BUF to TPA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Buffalo Niagara International Airport to Tampa International Airport · 1,053 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at BUF or TPA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Buffalo (BUF) to Tampa (TPA) arrived on time 80% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 0.5% were cancelled, and 7% arrived an hour or more late.
- Southwest Airlines was the most punctual airline here (80% on time); Frontier Airlines was the least (79%).
- Departures scheduled around 8am did best (97% on time); around 3pm did worst (44%).
- Friday was the most reliable day to fly (90% on time) and Saturday the least (72%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (65%).
Which airline is most on time from BUF to TPA?
Ranked by on-time arrival rate. Regional airlines fly under their partner's brand (e.g. SkyWest for Delta Connection or United Express).
| Airline | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | 1 hr+ late | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 80% | 0.3% | 14 min | 6.6% | 626 |
| Frontier Airlines | 79% | 1.9% | 17 min | 9.7% | 106 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am89%38 flights
- 6am92%102 flights
- 7am94%122 flights
- 8am97%31 flights
- 9am79%14 flights
- 10am68%20 flights
- 12pm97%29 flights
- 1pm82%17 flights
- 2pm70%10 flights
- 3pm44%25 flights
- 4pm78%60 flights
- 5pm76%78 flights
- 6pm72%58 flights
- 7pm56%78 flights
- 8pm68%44 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday80%2.9% cancelled
- Tuesday83%0.0% cancelled
- Wednesday86%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday78%0.0% cancelled
- Friday90%0.0% cancelled
- Saturday72%0.9% cancelled
- Sunday72%0.0% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft65%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)21%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion14%
- Extreme weather0%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather75%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion25%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)0%
- Security0%
BUF to TPA: common questions
- How often are BUF to TPA flights on time?
- 80% of flights arrived less than 15 minutes late in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, compared with 78% for all US flights.
- How often are flights from Buffalo to Tampa cancelled?
- 0.5% of scheduled flights were cancelled (4 of 732).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 14 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 65 min behind schedule on average, and 7.0% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at BUF?
- Flights on this route spent 14 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: TPA to BUF — 81% on time
More flights from Buffalo
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: BUF → TPA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.