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Route · SDF → PHL · 2020–2025 BTS data

Louisville to Philadelphia

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SDF to PHL (Louisville to Philadelphia) ranks #3614 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

86.7%
On-time
+7.7 pts
vs US avg
95 min
Delay when late
2,336
Flights
#3614 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.4%

Best Month

Nov 2022 92%

Worst Month

May 2025 75%

Distance

576 mi

Carriers

7

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Oct 2025 87 17 0 0 OH,YX
Sep 2025 66 7 0 0 OH,YX
Aug 2025 36 3 1 0 YX,OH
Jul 2025 56 8 2 0 OH,YX
Jun 2025 34 9 1 0 OH,YX
May 2025 51 13 0 0 AA,OH,YX
Oct 2024 56 13 0 0 YX,OH
Sep 2024 93 11 0 0 YX,OH
Aug 2024 62 10 6 0 YX,OH
Jul 2024 87 16 2 1 OH,YX
Jun 2024 57 9 0 0 OH,YX
May 2024 55 9 1 0 AA,OH,YX
Mar 2024 30 4 0 0 OH
Oct 2023 34 0 0 0 OH,YX
Sep 2023 58 7 2 0 YX
Aug 2023 58 5 0 0 OH,YX
Jul 2023 57 6 0 0 YX,OH
Jun 2023 84 7 1 0 OH,YX
May 2023 56 8 0 0 AA,YX,OH
Apr 2023 30 2 0 0 YX
Mar 2023 32 2 0 0 YX
Jan 2023 39 6 0 0 YX
Dec 2022 48 12 2 0 YX,OH
Nov 2022 53 4 0 0 OH,YX

SDF–PHL seasonal on-time pattern

Best: November (95.3%) · weakest: December (79.7%)

75%80%85%90%95%100% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79.7%

Strongest calendar month

November

95.3% on-time · ~42 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

September

~60 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

79.7% on-time · ~40 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.4%

18 of 1,319 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

1 of 1,319 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

SDF - Louisville

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Louisville, KY.

SDF on-time profile

PHL - Philadelphia

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Philadelphia, PA.

PHL on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See SDF and PHL side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare SDF vs PHL

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SDF's stronger departures

SDF → PHL posts a 86.7% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 9 of 23 BTS-tracked routes leaving Louisville. The same hub also shows 13 mid-band and 1 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #717 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SDF to PHL

Louisville to Philadelphia (SDF to PHL) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 86.7% on-time rate across 2,336 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 95.3 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 576 miles and is served by 7 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 18 of 1,319 flights were cancelled (1.4%) and 1 diverted (0.1%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Nov 2022 posted the strongest performance at 92% on-time, while May 2025 came in at just 75% - a 18-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SDF–PHL peaks in November at 95.3% on-time while September carries the heaviest traffic (~60 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 79.7%, a 15.6-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SDF to PHL rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SDF to PHL ranks #3614 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1). That ordinal matches our busiest-routes listing (total_flights DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement for the exact sort basis.
How often are flights delayed from SDF to PHL? ▼
Flights from Louisville to Philadelphia have a 86.7% on-time rate based on 2,336 flights. The average delay is 95.3 minutes. The best recent month was Nov 2022 with 92% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SDF to PHL? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (18 of 1,319 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SDF to PHL? ▼
The flight distance from Louisville (SDF) to Philadelphia (PHL) is approximately 576 miles. This route is served by 7 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SDF to PHL? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Nov 2022 (92% on-time). The worst was May 2025 (75% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SDF Airport

Louisville
PHL Airport

Philadelphia
Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

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

Using SDF–PHL data

SDF–PHL runs 7.7 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SDF and PHL airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SDF airport
  • If your dates flex, November (95.3% on-time) beats December (79.7%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 86.7% on-time rate; compare before you commit to this pairing. Similar routes

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers on this origin–destination pair, not any single flight or booking recommendation.

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

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 specific route's on-time performance and monthly trend, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.