TYS to ORD flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from McGhee Tyson Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport · 475 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at TYS or ORD right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Knoxville (TYS) to Chicago (ORD) arrived on time 70% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 4.1% were cancelled, and 14% arrived an hour or more late.
- United Airlines was the most punctual airline here (87% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (62%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (89% on time); around 4pm did worst (54%).
- Wednesday was the most reliable day to fly (73% on time) and Tuesday the least (66%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (35%).
Which airline is most on time from TYS to ORD?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 87% | 1.9% | 12 min | 5.6% | 312 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 81% | 0.0% | 20 min | 12.5% | 48 |
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 73% | 2.4% | 17 min | 10.4% | 208 |
| SkyWest AirlinesRegional airline operating flights for United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle and Alaska. | 68% | 3.4% | 38 min | 14.1% | 877 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 62% | 6.5% | 42 min | 19.8% | 743 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am89%120 flights
- 7am79%471 flights
- 8am69%105 flights
- 10am78%200 flights
- 11am73%204 flights
- 12pm75%52 flights
- 1pm63%266 flights
- 2pm43%23 flights
- 3pm74%109 flights
- 4pm54%83 flights
- 5pm56%393 flights
- 6pm61%111 flights
- 8pm71%44 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday67%5.9% cancelled
- Tuesday66%2.9% cancelled
- Wednesday73%2.6% cancelled
- Thursday72%4.7% cancelled
- Friday69%1.8% cancelled
- Saturday72%5.9% cancelled
- Sunday69%4.7% 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 aircraft35%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)34%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion19%
- Extreme weather12%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather75%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion17%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)8%
- Security0%
TYS to ORD: common questions
- How often are TYS to ORD flights on time?
- 70% 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 Knoxville to Chicago cancelled?
- 4.1% of scheduled flights were cancelled (89 of 2,188).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 33 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 105 min behind schedule on average, and 14.4% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at TYS?
- Flights on this route spent 20 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: ORD to TYS — 67% on time
More flights from Knoxville
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: TYS → ORD, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.