FlightRecord

Minneapolis (MSP) to Santa Ana (SNA): On-Time Performance

Data through July 2026

When you fly MSP to SNA matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 88% on-time in September 2024 to just 42% in December 2025. Across the full period the route averages 71% on-time against a national 78%.

On-time
71%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
18 min
completed flights
Cancelled
0.8%
Flights/day
1.6
last 12 months
Duration
3h 59m
scheduled
Distance
1,522 mi

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for MSP to SNA flights50%75%100%August 2024: 74% on-time (53 flights)74Aug 2024September 2024: 88% on-time (51 flights)88October 2024: 78% on-time (49 flights)78November 2024: 78% on-time (50 flights)78Nov 2024December 2024: 75% on-time (44 flights)75January 2025: 73% on-time (45 flights)73February 2025: 83% on-time (42 flights)83Feb 2025March 2025: 78% on-time (49 flights)78April 2025: 67% on-time (49 flights)67May 2025: 67% on-time (52 flights)67May 2025June 2025: 73% on-time (52 flights)73July 2025: 65% on-time (52 flights)65August 2025: 71% on-time (52 flights)71Aug 2025September 2025: 71% on-time (51 flights)71October 2025: 64% on-time (53 flights)64November 2025: 66% on-time (51 flights)66Nov 2025December 2025: 42% on-time (43 flights)42January 2026: 58% on-time (45 flights)58February 2026: 67% on-time (42 flights)67Feb 2026March 2026: 76% on-time (49 flights)76April 2026: 85% on-time (47 flights)85May 2026: 83% on-time (48 flights)83May 2026June 2026: 53% on-time (47 flights)53July 2026: 79% on-time (49 flights)79

Best time to fly from MSP to SNA

Aim for departures around 7 p.m. (87% on-time); avoid 6 p.m. departures (68%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, MSP to SNA10 a.m.: 75% on-time (269 flights)1011 a.m.: 73% on-time (192 flights)116 p.m.: 68% on-time (719 flights)187 p.m.: 87% on-time (38 flights)19scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday72%14 min
Tuesdaybest74%21 min
Wednesday71%20 min
Thursday70%14 min
Friday70%24 min
Saturday71%18 min
Sunday70%17 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft18%
  • Airline operations61%
  • National airspace system18%
  • Weather3%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from MSP to SNA delayed?
29% of MSP–SNA 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 18 minutes.
What is the best time of day to fly from MSP to SNA?
Departures around 7 p.m. have the best record (87% on-time), while departures around 6 p.m. have the worst (68%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from MSP to SNA?
The scheduled MSP–SNA flight time averages 3h 59m over 1,522 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 29% of the time.
How often are MSP to SNA flights cancelled?
0.8% 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 MSP to SNA?
December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 42% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2024 at 88%. If your dates are flexible, that 47-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 1,218 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.