FlightRecord

Sacramento (SMF) to Lihue (LIH): On-Time Performance

Data through July 2026

Sacramento (SMF) to Lihue (LIH) is a thinner route than most in this dataset — 210 departures over the past year, roughly 4 a week — so treat these numbers as indicative rather than definitive. Of the flights that did operate, 87% arrived on time, comfortably above the national average of 78%.

On-time
87%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
11 min
completed flights
Cancelled
0.9%
Flights/day
0.58
last 12 months
Duration
5h 38m
scheduled
Distance
2,508 mi

Best airline from SMF to LIH

2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Alaska Airlinesmost reliable88%12 min0.0%122
Hawaiian Airlines87%11 min1.3%314

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for SMF to LIH flights50%75%100%August 2024: 100% on-time (18 flights)100Aug 2024September 2024: 94% on-time (17 flights)94October 2024: 94% on-time (18 flights)94November 2024: 82% on-time (17 flights)82Nov 2024December 2024: 78% on-time (18 flights)78January 2025: 88% on-time (18 flights)88February 2025: 50% on-time (16 flights)50Feb 2025March 2025: 94% on-time (17 flights)94April 2025: 100% on-time (17 flights)100May 2025: 94% on-time (18 flights)94May 2025June 2025: 82% on-time (17 flights)82July 2025: 100% on-time (18 flights)100August 2025: 88% on-time (18 flights)88Aug 2025September 2025: 71% on-time (18 flights)71October 2025: 78% on-time (18 flights)78November 2025: 82% on-time (17 flights)82Nov 2025December 2025: 88% on-time (17 flights)88January 2026: 78% on-time (18 flights)78February 2026: 81% on-time (16 flights)81Feb 2026March 2026: 89% on-time (18 flights)89April 2026: 100% on-time (17 flights)100May 2026: 89% on-time (18 flights)89May 2026June 2026: 88% on-time (17 flights)88July 2026: 89% on-time (18 flights)89

Best time to fly from SMF to LIH

Aim for departures around 9 a.m. (93% on-time); avoid 7 a.m. departures (86%).

By day of week

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Airline operations95%
  • National airspace system1%
  • Weather3%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from SMF to LIH delayed?
13% of SMF–LIH 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 11 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from SMF to LIH?
Alaska Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 88%, based on 122 flights. 2 airlines flew SMF–LIH frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from SMF to LIH?
Departures around 9 a.m. have the best record (93% on-time), while departures around 7 a.m. have the worst (86%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from SMF to LIH?
The scheduled SMF–LIH flight time averages 5h 38m over 2,508 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 13% of the time.
How often are SMF to LIH flights cancelled?
0.9% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.

Based on 436 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.