FlightRecord

Chicago (ORD) to Knoxville (TYS): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on ORD–TYS. November 2024 flights landed on schedule 87% of the time, but January 2026 dropped to 51% — a gap of 36 points. Across the full period the route averages 71% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (79% vs 61%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
71%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
27 min
completed flights
Cancelled
2.3%
Flights/day
6.1
last 12 months
Duration
1h 47m
scheduled
Distance
475 mi

Best airline from ORD to TYS

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

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Republic Airwaysmost reliable86%10 min0.9%441
SkyWest Airlines75%18 min1.2%1,601
Envoy Air74%13 min0.4%505
United Airlines63%29 min1.6%550
PSA Airlines59%58 min6.4%912

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for ORD to TYS flights50%75%100%June 2024: 73% on-time (171 flights)73Jun 2024July 2024: 70% on-time (176 flights)70August 2024: 74% on-time (171 flights)74September 2024: 83% on-time (206 flights)83Sep 2024October 2024: 83% on-time (237 flights)83November 2024: 87% on-time (133 flights)87December 2024: 80% on-time (152 flights)80Dec 2024January 2025: 78% on-time (121 flights)78February 2025: 78% on-time (94 flights)78March 2025: 64% on-time (125 flights)64Mar 2025April 2025: 78% on-time (91 flights)78May 2025: 75% on-time (101 flights)75June 2025: 62% on-time (222 flights)62Jun 2025July 2025: 64% on-time (245 flights)64August 2025: 72% on-time (227 flights)72September 2025: 80% on-time (191 flights)80Sep 2025October 2025: 71% on-time (233 flights)71November 2025: 61% on-time (177 flights)61December 2025: 52% on-time (129 flights)52Dec 2025January 2026: 51% on-time (119 flights)51February 2026: 54% on-time (125 flights)54March 2026: 55% on-time (149 flights)55Mar 2026April 2026: 73% on-time (198 flights)73May 2026: 73% on-time (216 flights)73

Best time to fly from ORD to TYS

Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (82% on-time); avoid 6 p.m. departures (56%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, ORD to TYS7 a.m.: 82% on-time (563 flights)78 a.m.: 76% on-time (252 flights)89 a.m.: 79% on-time (224 flights)910 a.m.: 79% on-time (337 flights)1011 a.m.: 74% on-time (225 flights)111 p.m.: 72% on-time (467 flights)132 p.m.: 70% on-time (541 flights)143 p.m.: 66% on-time (113 flights)155 p.m.: 61% on-time (138 flights)176 p.m.: 56% on-time (444 flights)187 p.m.: 64% on-time (502 flights)198 p.m.: 65% on-time (187 flights)20scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday71%26 min
Tuesday74%27 min
Wednesday71%32 min
Thursday68%26 min
Friday69%25 min
Saturdaybest75%22 min
Sunday69%29 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft51%
  • Airline operations27%
  • National airspace system14%
  • Weather8%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from ORD to TYS delayed?
29% of ORD–TYS 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 27 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from ORD to TYS?
Republic Airways has the best on-time record on this route at 86%, based on 441 flights. 5 airlines flew ORD–TYS frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from ORD to TYS?
Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (82% on-time), while departures around 6 p.m. have the worst (56%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from ORD to TYS?
The scheduled ORD–TYS flight time averages 1h 47m over 475 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 29% of the time.
How often are ORD to TYS flights cancelled?
2.3% 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 ORD to TYS?
January 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 51% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2024 at 87%. If your dates are flexible, that 36-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 4,009 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.