Richmond (RIC) to Nashville (BNA): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on RIC–BNA. March 2025 flights landed on schedule 97% of the time, but March 2026 dropped to 71% — a gap of 25 points. Across the full period the route averages 83% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (87% vs 68%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 83%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 10 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.3%
- Flights/day
- 1.3
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 51m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 527 mi
Best airline from RIC to BNA
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlinesmost reliable | 84% | 9 min | 0.4% | 752 |
| Allegiant Air | 77% | 18 min | 0.0% | 147 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from RIC to BNA
Aim for departures around 1 p.m. (89% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (62%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 75% | 12 min |
| Tuesday | 90% | 6 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 93% | 6 min |
| Thursday | 83% | 10 min |
| Friday | 82% | 9 min |
| Saturday | 87% | 8 min |
| Sunday | 77% | 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 aircraft62%
- Airline operations24%
- National airspace system12%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from RIC to BNA delayed?
- 17% of RIC–BNA 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 10 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from RIC to BNA?
- Southwest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 84%, based on 752 flights. 2 airlines flew RIC–BNA frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from RIC to BNA?
- Departures around 1 p.m. have the best record (89% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (62%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from RIC to BNA?
- The scheduled RIC–BNA flight time averages 1h 51m over 527 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 17% of the time.
- How often are RIC to BNA flights cancelled?
- 0.3% 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 RIC to BNA?
- March 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 71% of arrivals on time. The best was March 2025 at 97%. If your dates are flexible, that 25-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 899 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.