Washington (IAD) to Nashville (BNA): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly IAD to BNA matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 93% on-time in April 2026 to just 66% in May 2025. Across the full period the route averages 81% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (90% vs 71%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 81%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 16 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.6%
- Flights/day
- 2.8
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 0m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 542 mi
Best airline from IAD to BNA
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 81% | 15 min | 0.6% | 1,981 |
| Allegiant Air | 71% | 24 min | 1.2% | 81 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from IAD to BNA
Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (91% on-time); avoid 3 p.m. departures (64%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Mondaybest | 83% | 16 min |
| Tuesday | 79% | 16 min |
| Wednesday | 82% | 14 min |
| Thursday | 80% | 18 min |
| Friday | 83% | 15 min |
| Saturday | 82% | 14 min |
| Sunday | 78% | 16 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft42%
- Airline operations26%
- National airspace system23%
- Weather9%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from IAD to BNA delayed?
- 19% of IAD–BNA flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 16 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from IAD to BNA?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 81%, based on 1,981 flights. 2 airlines flew IAD–BNA frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from IAD to BNA?
- Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (91% on-time), while departures around 3 p.m. have the worst (64%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from IAD to BNA?
- The scheduled IAD–BNA flight time averages 2h 0m over 542 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 19% of the time.
- How often are IAD to BNA flights cancelled?
- 0.6% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from IAD to BNA?
- May 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 66% of arrivals on time. The best was April 2026 at 93%. If your dates are flexible, that 28-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 2,108 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.