Airport · ATY · Watertown, South Dakota
Watertown, SD
Watertown, SD posts top-quartile on-time performance among the 382 tracked U.S. airports, as a smaller regional airport. According to the U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, drawn from 3,061 flights (2020–2025); its biggest delay driver is carrier.
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 87.6%
- On-time
- Top 12%
- on-time, US airports
- 111 min
- Delay when late
- 1.50%
- Cancelled
Key Performance Metrics
Total Flights
3,061
Best Month
May 97.8%
Worst Month
Feb 85.4%
Delayed
380
Cancelled
46
ATY on-time rate vs. the national average
Ahead of the U.S. average across all 382 tracked airports.
Where ATY sits among all 382 tracked airports
ATY's 87.6% on-time rate falls in the 85-90% band, the 116-airport band it shares.
National on-time-rate distribution
- 60-65% 1
1 airport between 60% and 65% on-time
1 airports
- 65-70% 4
4 airports between 65% and 70% on-time
4 airports
- 70-75% 9
9 airports between 70% and 75% on-time
9 airports
- 75-80% 48
48 airports between 75% and 80% on-time
48 airports
- 80-85%
192 airports between 80% and 85% on-time
192 airports
- 85-90%
116 airports between 85% and 90% on-time
116 airports
- 90-95% 12
12 airports between 90% and 95% on-time
12 airports
What this shows ATY is marked in the 85-90% band.
Delay Cause Breakdown
Top delay cause: Carrier. Total delay minutes: 26,989.
ATY - seasonal on-time pattern
Best: May (97.8%) · worst: February (85.4%)
Seasonal Performance Patterns
Monthly averages across all years of data. Best month: May (97.8% on-time). Most delays: February (85.4% on-time).
| Month | Avg Flights | Avg Delayed | Avg Cancelled | On-Time % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 97 | 13 | 3 | 94.5% |
| November | 114 | 9 | 0 | 96.2% |
| October | 112 | 12 | 1 | 94.4% |
| September | 109 | 9 | 0 | 96% |
| August | 112 | 22 | 1 | 89% |
| July | 103 | 18 | 1 | 91.2% |
| June | 81 | 13 | 0 | 90.7% |
| May | 90 | 5 | 2 | 97.8% |
| April | 104 | 7 | 3 | 96.6% |
| March | 115 | 13 | 6 | 95.2% |
| February | 106 | 27 | 2 | 85.4% |
| January | 78 | 8 | 2 | 94.4% |
Year-Over-Year Performance
Annual flight volume and on-time trends at ATY.
ATY - on-time rate by year
2020–2025, year-over-year trend.
| Year | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | On-Time % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 609 | 48 | 1 | 92.1% |
| 2022 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 50% |
| 2021 | 1,224 | 96 | 19 | 92.2% |
| 2020 | 1,224 | 51 | 26 | 95.8% |
Cancellation & Diversion Analysis
Flight disruption statistics for Watertown, SD.
Cancellation Rate
1.50%
46 of 3,061 flights
Diversion Rate
0.23%
7 of 3,061 flights
Delay Rate
12.4%
380 of 3,061 flights
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of flight data.
| Period | Flights | Dep Delayed | Arr Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 122 | 8 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 2025 | 120 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 2025 | 124 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2025 | 120 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 2025 | 123 | 19 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 2022 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 2021 | 63 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Nov 2021 | 118 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 2021 | 107 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 2021 | 104 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 2021 | 106 | 14 | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| Jul 2021 | 106 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 1 |
| Jun 2021 | 102 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| May 2021 | 106 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2021 | 104 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Mar 2021 | 106 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 0 |
| Feb 2021 | 96 | 19 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Jan 2021 | 106 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Dec 2020 | 106 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Nov 2020 | 104 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 2020 | 106 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 2020 | 102 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 2020 | 106 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Jul 2020 | 99 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Top Routes from ATY
Busiest routes to and from Watertown, SD.
| Route | Flights | On-Time | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATY (Watertown) → DEN (Denver) | 763 | 83.7% | 519 mi |
| DEN (Denver) → ATY (Watertown) | 763 | 88.5% | 519 mi |
Airports With a Similar On-Time Rate
Other U.S. airports nationwide whose on-time rate is closest to Watertown, SD's 87.6%.
Other Airports in South Dakota
Compare performance with other South Dakota airports.
Keep exploring
More flight data around Watertown, SD.
South Dakota flight data
Statewide on-time and delay aggregates, plus every reporting airport in South Dakota.
View SD data →Airport rankings
See where ATY sits among U.S. airports on on-time rate and average delay.
Best on-time airports →Compare airports
Put ATY head-to-head with another airport on delays and reliability.
Open comparison tool →What the Data Says About ATY
Watertown, SD in Watertown, South Dakota handled 3,061 flights in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics dataset between 2020 and 2025, posting a 87.6% on-time departure rate. Of those flights, 380 experienced delays, 46 were cancelled, and 7 were diverted. The cancellation rate works out to 1.50%, the diversion rate to 0.23%, and the average delay when departures run late is 111.4 minutes. These figures are the baseline for comparing ATY against other airports in the same state and nationally.
Breaking down what drives delays at ATY, Carrier leads the pack. Carrier accounts for 56.4% of total delay minutes, followed by Late Aircraft at 17.6% and NAS (National Aviation System) at 13.2%. Weather contributes 12.8% of delay minutes at this airport, while security holds the smallest share at 0.0%. Travelers often overestimate the weather share; the BTS categorization shows late-arriving aircraft and carrier operations as the larger contributors.
Seasonally, May runs the cleanest at ATY with a 97.8% on-time rate, while February is the roughest at 85.4% - a 12-point swing between best and worst month. Volume peaks in March, when average flights hit 115. The busiest route connecting ATY is to DEN (Denver), with 763 flights at a 83.7% on-time rate. Combine these numbers - 87.6% on-time, 111.4-minute average delay, 1.50% cancellation rate, and you have a concrete picture of departure reliability at Watertown, SD.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is the average delay time at ATY? ▼
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How many routes operate from ATY? ▼
What is the cancellation rate at ATY? ▼
Flight Guides
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Using ATY's data
An airport-level on-time rate is a starting point, not a guarantee for your specific flight.
- Check the busiest route from ATY before you book a connection. See top routes
- Travel in May rather than February if your dates are flexible. Seasonal patterns
- Scores vary by airline and route within the same airport; check the specific carrier you're flying. Browse airlines
On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers at this airport, not any single flight or airline.
Related
Source: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Airline on-time performance and operational reliability · 2025
Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. Airport figures are computed directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.