Tucson (TUS) to Denver (DEN): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly TUS to DEN matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 95% on-time in September 2024 to just 64% in May 2025. Across the full period the route averages 83% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (90% vs 81%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 83%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 13 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.5%
- Flights/day
- 7.7
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 58m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 639 mi
Best airline from TUS to DEN
4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 85% | 11 min | 0.5% | 1,428 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 83% | 14 min | 0.5% | 1,547 |
| Southwest Airlines | 82% | 12 min | 0.5% | 2,440 |
| Frontier Airlines | 77% | 20 min | 2.2% | 137 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from TUS to DEN
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (96% on-time); avoid 3 p.m. departures (59%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 83% | 11 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 84% | 13 min |
| Wednesday | 82% | 10 min |
| Thursday | 83% | 15 min |
| Friday | 81% | 14 min |
| Saturday | 84% | 13 min |
| Sunday | 83% | 13 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft33%
- Airline operations28%
- National airspace system32%
- Weather8%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from TUS to DEN delayed?
- 17% of TUS–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 13 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from TUS to DEN?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 85%, based on 1,428 flights. 4 airlines flew TUS–DEN frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from TUS to DEN?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (96% on-time), while departures around 3 p.m. have the worst (59%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from TUS to DEN?
- The scheduled TUS–DEN flight time averages 1h 58m over 639 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 17% of the time.
- How often are TUS to DEN flights cancelled?
- 0.5% 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 TUS to DEN?
- May 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 64% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2024 at 95%. If your dates are flexible, that 31-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 5,552 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.