Best Time to Fly HNL to SMF: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Daniel K Inouye International → Sacramento International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 77.7% of Honolulu (HNL) to Sacramento (SMF) flights arrived on time (730 scheduled flights). That is in line with the national average of 77.6%.
Among 3 airlines, Southwest Airlines led with 87.0% on time and Alaska Airlines was last with 67.6%.
Over 24 months, Sunday was the most reliable day (86% on time) and December the worst month (69%).
The cancellation rate was 0.3% (US average 1.8%).
HNL to SMF on-time performance by airline
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 completed flights are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On time | Avg delay when late | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 87.0% | 50 min | 0.3% | 365 |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 69.1% | 58 min | 0.0% | 153 |
| Alaska Airlines | 67.6% | 94 min | 0.5% | 212 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly HNL to SMF
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 1,460 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10am–11am | 92.4% | 0.0% | 92 |
| 11am–12pm | 84.9% | 0.0% | 146 |
| 12pm–1pm | 75.2% | 0.3% | 341 |
| 1pm–2pm | 82.0% | 0.0% | 481 |
| 2pm–3pm | 78.8% | 0.7% | 277 |
| 3pm–4pm | 84.5% | 0.0% | 123 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on HNL to SMF
On-time arrivals during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On time | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | Limited data | 28 | ||
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 66.7% | -15.4 pts | 0.0% | 60 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 79.8% | -2.3 pts | 0.4% | 248 |
| All other days | 82.1% | — | 0.2% | 1,124 |
Monthly on-time trend
On-time arrival % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
What causes delays on this route
Share of reported delay minutes, last 12 months (BTS cause categories).