Louisville (SDF) to Tampa (TPA): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly SDF to TPA matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 94% on-time in October 2024 to just 74% in January 2025. Across the full period the route averages 84% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (91% vs 68%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 84%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 10 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.0%
- Flights/day
- 1.2
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 4m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 727 mi
Best airline from SDF to TPA
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlinesmost reliable | 84% | 10 min | 1.9% | 832 |
| Spirit Airlines | 82% | 15 min | 3.1% | 64 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SDF to TPA
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (98% on-time); avoid 6 p.m. departures (58%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 82% | 12 min |
| Tuesday | 89% | 6 min |
| Wednesday | 86% | 9 min |
| Thursday | 80% | 14 min |
| Friday | 81% | 11 min |
| Saturdaybest | 90% | 6 min |
| Sunday | 77% | 14 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft64%
- Airline operations14%
- National airspace system20%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SDF to TPA delayed?
- 17% of SDF–TPA 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 SDF to TPA?
- Southwest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 84%, based on 832 flights. 2 airlines flew SDF–TPA frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SDF to TPA?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (98% on-time), while departures around 6 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 SDF to TPA?
- The scheduled SDF–TPA flight time averages 2h 4m over 727 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 17% of the time.
- How often are SDF to TPA flights cancelled?
- 2% 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 SDF to TPA?
- January 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 74% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 20-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 896 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.