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Airline · NK · 2020–2025 BTS data

Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines runs behind the typical U.S. carrier on reliability, drawn from 1,278,352 flights reported to the BTS. Its biggest delay driver is nas.

Data updated 2026-06-13

77.6%
On-time
-1.4 pts
vs US avg
74 min
Delay when late
2.19%
Cancelled

Total Flights

1,278,352

Best Month

November 2024 86%

Worst Month

July 2024 66%

Delayed

286,328

Cancelled

28,009

Spirit Airlines (NK) recorded 1,278,352 flights across 2020–2025, achieving a 77.6% on-time rate with an average delay of 73.7 minutes. The cancellation rate was 2.19%, and the leading cause of delays was NAS.

Spirit Airlines - monthly on-time rate

Last 24 months reported; ranged 66%–86%

65%70%75%80%85%90% Jan '24Apr '24Jul '24Oct '24Jan '25Apr '25Jul '25Oct '25Dec '25 67.6%

Spirit Airlines - BTS Delay Tier Breakdown

How Spirit Airlines flights distribute across federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics arrival-delay tiers. The on-time band uses the BTS 15-minute threshold; longer-delay tiers reflect arrival-time bins reported in the underlying database.

Spirit Airlines (NK) - flight delay tier distribution Stacked horizontal bar showing what percent of Spirit Airlines (NK) flights fell into each Bureau of Transportation Statistics delay tier: on-time (under 15 minutes late), delayed (15-60 minutes), heavily delayed (60-120 minutes), severe (120+ minutes), and cancelled. Spirit Airlines (NK) Flight delay tiers · BTS On-Time Performance methodology 77.6% 20.2% 0% 100% On time <15m · 77.6% Delayed 15–60m · 20.2% Cancelled cnx · 2.2%
Tiers follow Bureau of Transportation Statistics On-Time Performance definitions, a flight is on-time if it arrives less than 15 minutes after schedule.

Delay Cause Breakdown

Top delay cause: NAS. Total delay minutes: 19,869,662.

Late Aircraft 28.3% (5,632,627 min)
Carrier 27.8% (5,526,852 min)
NAS (National Aviation System) 39.4% (7,828,862 min)
Weather 3.7% (732,805 min)
Security 0.7% (148,516 min)

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of flight data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Avg Distance
Dec 2025 11,800 3,821 440 16 939 mi
Nov 2025 11,793 2,465 270 10 910 mi
Oct 2025 14,128 2,727 156 14 961 mi
Sep 2025 15,058 2,358 130 44 943 mi
Aug 2025 17,155 3,814 93 63 929 mi
Jul 2025 17,307 4,213 329 54 931 mi
Jun 2025 17,623 4,324 242 52 923 mi
May 2025 17,744 4,365 220 43 926 mi
Apr 2025 18,303 3,095 81 27 949 mi
Mar 2025 19,828 3,692 215 36 958 mi
Feb 2025 16,232 2,993 179 12 938 mi
Jan 2025 17,544 3,064 572 26 950 mi
Dec 2024 18,662 4,162 98 21 954 mi
Nov 2024 19,459 2,775 55 13 925 mi
Oct 2024 21,176 3,070 421 22 912 mi
Sep 2024 20,399 3,496 236 16 923 mi
Aug 2024 24,676 7,071 977 65 964 mi
Jul 2024 24,769 8,309 1,278 55 969 mi
Jun 2024 23,437 6,189 600 67 971 mi
May 2024 23,298 6,207 259 88 965 mi
Apr 2024 21,998 3,818 239 36 971 mi
Mar 2024 22,885 6,528 394 32 976 mi
Feb 2024 19,929 4,264 138 26 978 mi
Jan 2024 20,415 5,274 303 31 988 mi

Keep exploring

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What the Data Says About Spirit Airlines

Across 1,278,352 flights reported to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics between 2020 and 2025, Spirit Airlines (NK) posted a 77.6% on-time rate, with 286,328 delayed departures and 28,009 cancellations. The carrier's average delay when flights run late is 73.7 minutes, and its cancellation rate of 2.19% sits alongside an overall delay rate of 22.4%. Those baseline numbers frame every comparison you can make with other carriers in the BTS dataset.

Digging into causes, NAS drives the biggest share of minutes lost, with NAS (National Aviation System) accounting for 39.4% of delay time and Late Aircraft contributing 28.3%. Weather, often blamed informally, represents 3.7% of total delay minutes, while National Aviation System constraints such as air traffic control and airspace congestion make up 39.4%. Security delays remain the smallest bucket at 0.7%. Taken together, operational and scheduling factors outweigh weather as the dominant driver of Spirit Airlines delays.

Seasonality matters too. Recent monthly data shows November 2024 as the best period for Spirit Airlines with a 86% on-time rate, while July 2024 was the roughest at 66% on-time, a spread of 19 percentage points between best and worst month. For passengers choosing between carriers, the combination of a 77.6% on-time rate, 73.7-minute average delay, and 2.19% cancellation rate is the clearest summary of what to expect on Spirit Airlines flights based on BTS reporting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Spirit Airlines's on-time performance rate? ▼
Spirit Airlines (NK) has an overall on-time rate of 77.6% across 1,278,352 flights. The average delay is 73.7 minutes per delayed flight.
What is the main cause of delays on Spirit Airlines? ▼
The leading delay cause for Spirit Airlines is NAS. NAS (National Aviation System) accounts for 39.4% of all delay minutes.
How many flights does Spirit Airlines operate? ▼
Spirit Airlines has operated 1,278,352 flights in the BTS dataset (2020–2025). Of these, 286,328 were delayed and 28,009 were cancelled.
What is the cancellation rate for Spirit Airlines? ▼
Spirit Airlines has a cancellation rate of 2.19%, based on 28,009 cancelled flights out of 1,278,352 total flights tracked.
When does Spirit Airlines have the best on-time performance? ▼
Based on recent data, Spirit Airlines's best on-time month was November 2024 (86% on-time). The worst was July 2024 (66% on-time).
How does Spirit Airlines compare to other airlines? ▼
You can compare Spirit Airlines's 77.6% on-time rate against all 18 carriers on the airline rankings page. Factors like fleet size, route network, and hub locations all influence on-time performance.

Flight Guides

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On-Time Performance Explained

How the BTS measures on-time performance

Why Flights Get Cancelled

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Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data (2020–2025). Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods. On-time rates exclude cancelled and diverted flights.

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Data sourced from U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFlights Editorial

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates this airline's on-time performance and delay-cause breakdown, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.