Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field) (CHA): Delays & On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field) (CHA) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 89% on-time in October 2024 but sank to 61% in June 2025. Across the year it averages 79% against a national 78%, over roughly 14 departures a day to 17 destinations.
- Departures on-time
- 79%
- left <15 min late
- Avg dep delay
- 22 min
- Arrivals on-time
- 77%
- Cancelled
- 2.3%
- Destinations
- 17
- nonstop
- Airlines
- 9
Plan your departure from CHA
The choices most likely to improve your odds, based on this airport’s historical record.
- Best departure time
- Around 5 a.m.
- 89% on-time
- Best day to fly
- Wednesday
- 80% on-time
- Cancellation risk
- 2.3%
- above the US average
Monthly on-time trend
Best time of day to depart from CHA
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 76% | 23 min |
| Tuesday | 79% | 18 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 80% | 18 min |
| Thursday | 78% | 20 min |
| Friday | 77% | 25 min |
| Saturday | 80% | 21 min |
| Sunday | 74% | 26 min |
Busiest routes from CHA
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHA → DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) | 1,665 | 78% | 24 min |
| CHA → ATL (Atlanta) | 1,330 | 86% | 14 min |
| CHA → ORD (Chicago) | 931 | 71% | 25 min |
| CHA → DCA (Washington) | 301 | 75% | 34 min |
| CHA → CLT (Charlotte) | 202 | 77% | 20 min |
| CHA → SFB (Sanford) | 130 | 48% | 39 min |
| CHA → IAH (Houston) | 125 | 57% | 47 min |
| CHA → PIE (St. Petersburg) | 124 | 60% | 36 min |
Where flights into CHA come from
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) → CHA | 1,669 | 77% | 19 min |
| ATL (Atlanta) → CHA | 1,330 | 82% | 14 min |
| ORD (Chicago) → CHA | 932 | 73% | 21 min |
| DCA (Washington) → CHA | 300 | 63% | 36 min |
| CLT (Charlotte) → CHA | 198 | 74% | 20 min |
| SFB (Sanford) → CHA | 130 | 63% | 26 min |
| IAH (Houston) → CHA | 126 | 67% | 38 min |
| PIE (St. Petersburg) → CHA | 124 | 71% | 23 min |
What causes delays at CHA
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing CHA.
- Late-arriving aircraft38%
- Airline operations41%
- National airspace system14%
- Weather7%
Alternative airports near Chattanooga
Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.
| Airport | Distance | On-time departures | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| TYS — McGhee Tyson Airport | 87 mi | 80% | 19 min |
| HSV — Huntsville International Airport | 93 mi | 78% | 21 min |
| ATL — Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport | 106 mi | 78% | 16 min |
| BNA — Nashville International Airport | 112 mi | 77% | 16 min |
Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.
Airline performance at CHA
| Airline | On-time departures | Avg delay | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endeavor Air | 84% | 13 min | 1,128 |
| Delta Air Lines | 83% | 15 min | 2,315 |
| Republic Airways | 82% | 17 min | 415 |
| Envoy Air | 80% | 18 min | 1,572 |
| PSA Airlines | 79% | 26 min | 3,014 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 76% | 28 min | 1,935 |
| Spirit Airlines | 70% | 28 min | 168 |
| Allegiant Air | 63% | 31 min | 778 |
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights delayed at CHA?
- 21% of departures from Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field) left 15+ minutes late between 2024-06 and 2026-05, with an average departure delay of 22 minutes. The national on-time average over the same period was 78%.
- What is the best time of day to depart from CHA?
- Flights scheduled around 5 a.m. depart on time 89% of the time at CHA, versus 60% around 9 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
- What is the worst month for delays at CHA?
- In this dataset, June 2025 was the weakest month at CHA, with 61% of departures on time.
- How often are flights cancelled at CHA?
- 2.3% of scheduled departures from CHA were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.
Popular route pages from this airport
Related guides
Based on 11,343 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.