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Airport · 12 months to July 2026
Memphis International: delays and on-time record
Memphis, Tennessee
BTS: A flight is counted as on time if it arrived less than 15 minutes after its scheduled time. Only carriers with at least 0.5 percent of domestic scheduled passenger revenue report. Data through July 2026; this is a monthly history, not live airport status.
Memphis International (MEM) in Memphis, Tennessee had 24,723 scheduled domestic departures by reporting carriers in the 12 months to July 2026, about 68 a day, on 32 routes.
78.2% of those flights left the gate less than 15 minutes late, 2.1 points above the national departure figure of 76.1%. Flights arriving at MEM were on time 73.5% of the time, 2.5 points below the national arrival figure of 76.0%.
2.2% of scheduled departures were cancelled (national: 1.8%), and the average departure delay, counting early and on-time departures as zero, was 17.3 min.
Delta Air Lines is the largest reporting carrier at MEM with 18% of departures. Among carriers with at least 247 departures, Delta Air Lines had the highest on-time arrival share for its MEM departures (85.2%) and Allegiant Air the lowest (55.2%).
On-time departures are down 2.7 points on the previous 12 months (80.9%).
Of the delay minutes that carriers assigned to a BTS cause category for flights leaving MEM, air carrier 36%, late-arriving aircraft 36% and national aviation system 19%.
- On time 78.2%
- Arrived 15+ minutes late 19.3%
- Cancelled 2.2%
- Diverted 0.3%
As origin and as destination, against the nation
| Measure | Departures from MEM | Arrivals at MEM | All reported flights | MEM departures, previous 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Departed on time (less than 15 min late) | 78.2% | 73.7% | 76.1% | 80.9% |
| Arrived on time | 78.2% | 73.5% | 76.0% | 79.8% |
| Cancelled | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.5% |
| Diverted | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Average departure delay (late minutes only) | 17.3 min | 17.2 min | 17.4 min | 15.3 min |
| Arrival delay minutes per 100 flights | 1,663 | 1,682 | 1,684 | 1,543 |
| Scheduled flights | 24,723 | 24,720 | 7,043,858 | 22,988 |
12 months to July 2026. The first column follows flights that left MEM; the second follows flights that landed there. Year on year, on-time departures moved −2.7 pts.
Airlines at MEM
| Reporting carrier | Flights | Share | On time | Avg arrival delay | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL Delta Air Lines | 4,387 | 18% | 85.2% | -0.4 min | 1.9% |
| WN Southwest Airlines | 4,163 | 17% | 77.3% | 5.7 min | 1.1% |
| AA American Airlines | 3,676 | 15% | 78.3% | 9.1 min | 2.3% |
| OO SkyWest Airlines | 3,472 | 14% | 78.5% | 9.6 min | 1.5% |
| YX Republic Airline | 3,006 | 12% | 76.6% | 4.4 min | 3.7% |
| OH PSA Airlines | 1,754 | 7% | 72.0% | 12.4 min | 4.4% |
| MQ Envoy Air | 1,601 | 6% | 75.0% | 8.5 min | 2.6% |
| UA United Airlines | 1,432 | 6% | 81.4% | 3.7 min | 2.0% |
| G4 Allegiant Air | 529 | 2% | 55.2% | 40.4 min | 0.8% |
| NK Spirit Airlines | 454 | 2% | 83.0% | -2.7 min | 2.6% |
| F9 Frontier Airlines | 249 | 1% | 68.7% | 17.1 min | 2.0% |
Departures from MEM by reporting carrier, ordered by flights; on time means the flight reached its destination less than 15 minutes late. Green is at or above the airport's overall share of 78.2%. Carriers fly different routes at different hours, so the rows are not a like-for-like test.
Busiest routes from MEM
| Route | Cities | Flights | On time | Avg arrival delay | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEM–ATL | Memphis to Atlanta | 3,422 | 84.6% | -0.6 min | 2.0% |
| MEM–ORD | Memphis to Chicago | 2,509 | 72.8% | 10.6 min | 3.7% |
| MEM–DFW | Memphis to Dallas/Fort Worth | 2,353 | 72.3% | 15.6 min | 3.1% |
| MEM–CLT | Memphis to Charlotte | 1,742 | 81.1% | 3.1 min | 2.1% |
| MEM–DEN | Memphis to Denver | 1,364 | 78.0% | 7.3 min | 0.9% |
| MEM–DCA | Memphis to Washington | 1,125 | 72.4% | 10.4 min | 3.9% |
| MEM–IAH | Memphis to Houston | 1,086 | 79.2% | 5.7 min | 1.1% |
| MEM–LGA | Memphis to New York | 1,064 | 74.8% | 6.6 min | 4.7% |
| MEM–DTW | Memphis to Detroit | 1,010 | 81.3% | 8.4 min | 1.7% |
| MEM–MSP | Memphis to Minneapolis | 900 | 85.4% | 1.4 min | 1.1% |
| MEM–HOU | Memphis to Houston | 831 | 77.0% | 3.7 min | 0.7% |
| MEM–PHL | Memphis to Philadelphia | 758 | 77.0% | 4.4 min | 4.1% |
| MEM–MCO | Memphis to Orlando | 739 | 75.2% | 6.5 min | 2.8% |
| MEM–MDW | Memphis to Chicago | 670 | 81.9% | 3.9 min | 1.8% |
| MEM–LAS | Memphis to Las Vegas | 584 | 81.0% | 2.6 min | 0.5% |
| MEM–MIA | Memphis to Miami | 559 | 77.5% | 13.6 min | 1.6% |
| MEM–BNA | Memphis to Nashville | 515 | 73.6% | 7.7 min | 0.4% |
| MEM–PHX | Memphis to Phoenix | 486 | 85.2% | 2.3 min | 1.0% |
| MEM–EWR | Memphis to Newark | 483 | 77.2% | 2.2 min | 3.7% |
| MEM–DAL | Memphis to Dallas | 457 | 77.5% | 7.0 min | 1.1% |
| MEM–AUS | Memphis to Austin | 365 | 89.9% | 0.9 min | 1.1% |
| MEM–SLC | Memphis to Salt Lake City | 365 | 88.5% | 2.8 min | 1.1% |
| MEM–BOS | Memphis to Boston | 294 | 90.5% | -4.7 min | 0.7% |
| MEM–BWI | Memphis to Baltimore | 279 | 78.9% | 4.0 min | 0.7% |
| MEM–LAX | Memphis to Los Angeles | 256 | 76.6% | 9.2 min | 1.2% |
| MEM–FLL | Memphis to Fort Lauderdale | 207 | 42.5% | 58.8 min | 1.0% |
The 26 busiest of 32 routes with reported flights. Routes with at least 10 flights a month have their own page.
Month by month
By scheduled departure hour
Among hours with at least 494 departures, 6 am to 7 am had the highest on-time share (90.0% of 3,711 flights) and 6 pm to 7 pm the lowest (62.7% of 1,766).
Delay causes
Cancellations by reported reason (548 in the period): air carrier 18%, weather 67%, national aviation system 15%, security 0%.
Checkpoint volumes
TSA publishes daily checkpoint passenger counts for the country as a whole, not for MEM on its own. The national series through September 2026 is on the checkpoint volumes page.
Questions and answers
How often do flights leave MEM on time?
78.2% of the 24,723 scheduled domestic departures in the 12 months to July 2026 left less than 15 minutes late; the national figure was 76.1%. 2.2% were cancelled.
How often do flights arrive at MEM on time?
73.5% of 24,720 scheduled arrivals were on time by the BTS definition, against 76.0% nationally.
Which airline has the highest on-time share at MEM?
Counting departures from MEM and whether they reached their destination on time, Delta Air Lines had the highest share (85.2% of 4,387 flights), then Spirit Airlines (83.0%) and United Airlines (81.4%). Carriers fly different routes at different hours, so the figures are not a like-for-like test.
What causes delays at MEM?
For departures from MEM that reached their destination 15 or more minutes late, carriers attributed the delay minutes as follows: air carrier 36%, late-arriving aircraft 36%, national aviation system 19%, extreme weather 8%, security 0%.
What time of day has the highest on-time share at MEM?
Departures scheduled from 6 am to 7 am local time left on time 90.0% of the time, the highest of any hour with enough flights to compare; 6 pm to 7 pm was lowest at 62.7%.
Is it getting better?
On-time departures for the 12 months to July 2026 were 78.2%, down 2.7 points on the previous 12 months (80.9%). The monthly chart shows each of the last 36 months, and each month has its own page.
Does this page show today's delays at MEM?
No. BTS publishes on-time records about two months after the month ends, so this page is a monthly history through July 2026. For live conditions use the FAA airport status service or your airline.
Provenance
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Reporting Carrier On-Time Performance (1987 to present), monthly files August 2023 to July 2026; airport name from the BTS airport lookup table. US government works in the public domain. Domestic scheduled flights by reporting carriers only: international flights, charters and smaller carriers are not in the source. Totals and averages only; no individual flight or aircraft is identified. See the methodology; report processing errors through corrections.