New York to Norfolk

What the Data Says About JFK to ORF

The New York to Norfolk corridor (JFK → ORF) covers roughly 290 miles and is served by 5 carriers, based on Bureau of Transportation Statistics reporting. Across 7,598 flights in the dataset, this route posts a 84.7% on-time rate with an average delay of 77.9 minutes when flights run late. Over the most recent 24 months of BTS data, 2,176 flights were recorded on this pairing — 79 cancelled (3.6%) and 5 diverted (0.2%). Those baseline metrics tell you what to expect before you book.

Having 5 carriers on the route matters: more carriers generally means more daily schedule options, competitive pricing, and redundancy when flights are cancelled. With 7,598 total flights analyzed, the 84.7% on-time figure is statistically meaningful rather than a small-sample fluke. The 77.9-minute average delay applies only to flights that actually ran late, so it is not the average wait across all departures — the majority of flights on this route depart on time under the BTS definition of a delay (15+ minutes past schedule).

Looking at recent months, Nov 2024 posted the best performance on this corridor at 95% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at 67% on-time — a 29-point gap between best and worst recent month. For travelers evaluating the JFK to ORF route, the combination of a 84.7% on-time rate, 77.9-minute average delay, 3.6% recent cancellation rate, and 5 available carriers is the concrete summary of what BTS data shows about reliability on this pairing.