RDU to BNA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Nashville International Airport · 442 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at RDU or BNA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Nashville (BNA) arrived on time 81% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 1.4% were cancelled, and 6% arrived an hour or more late.
- Southwest Airlines was the most punctual airline here (81% on time); Republic Airways was the least (80%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (97% on time); around 4pm did worst (60%).
- Wednesday was the most reliable day to fly (88% on time) and Sunday the least (75%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (66%).
Which airline is most on time from RDU to BNA?
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 | 81% | 1.0% | 10 min | 4.1% | 1,260 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 80% | 1.8% | 15 min | 8.7% | 954 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am97%360 flights
- 8am87%30 flights
- 9am89%283 flights
- 10am94%197 flights
- 11am85%162 flights
- 12pm84%69 flights
- 1pm81%54 flights
- 3pm75%236 flights
- 4pm60%198 flights
- 5pm66%63 flights
- 6pm70%74 flights
- 7pm82%112 flights
- 8pm63%214 flights
- 9pm71%127 flights
- 10pm88%24 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday77%1.5% cancelled
- Tuesday85%1.0% cancelled
- Wednesday88%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday76%0.3% cancelled
- Friday79%0.6% cancelled
- Saturday86%3.7% cancelled
- Sunday75%3.1% 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 aircraft66%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)19%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion12%
- Extreme weather1%
- Security1%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather87%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion10%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)3%
- Security0%
RDU to BNA: common questions
- How often are RDU to BNA flights on time?
- 81% 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 Raleigh/Durham to Nashville cancelled?
- 1.4% of scheduled flights were cancelled (30 of 2,214).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 12 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 58 min behind schedule on average, and 6.1% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at RDU?
- Flights on this route spent 14 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: BNA to RDU — 76% on time
More flights from Raleigh/Durham
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: RDU → BNA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.