Santa Fe (SAF) to Denver (DEN): On-Time Performance
Data through July 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 (85% vs 71%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 80%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 17 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.0%
- Flights/day
- 4.5
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 33m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 303 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SAF to DEN
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (85% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (58%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 77% | 17 min |
| Tuesday | 82% | 18 min |
| Wednesday | 79% | 18 min |
| Thursday | 79% | 19 min |
| Friday | 78% | 18 min |
| Saturdaybest | 84% | 12 min |
| Sunday | 79% | 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 operations41%
- National airspace system22%
- 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 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 17 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SAF to DEN?
- Departures around 7 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 33m 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% 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 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.
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Based on 3,178 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.