Best Time to Fly TYS to ORD: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
McGhee Tyson → Chicago O'Hare International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 69.7% of Knoxville (TYS) to Chicago (ORD) flights arrived on time (2,188 scheduled flights). That is 7.9 points below the national average of 77.6%.
Among 5 airlines, United Airlines led with 86.6% on time and PSA Airlines was last with 61.9%.
Over 24 months, Saturday was the most reliable day (77% on time) and December the worst month (64%).
The cancellation rate was 4.1% (US average 1.8%).
TYS to ORD on-time performance by airline
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 completed flights are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On time | Avg delay when late | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 86.6% | 86 min | 1.9% | 312 |
| Republic Airways | 81.2% | 103 min | 0.0% | 48 |
| Envoy Air | 73.1% | 60 min | 2.4% | 208 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 68.5% | 116 min | 3.4% | 877 |
| PSA Airlines | 61.9% | 107 min | 6.5% | 743 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly TYS to ORD
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 4,086 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | Limited data | 1 | |
| 6am–7am | 89.9% | 3.9% | 154 |
| 7am–8am | 85.4% | 3.1% | 836 |
| 8am–9am | 74.0% | 2.0% | 247 |
| 10am–11am | 83.1% | 1.2% | 500 |
| 11am–12pm | 74.8% | 1.9% | 322 |
| 12pm–1pm | 74.5% | 0.0% | 52 |
| 1pm–2pm | 68.3% | 2.7% | 520 |
| 2pm–3pm | 76.0% | 2.6% | 77 |
| 3pm–4pm | 82.5% | 0.5% | 191 |
| 4pm–5pm | 63.0% | 3.9% | 153 |
| 5pm–6pm | 61.3% | 2.5% | 746 |
| 6pm–7pm | 52.3% | 5.5% | 236 |
| 7pm–8pm | Limited data | 6 | |
| 8pm–9pm | 71.0% | 11.4% | 44 |
| 9pm–10pm | Limited data | 1 | |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on TYS to ORD
On-time arrivals during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On time | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | 66.7% | -9.2 pts | 15.6% | 64 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 65.0% | -10.9 pts | 0.8% | 124 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 68.8% | -7.1 pts | 2.7% | 902 |
| All other days | 75.9% | — | 2.5% | 2,996 |
Monthly on-time trend
On-time arrival % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
What causes delays on this route
Share of reported delay minutes, last 12 months (BTS cause categories).