FlightRecord

Denver (DEN) to New York (JFK): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on DEN–JFK. October 2024 flights landed on schedule 94% of the time, but July 2025 dropped to 60% — a gap of 33 points. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%.

On-time
78%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
21 min
completed flights
Cancelled
2.2%
Flights/day
4.3
last 12 months
Duration
3h 53m
scheduled
Distance
1,626 mi

Best airline from DEN to JFK

2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Delta Air Linesmost reliable84%12 min2.1%1,874
JetBlue Airways68%34 min2.5%1,201

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for DEN to JFK flights50%75%100%June 2024: 67% on-time (135 flights)67Jun 2024July 2024: 67% on-time (155 flights)67August 2024: 69% on-time (135 flights)69September 2024: 82% on-time (141 flights)82Sep 2024October 2024: 94% on-time (153 flights)94November 2024: 82% on-time (135 flights)82December 2024: 76% on-time (144 flights)76Dec 2024January 2025: 75% on-time (117 flights)75February 2025: 76% on-time (94 flights)76March 2025: 80% on-time (122 flights)80Mar 2025April 2025: 84% on-time (91 flights)84May 2025: 73% on-time (124 flights)73June 2025: 62% on-time (143 flights)62Jun 2025July 2025: 60% on-time (153 flights)60August 2025: 80% on-time (154 flights)80September 2025: 89% on-time (119 flights)89Sep 2025October 2025: 77% on-time (143 flights)77November 2025: 82% on-time (127 flights)82December 2025: 78% on-time (157 flights)78Dec 2025January 2026: 82% on-time (103 flights)82February 2026: 85% on-time (101 flights)85March 2026: 81% on-time (136 flights)81Mar 2026April 2026: 91% on-time (118 flights)91May 2026: 90% on-time (124 flights)90

Best time to fly from DEN to JFK

Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (89% on-time); avoid 2 p.m. departures (54%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, DEN to JFK6 a.m.: 88% on-time (522 flights)67 a.m.: 89% on-time (226 flights)79 a.m.: 83% on-time (30 flights)910 a.m.: 74% on-time (66 flights)1011 a.m.: 65% on-time (234 flights)1112 p.m.: 80% on-time (767 flights)121 p.m.: 67% on-time (177 flights)132 p.m.: 54% on-time (63 flights)1410 p.m.: 73% on-time (82 flights)2211 p.m.: 76% on-time (819 flights)23scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday78%20 min
Tuesdaybest83%18 min
Wednesday79%16 min
Thursday77%22 min
Friday77%18 min
Saturday78%28 min
Sunday74%23 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft33%
  • Airline operations48%
  • National airspace system18%
  • Weather1%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from DEN to JFK delayed?
22% of DEN–JFK flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-06 and 2026-05. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 21 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from DEN to JFK?
Delta Air Lines has the best on-time record on this route at 84%, based on 1,874 flights. 2 airlines flew DEN–JFK frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from DEN to JFK?
Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (89% on-time), while departures around 2 p.m. have the worst (54%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from DEN to JFK?
The scheduled DEN–JFK flight time averages 3h 53m over 1,626 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
How often are DEN to JFK flights cancelled?
2.2% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from DEN to JFK?
July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 60% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 33-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 3,124 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.