FlightRecord

New York (JFK) to Salt Lake City (SLC): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

When you fly JFK to SLC matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 94% on-time in October 2024 to just 67% in August 2024. Across the full period the route averages 79% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (85% vs 70%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
79%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
14 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.2%
Flights/day
5.3
last 12 months
Duration
5h 25m
scheduled
Distance
1,990 mi

Best airline from JFK to SLC

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

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Delta Air Linesmost reliable81%12 min1.0%3,069
JetBlue Airways70%19 min2.0%820

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for JFK to SLC flights50%75%100%June 2024: 72% on-time (150 flights)72Jun 2024July 2024: 73% on-time (155 flights)73August 2024: 67% on-time (155 flights)67September 2024: 88% on-time (152 flights)88Sep 2024October 2024: 94% on-time (155 flights)94November 2024: 88% on-time (147 flights)88December 2024: 77% on-time (177 flights)77Dec 2024January 2025: 87% on-time (165 flights)87February 2025: 70% on-time (172 flights)70March 2025: 83% on-time (215 flights)83Mar 2025April 2025: 77% on-time (163 flights)77May 2025: 79% on-time (155 flights)79June 2025: 69% on-time (150 flights)69Jun 2025July 2025: 73% on-time (155 flights)73August 2025: 88% on-time (154 flights)88September 2025: 85% on-time (150 flights)85Sep 2025October 2025: 81% on-time (156 flights)81November 2025: 80% on-time (148 flights)80December 2025: 69% on-time (168 flights)69Dec 2025January 2026: 69% on-time (159 flights)69February 2026: 78% on-time (174 flights)78March 2026: 79% on-time (197 flights)79Mar 2026April 2026: 84% on-time (162 flights)84May 2026: 83% on-time (155 flights)83

Best time to fly from JFK to SLC

Aim for departures around 12 p.m. (91% on-time); avoid 8 a.m. departures (60%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, JFK to SLC6 a.m.: 89% on-time (649 flights)67 a.m.: 88% on-time (97 flights)78 a.m.: 60% on-time (35 flights)89 a.m.: 76% on-time (81 flights)910 a.m.: 82% on-time (285 flights)1011 a.m.: 86% on-time (427 flights)1112 p.m.: 91% on-time (36 flights)121 p.m.: 82% on-time (139 flights)133 p.m.: 82% on-time (189 flights)154 p.m.: 81% on-time (477 flights)165 p.m.: 65% on-time (79 flights)176 p.m.: 72% on-time (880 flights)187 p.m.: 67% on-time (507 flights)19scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday82%12 min
Tuesdaybest84%11 min
Wednesday81%11 min
Thursday78%17 min
Friday79%13 min
Saturday74%17 min
Sunday74%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 aircraft21%
  • Airline operations39%
  • National airspace system36%
  • Weather4%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from JFK to SLC delayed?
21% of JFK–SLC 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 14 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from JFK to SLC?
Delta Air Lines has the best on-time record on this route at 81%, based on 3,069 flights. 2 airlines flew JFK–SLC frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from JFK to SLC?
Departures around 12 p.m. have the best record (91% on-time), while departures around 8 a.m. have the worst (60%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from JFK to SLC?
The scheduled JFK–SLC flight time averages 5h 25m over 1,990 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 21% of the time.
How often are JFK to SLC flights cancelled?
1.2% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from JFK to SLC?
August 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 67% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 27-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 3,889 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.