Tucson (TUS) to Los Angeles (LAX): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly TUS to LAX matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 95% on-time in September 2024 to just 74% in July 2024. Across the full period the route averages 86% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (90% vs 78%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 86%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 12 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.3%
- Flights/day
- 7.0
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 45m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 451 mi
Best airline from TUS to LAX
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlinesmost reliable | 86% | 13 min | 0.3% | 4,322 |
| Southwest Airlines | 84% | 10 min | 0.6% | 867 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from TUS to LAX
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (95% on-time); avoid 3 p.m. departures (73%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 85% | 15 min |
| Tuesday | 88% | 11 min |
| Wednesday | 88% | 10 min |
| Thursdaybest | 88% | 9 min |
| Friday | 85% | 11 min |
| Saturday | 86% | 10 min |
| Sunday | 80% | 17 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft19%
- Airline operations63%
- National airspace system6%
- Weather11%
- Security2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from TUS to LAX delayed?
- 14% of TUS–LAX 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 12 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from TUS to LAX?
- SkyWest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 86%, based on 4,322 flights. 2 airlines flew TUS–LAX frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from TUS to LAX?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (95% on-time), while departures around 3 p.m. have the worst (73%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from TUS to LAX?
- The scheduled TUS–LAX flight time averages 1h 45m over 451 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 14% of the time.
- How often are TUS to LAX flights cancelled?
- 0.3% 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 LAX?
- July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 74% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2024 at 95%. If your dates are flexible, that 21-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 5,189 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.