Santa Fe (SAF) to Denver (DEN): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly SAF to DEN matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 89% on-time in November 2025 to just 65% in July 2025. Across the full period the route averages 80% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (84% vs 73%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 80%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 18 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.1%
- Flights/day
- 4.4
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 32m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 303 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SAF to DEN
Aim for departures around 10 a.m. (85% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (58%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 76% | 18 min |
| Tuesday | 83% | 17 min |
| Wednesday | 80% | 16 min |
| Thursday | 80% | 20 min |
| Friday | 78% | 20 min |
| Saturdaybest | 83% | 13 min |
| Sunday | 80% | 20 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft29%
- Airline operations42%
- National airspace system20%
- Weather9%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SAF to DEN delayed?
- 20% of SAF–DEN 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 18 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SAF to DEN?
- Departures around 10 a.m. have the best record (85% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (58%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SAF to DEN?
- The scheduled SAF–DEN flight time averages 1h 32m over 303 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 20% of the time.
- How often are SAF to DEN flights cancelled?
- 1.1% 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 SAF to DEN?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 65% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2025 at 89%. If your dates are flexible, that 25-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Based on 2,995 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.