MEM to LAX flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Frederick W. Smith International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport · 1,619 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at MEM or LAX right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Memphis (MEM) to Los Angeles (LAX) arrived on time 78% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, in line with the national average.
- 1.2% were cancelled, and 8% arrived an hour or more late.
- Delta Air Lines is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Departures scheduled around 6pm did best (79% on time); around 7pm did worst (73%).
- Monday was the most reliable day to fly (82% on time) and Sunday the least (67%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling) (60%).
Which airline is most on time from MEM to LAX?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 78% | 1.2% | 19 min | 7.9% | 256 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6pm79%196 flights
- 7pm73%60 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday82%0.0% cancelled
- Tuesday100%0.0% cancelled
- Wednesday82%2.0% cancelled
- Thursday80%0.0% cancelled
- Friday76%2.0% cancelled
- Saturday75%0.0% cancelled
- Sunday67%2.1% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)60%
- Late-arriving aircraft22%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion14%
- Extreme weather4%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather67%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)33%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion0%
- Security0%
MEM to LAX: common questions
- How often are MEM to LAX flights on time?
- 78% 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 Memphis to Los Angeles cancelled?
- 1.2% of scheduled flights were cancelled (3 of 256).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 19 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 79 min behind schedule on average, and 7.9% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at MEM?
- Flights on this route spent 13 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: LAX to MEM — 67% on time
More flights from Memphis
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: MEM → LAX, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.