Itineraries flown on 20+ days in the Jun 6 – Jul 31, 2026 schedule · each leg’s record Aug 2025 – Jul 2026

No clear winner: airlines and hours on this route all land within a few points of 87% on time.

Nonstops


United	SDF	EWR	2h 15m	87%	4.3%	1,003	Flying now
Spirit	SDF	EWR	–	100%few flights	0.0%	4	Not flying now

Best connections, one ticket

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

Ranked by chance you reach Newark on time. Total trip = scheduled departure to arrival, layover included. Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.


Delta Details →	SDF 06:00 → ATL 07:25DL 2407	2h 38m Atlanta	ATL 10:03 → EWR 12:24DL 2401	6h 24m	99%	80%
United Details →	SDF 06:00 → IAD 07:35UA 3438 · flown by Republic	54m Dulles	IAD 08:29 → EWR 09:55UA 2396	3h 55m	92%	79%
American Details →	SDF 05:04 → CLT 06:41AA 5255 · flown by PSA	1h 19m Charlotte	CLT 08:00 → EWR 09:59AA 1782	4h 55m	90%	78%
United Details →	SDF 09:00 → ORD 09:38UA 3696 · flown by Republic	2h 33m Chicago	ORD 12:11 → EWR 15:39UA 606	6h 39m	100%	77%
United Details →	SDF 07:15 → ORD 07:56UA 3422 · flown by Republic	2h 55m Chicago	ORD 10:51 → EWR 14:17UA 1856	7h 02m	99%	74%
Delta Details →	SDF 08:10 → ATL 09:40DL 2299	3h 29m Atlanta	ATL 13:09 → EWR 15:24DL 2322	7h 14m	98%	71%
Delta Details →	SDF 07:50 → DTW 09:16DL 5824 · flown by Republic	59m Detroit	DTW 10:15 → EWR 11:59DL 2577	4h 09m	89%	71%
Delta Details →	SDF 06:49 → MSP 08:00DL 4928 · flown by Endeavor	1h 14m Minneapolis	MSP 09:14 → EWR 12:56DL 2895	6h 07m	92%	69%
Tight connection: often missed
Delta Details →	SDF 17:55 → MSP 19:09DL 5017 · flown by Endeavor	1h 06m Minneapolis	MSP 20:15 → EWR 23:59DL 2846	6h 04m	64%	44%
American Details →	SDF 15:39 → CLT 17:24AA 5397 · flown by PSA	57m Charlotte	CLT 18:21 → EWR 20:30AA 1071	4h 51m	65%	42%
United Details →	SDF 19:55 → ORD 20:40UA 4563 · flown by GoJet	50m Chicago	ORD 21:30 → EWR 00:53 +1UA 1209	4h 58m	68%	42%

Same layover, different day-part

How often the first flight arrives too late to connect (45 min minimum), for one-ticket layovers of 45–80 minutes.

Morning

IAD · 54m · leaves 06:00 8%

MSP · 1h 14m · leaves 06:49 8%

CLT · 1h 19m · leaves 05:04 10%

Afternoon and evening

ORD · 50m · leaves 19:55 32%

CLT · 57m · leaves 15:39 35%

MSP · 1h 06m · leaves 17:55 36%

Delays build through the day, so an afternoon first leg eats the layover. A short connection is fine early in the morning and a gamble later on.

Mixing airlines

One ticketMiss it and the airline rebooks you; bags go through. 45 min is enough.

Separate ticketsMiss it and you buy a new ticket. Re-check bags, clear security again: we require 90 min.


American AA 4549 SDF 06:00 → DCA United UA 4184 DCA 10:07 → EWR Connection details →	2h 17m	5h 29m	96%	78%
Southwest WN 4679 SDF 06:40 → MCO United UA 663 MCO 11:45 → EWR Connection details →	3h 05m	7h 50m	100%	77%
Delta DL 4928 SDF 06:49 → MSP United UA 1637 MSP 10:14 → EWR Connection details →	2h 14m	7h 11m	94%	73%

Rank all connections, any airlines →

Regional partners count as the airline that sells them: SkyWest flying Delta Connection is one Delta ticket.

How these are worked out. Makes the connection: share of the last year’s flights where the first flight arrived with at least 45 minutes to spare (90 on separate tickets). Arrives on time: first flight not cancelled × connection made × second flight not cancelled and arriving within 15 minutes. Not yet counted: the second flight also leaving late (which helps), gate-to-gate distance at the hub, and rebooking after a missed connection.

About this data: US DOT on-time records, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, all US airlines; regional flights count under the airline that sells them. Schedules (which flights and connections exist, and their times) are as of Jun 6 – Jul 31, 2026; seasonal flights outside that window aren’t ranked. Rebuilt monthly. JSON