% on time (216 flights)75Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday12578%2.4%
Tuesday10181%2.0%
Wednesday11384%2.6%
Thursday11076%0.9%
Friday12778%0.8%
Saturday16979%1.2%
Sunday12073%3.3%

Why flights were late

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

Late inbound plane 52%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 26%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 21%Severe weather 2%

Cancellations: air traffic/airport 6 · airline 5 · weather 5

Month by month

60%80%100%Sep 2023Jan 2024Jan 2025Jan 2026Mar 2024: 70% on time, 0.0% cancelledApr 2024: 86% on time, 0.0% cancelled
Share of flights on time, by month (hover a point for cancellations)
SDF → MCO, monthly on-time and cancellation rate.

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Mar 16, 202630%0
Jan 26, 202630%2
Mar 14, 2026425%0
Aug 1, 2026425%0
Jun 20, 2026425%0

Questions

How often are flights from SDF to MCO on time?

79% of 865 scheduled flights from Louisville, KY to Orlando, FL arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 1.8% were cancelled.

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

Flights scheduled to leave at 7 a.m. were the most reliable (92% on time). The 5 p.m. departures were the least (65%).

What month has the most delays from SDF to MCO?

June (73% on time). The best month is April (84%), over 2023–2026.

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

Yes. Each airline's last SDF–MCO flight of the day was cancelled 2.5% of the time over the past year, against 1.1% 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.