83% of flights leaving Salt Lake City (SLC) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 8 points better than the national average of 76%. That ranks 2 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 325 flights leave SLC on a typical day; 0.8% were cancelled. 84% pushed back from the gate on time, so most of the lateness is already there when the flight leaves the gate.
At a glance
- Best hour to fly: 5 a.m. (94% on time). Worst: 7 p.m. (72%).
- Best month: October (88%). Worst: July (77%).
- Most reliable airline here: Delta Air Lines (85%), vs Southwest Airlines at 77%.
- Biggest delay cause: the airlines themselves (46% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: about the same (84% → 83%).
How late?
The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for flights leaving SLC: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 59% of the time. About 1 in 21 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 115 three hours or more; 0.8% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early83%
- 15–30 min late6.3%
- 30–60 min late4.6%
- 1–2 hours late2.9%
- 2–3 hours late1.0%
- 3+ hours late0.9%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled0.8%
Share of all 118,602 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of SLC
Time of day matters more at SLC than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 94% of the time; at 7 p.m. it was 72%, a 22-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 89% on time against 80% for the evening bank (5–10 p.m.). Early planes usually start the day at the airport, so they haven't had a chance to pick up delays elsewhere. By evening a late inbound aircraft, a crew running out of duty hours or an afternoon thunderstorm can push one late flight into the next. Cancellations cluster too: 5 a.m. departures were cancelled 1.1% of the time, against 0.8% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at SLC was a 5 a.m. departure in October (95% on time); the least, 6 p.m. in July (58%). If you can only move one thing, move the hour. Departure hour usually shifts the odds more than the month does.
Each cell: on-time rate for that departure hour in that calendar month, 2023–2026. Find your travel month, then look along the row for the greenest hour.
Best and worst months
July is the hardest month at SLC, with 77% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 88%. Summer (June–August) runs 8 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 4 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in July (1.6% of flights).
Airlines at SLC
Delta Air Lines runs 72% of departures from SLC, so SLC is effectively its hub. When Delta Air Lines has a bad day, so does the airport. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, Delta Air Lines was the most reliable (85% on time) and Southwest Airlines the least (77%), a 8-point difference. On a route where both fly, that difference is worth more than a small fare gap.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 84,825 | 85% | 86% | 0.7% | −9 min |
| Southwest Airlines | 11,193 | 77% | 73% | 0.5% | −5 min |
| United Airlines | 8,087 | 79% | 82% | 0.9% | −9 min |
| American Airlines | 6,190 | 79% | 79% | 1.7% | −11 min |
| Alaska Airlines | 3,957 | 79% | 82% | 1.0% | −6 min |
| Frontier Airlines | 3,572 | 79% | 82% | 1.4% | −12 min |
| JetBlue | 584 | 68% | 61% | 5.3% | −5 min |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 122 | 79% | 70% | 0.0% | −8 min |
Why flights are late at SLC
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At SLC, 46% of delay minutes came from the airlines themselves: crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Next is late-arriving aircraft at 26%. Of the 916 cancellations, 42% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 18 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
SLC vs nearby airports
SLC isn't the only option in Salt Lake City. Over the past year PVU ran 85% on time with 0.7% of flights cancelled, against 83% and 0.8% at SLC. There's little to choose between them on reliability; pick on fares and convenience.
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLC Salt Lake City | — | 118,602 | 83% | 0.8% |
| PVU Provo | 42 mi | 2,619 | 85% | 0.7% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 83% of SLC departures were on time, against 84% in the 12 months before: essentially unchanged. The best recent month was September 2025 (88%); the worst, August 2026 (78%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Sunday, Jan 25, 2026, when 16% of 339 scheduled departures were cancelled. Days like that are usually a major storm, a system outage or a holiday peak hitting bad weather. No average predicts them, so on a stormy forecast, check your airline's travel waivers.
| Date | Departures | Cancelled | On time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25, 2026 | 339 | 16% | 65% |
| Nov 9, 2025 | 333 | 11% | 66% |
| Jan 24, 2026 | 286 | 10% | 79% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 323 | 7% | 77% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 355 | 7% | 65% |
| Nov 11, 2025 | 298 | 7% | 88% |
| Feb 18, 2026 | 316 | 7% | 32% |
| Nov 10, 2025 | 329 | 6% | 74% |
| Feb 23, 2026 | 353 | 6% | 86% |
| Mar 14, 2026 | 327 | 6% | 74% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from SLC, each airline's final departure was cancelled 0.8% of the time, against 0.7% for its earlier flights, about the same. 1.0% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to Dallas (4.9% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 4:41 p.m. | 4.9% | 3.0% | 58% |
| LAS Las Vegas | Frontier Airlines | 1:50 p.m. | 1.1% | 6.1% | 75% |
| ORD Chicago | American Airlines | 5:01 p.m. | 3.3% | 3.3% | 65% |
| EWR Newark | United Airlines | 11:13 a.m. | 3.1% | 1.8% | 75% |
| ORD Chicago | United Airlines | 4:18 p.m. | 1.4% | 3.0% | 61% |
| SFO San Francisco | United Airlines | 8:08 p.m. | 1.1% | 3.3% | 53% |
| DFW Dallas | Delta Air Lines | 5:40 p.m. | 1.4% | 3.0% | 76% |
| HNL Honolulu | Delta Air Lines | 11:45 a.m. | 0.8% | 3.1% | 76% |
| EKO Elko | Delta Air Lines | 9:30 p.m. | 1.4% | 2.3% | 93% |
| LAX Los Angeles | Frontier Airlines | 10:20 a.m. | 2.9% | 0.7% | 84% |
| DEN Denver | United Airlines | 5:57 p.m. | 1.9% | 1.6% | 79% |
| DEN Denver | Frontier Airlines | 7:08 p.m. | 1.1% | 2.2% | 77% |
Each airline's last scheduled departure of the day on a route, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Riskiest first.
SLC at the holidays
On the busy Thanksgiving travel days, flights from SLC arrived on time 83% of the time, against 88% normally (−5.0 points; best of the 30 busiest airports). On the busy Christmas–New Year travel days, flights from SLC arrived on time 79% of the time, against 84% normally (−4.6 points; best of the 30 busiest airports).
Thanksgiving: best days to fly → · Christmas: best days to fly →
Tips for flying out of SLC
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At SLC the 5 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in July? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Choosing between airlines? Delta Air Lines has the better record here.
- Connecting here? See how long a layover you need at SLC.
- Delayed already? Most delays at SLC come from the airlines themselves. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Delayed at SLC right now? See how much later SLC delays usually get, and what to do →
Routes from SLC
Where you're going matters too. From SLC, the most reliable busy route was to Fresno (FAT, 92% on time) and the least reliable to San Francisco (SFO, 63%). Flights into congested airports inherit their delays: an air traffic program at the destination holds planes on the ground here.
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO San Francisco | 3,453 | 63% | 1.0% | +2 min |
| ORD Chicago | 3,246 | 73% | 1.5% | −6 min |
| HNL Honolulu | 858 | 74% | 2.1% | −3 min |
| DAL Dallas | 670 | 76% | 1.2% | −5 min |
| LAS Las Vegas | 3,724 | 77% | 0.7% | −5 min |
| EWR Newark | 1,338 | 77% | 2.5% | −8 min |
| DFW Dallas | 3,870 | 77% | 2.2% | −8 min |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 375 | 78% | 0.3% | −1 min |
| JFK New York | 1,932 | 78% | 2.6% | −12 min |
| DEN Denver | 7,709 | 78% | 0.5% | −7 min |
| BOS Boston | 1,264 | 79% | 2.0% | −8 min |
| SEA Seattle | 4,119 | 79% | 0.8% | −6 min |
| SAN San Diego | 3,238 | 79% | 1.0% | −6 min |
| BWI Baltimore | 769 | 80% | 1.6% | −4 min |
| AUS Austin | 1,796 | 81% | 0.7% | −6 min |
| HOU Houston | 409 | 81% | 0.2% | −5 min |
| MDW Chicago | 619 | 81% | 0.7% | −5 min |
| MCO Orlando | 1,483 | 82% | 0.7% | −6 min |
| PHL Philadelphia | 805 | 82% | 2.0% | −9 min |
| SNA Santa Ana | 1,858 | 82% | 0.7% | −8 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 901 | 82% | 1.1% | −11 min |
| IAD Washington | 702 | 83% | 1.7% | −8 min |
| PHX Phoenix | 5,778 | 83% | 0.5% | −8 min |
| STL St. Louis | 990 | 83% | 0.6% | −8 min |
| MEM Memphis | 365 | 83% | 0.8% | −8 min |
| MIA Miami | 818 | 84% | 0.6% | −9 min |
| SAT San Antonio | 1,013 | 84% | 0.8% | −8 min |
| SMF Sacramento | 2,165 | 84% | 0.9% | −9 min |
| RDU Raleigh | 373 | 84% | 1.3% | −10 min |
| MCI Kansas City | 1,005 | 84% | 0.9% | −10 min |
| BNA Nashville | 1,205 | 84% | 0.6% | −7 min |
| TUL Tulsa | 372 | 85% | 0.8% | −9 min |
| GEG Spokane | 1,668 | 85% | 0.4% | −8 min |
| LAX Los Angeles | 4,196 | 85% | 0.5% | −9 min |
| IAH Houston | 2,182 | 85% | 0.7% | −10 min |
| TPA Tampa | 368 | 85% | 0.3% | −8 min |
| JAC Jackson | 1,219 | 85% | 0.8% | −9 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 2,974 | 86% | 0.6% | −9 min |
| BOI Boise | 1,732 | 86% | 0.8% | −10 min |
| LGB Long Beach | 1,569 | 86% | 0.4% | −9 min |
| MSP Minneapolis | 1,609 | 86% | 0.3% | −9 min |
| SJC San Jose | 1,796 | 86% | 0.4% | −9 min |
| MSY New Orleans | 455 | 86% | 0.4% | −9 min |
| BUR Burbank | 1,457 | 87% | 0.4% | −9 min |
| BIL Billings | 1,074 | 87% | 0.5% | −9 min |
| PDX Portland | 2,587 | 87% | 1.1% | −10 min |
| RNO Reno | 1,201 | 88% | 0.2% | −10 min |
| BZN Bozeman | 1,160 | 88% | 0.5% | −9 min |
| MSO Missoula | 1,059 | 88% | 0.9% | −9 min |
| FCA Kalispell | 1,125 | 88% | 0.7% | −7 min |
| CVG Cincinnati | 816 | 88% | 0.4% | −10 min |
| DTW Detroit | 1,530 | 88% | 0.1% | −10 min |
| ONT Ontario | 1,239 | 88% | 0.9% | −9 min |
| OKC Oklahoma City | 720 | 89% | 0.6% | −8 min |
| OMA Omaha | 780 | 89% | 0.1% | −9 min |
| PSC Pasco | 1,177 | 89% | 0.2% | −9 min |
| IDA Idaho Falls | 1,195 | 89% | 0.4% | −8 min |
| MFR Medford | 729 | 89% | 0.1% | −10 min |
| OAK Oakland | 1,621 | 90% | 0.2% | −8 min |
| SBA Santa Barbara | 1,062 | 91% | 0.8% | −10 min |
| EUG Eugene | 800 | 91% | 0.0% | −7 min |
| SGU St. George | 1,727 | 91% | 0.2% | −12 min |
| TUS Tucson | 1,112 | 91% | 0.2% | −9 min |
| ABQ Albuquerque | 1,149 | 91% | 0.0% | −10 min |
| COS Colorado Springs | 721 | 91% | 0.1% | −10 min |
| PSP Palm Springs | 1,080 | 91% | 0.4% | −11 min |
| TWF Twin Falls | 859 | 92% | 0.5% | −12 min |
| EKO Elko | 579 | 92% | 0.7% | −15 min |
| RDM Bend | 729 | 92% | 0.4% | −11 min |
| SUN Sun Valley | 1,078 | 92% | 0.7% | −13 min |
| FAT Fresno | 1,365 | 92% | 0.5% | −9 min |
| PIH Pocatello | 479 | 92% | 0.2% | −10 min |
| GTF Great Falls | 1,072 | 93% | 0.8% | −12 min |
| LWS Lewiston | 365 | 93% | 0.0% | −14 min |
| CDC Cedar City | 631 | 94% | 0.5% | −15 min |
| GJT Grand Junction | 584 | 94% | 0.0% | −16 min |
| HLN Helena | 725 | 95% | 0.3% | −14 min |
Flights into SLC
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Salt Lake City, least reliable first. The weakest is from Chicago (67% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago | 3,245 | 67% | 1.4% |
| MDW Chicago | 619 | 68% | 1.6% |
| DFW Dallas | 3,872 | 69% | 2.2% |
| DAL Dallas | 670 | 70% | 1.0% |
| BOS Boston | 1,264 | 72% | 1.8% |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 375 | 74% | 0.3% |
| SFO San Francisco | 3,451 | 74% | 1.0% |
| JFK New York | 1,929 | 74% | 2.4% |
| BWI Baltimore | 769 | 75% | 1.8% |
| EWR Newark | 1,338 | 75% | 2.2% |
| PHL Philadelphia | 804 | 77% | 2.0% |
| MIA Miami | 818 | 77% | 0.6% |
| HOU Houston | 410 | 78% | 0.5% |
| DEN Denver | 7,713 | 78% | 0.4% |
| DTW Detroit | 1,535 | 79% | 0.1% |
| IAD Washington | 701 | 80% | 1.4% |
| HNL Honolulu | 856 | 80% | 1.8% |
| AUS Austin | 1,798 | 80% | 0.7% |
| CLT Charlotte | 901 | 81% | 1.1% |
| LAS Las Vegas | 3,724 | 81% | 0.7% |
| MCO Orlando | 1,483 | 82% | 0.7% |
| SAN San Diego | 3,241 | 82% | 0.7% |
| ATL Atlanta | 2,965 | 82% | 0.4% |
| PHX Phoenix | 5,779 | 82% | 0.5% |
| SEA Seattle | 4,119 | 83% | 0.8% |
Showing the 25 least reliable of 77 routes into SLC.
Questions about SLC delays
What is the best time to fly out of SLC?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 94% of SLC departures at that hour arrived on time, against 72% at 7 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at SLC?
July (77% on time). October is the best month (88%).
Which airline is most on time at SLC?
Delta Air Lines: 85% of its SLC departures arrived on time over the past year. Southwest Airlines had the weakest record at 77%.
Why are flights delayed at SLC?
The biggest cause was the airlines themselves (46% of delay minutes): crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Then late-arriving aircraft (26%).
Is SLC or PVU more reliable?
Over the past year: SLC 83% on time, PVU 85%.
How often are flights cancelled at SLC?
0.8% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in July at 1.6%.
Hours are scheduled local departure times. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes late at the destination; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Method.