FlightRecord

Tampa (TPA) to Raleigh/Durham (RDU): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on TPA–RDU. September 2025 flights landed on schedule 93% of the time, but July 2024 dropped to 67% — a gap of 26 points. Across the full period the route averages 81% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (88% vs 74%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
81%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
15 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.7%
Flights/day
3.5
last 12 months
Duration
1h 51m
scheduled
Distance
587 mi

Best airline from TPA to RDU

3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Delta Air Linesmost reliable84%15 min1.9%1,294
Southwest Airlines81%12 min1.1%815
Frontier Airlines75%18 min2.0%495

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for TPA to RDU flights50%75%100%June 2024: 83% on-time (121 flights)83Jun 2024July 2024: 67% on-time (122 flights)67August 2024: 83% on-time (121 flights)83September 2024: 90% on-time (106 flights)90Sep 2024October 2024: 90% on-time (113 flights)90November 2024: 92% on-time (112 flights)92December 2024: 78% on-time (115 flights)78Dec 2024January 2025: 79% on-time (82 flights)79February 2025: 84% on-time (94 flights)84March 2025: 74% on-time (115 flights)74Mar 2025April 2025: 82% on-time (114 flights)82May 2025: 84% on-time (116 flights)84June 2025: 74% on-time (109 flights)74Jun 2025July 2025: 73% on-time (109 flights)73August 2025: 79% on-time (101 flights)79September 2025: 93% on-time (89 flights)93Sep 2025October 2025: 90% on-time (107 flights)90November 2025: 77% on-time (105 flights)77December 2025: 76% on-time (116 flights)76Dec 2025January 2026: 80% on-time (100 flights)80February 2026: 77% on-time (109 flights)77March 2026: 77% on-time (110 flights)77Mar 2026April 2026: 91% on-time (110 flights)91May 2026: 82% on-time (110 flights)82

Best time to fly from TPA to RDU

Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (97% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (50%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, TPA to RDU5 a.m.: 94% on-time (31 flights)56 a.m.: 92% on-time (26 flights)67 a.m.: 97% on-time (58 flights)78 a.m.: 88% on-time (105 flights)89 a.m.: 90% on-time (612 flights)910 a.m.: 84% on-time (252 flights)1011 a.m.: 79% on-time (101 flights)1112 p.m.: 73% on-time (87 flights)121 p.m.: 68% on-time (68 flights)132 p.m.: 87% on-time (61 flights)143 p.m.: 74% on-time (349 flights)154 p.m.: 84% on-time (155 flights)165 p.m.: 50% on-time (51 flights)176 p.m.: 66% on-time (59 flights)187 p.m.: 70% on-time (38 flights)198 p.m.: 77% on-time (302 flights)209 p.m.: 79% on-time (251 flights)21scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday79%17 min
Tuesdaybest87%10 min
Wednesday86%10 min
Thursday78%16 min
Friday85%11 min
Saturday81%15 min
Sunday76%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 aircraft57%
  • Airline operations27%
  • National airspace system14%
  • Weather2%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from TPA to RDU delayed?
19% of TPA–RDU 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 15 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from TPA to RDU?
Delta Air Lines has the best on-time record on this route at 84%, based on 1,294 flights. 3 airlines flew TPA–RDU frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from TPA to RDU?
Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (97% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (50%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from TPA to RDU?
The scheduled TPA–RDU flight time averages 1h 51m over 587 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 19% of the time.
How often are TPA to RDU flights cancelled?
1.7% 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 TPA to RDU?
July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 67% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2025 at 93%. If your dates are flexible, that 26-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 2,606 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.