SFO to JFK flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from San Francisco International Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport · 2,586 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at SFO or JFK right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from San Francisco (SFO) to New York (JFK) arrived on time 80% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 2.2% were cancelled, and 8% arrived an hour or more late.
- American Airlines was the most punctual airline here (81% on time); Delta Air Lines was the least (79%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (90% on time); around 11pm did worst (61%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (84% on time) and Sunday the least (76%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling) (37%).
Which airline is most on time from SFO to JFK?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 81% | 2.9% | 24 min | 8.7% | 1,475 |
| JetBlue | 80% | 2.0% | 16 min | 8.0% | 1,955 |
| Alaska Airlines | 79% | 1.9% | 12 min | 5.9% | 1,107 |
| Delta Air Lines | 79% | 2.1% | 15 min | 7.5% | 2,232 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am90%596 flights
- 7am90%813 flights
- 8am83%366 flights
- 9am85%466 flights
- 10am78%385 flights
- 11am77%512 flights
- 12pm70%389 flights
- 1pm67%679 flights
- 2pm72%377 flights
- 3pm78%214 flights
- 4pm76%247 flights
- 8pm81%89 flights
- 9pm84%354 flights
- 10pm85%988 flights
- 11pm61%293 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday77%3.0% cancelled
- Tuesday84%2.4% cancelled
- Wednesday82%0.4% cancelled
- Thursday79%0.7% cancelled
- Friday81%1.6% cancelled
- Saturday80%2.1% cancelled
- Sunday76%5.2% 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)37%
- Late-arriving aircraft33%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion26%
- Extreme weather3%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather65%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)27%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion8%
- Security0%
SFO to JFK: common questions
- How often are SFO to JFK 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 San Francisco to New York cancelled?
- 2.2% of scheduled flights were cancelled (150 of 6,769).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 17 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 80 min behind schedule on average, and 7.6% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at SFO?
- Flights on this route spent 21 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: JFK to SFO — 73% on time
More flights from San Francisco
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: SFO → JFK, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.