Airport · BLI · Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham, WA
Bellingham, WA posts top-quartile on-time performance among the 382 tracked U.S. airports, as a mid-size U.S. airport. According to the U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, drawn from 29,229 flights (2020–2025); its biggest delay driver is carrier.
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 85.8%
- On-time
- Top 25%
- on-time, US airports
- 67 min
- Delay when late
- 1.45%
- Cancelled
Key Performance Metrics
Total Flights
29,229
Best Month
May 95.5%
Worst Month
Dec 91.3%
Delayed
4,158
Cancelled
424
BLI on-time rate vs. the national average
Ahead of the U.S. average across all 382 tracked airports.
Where BLI sits among all 382 tracked airports
BLI's 85.8% 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 BLI is marked in the 85-90% band.
Delay Cause Breakdown
Top delay cause: Carrier. Total delay minutes: 122,120.
BLI - seasonal on-time pattern
Best: May (95.5%) · worst: December (91.3%)
Seasonal Performance Patterns
Monthly averages across all years of data. Best month: May (95.5% on-time). Most delays: December (91.3% on-time).
| Month | Avg Flights | Avg Delayed | Avg Cancelled | On-Time % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 411 | 71 | 13 | 91.3% |
| November | 395 | 47 | 3 | 94.8% |
| October | 398 | 51 | 1 | 93.6% |
| September | 376 | 48 | 1 | 93.8% |
| August | 407 | 72 | 3 | 92.2% |
| July | 470 | 83 | 4 | 92.8% |
| June | 435 | 68 | 2 | 93.8% |
| May | 437 | 47 | 21 | 95.5% |
| April | 488 | 62 | 1 | 94.3% |
| March | 455 | 59 | 11 | 94.7% |
| February | 339 | 45 | 4 | 94.6% |
| January | 343 | 52 | 9 | 92.8% |
Year-Over-Year Performance
Annual flight volume and on-time trends at BLI.
BLI - on-time rate by year
2020–2025, year-over-year trend.
| Year | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | On-Time % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,818 | 287 | 30 | 94% |
| 2024 | 5,087 | 366 | 17 | 92.8% |
| 2023 | 5,251 | 398 | 10 | 92.4% |
| 2022 | 7,406 | 515 | 83 | 93% |
| 2021 | 4,934 | 226 | 93 | 95.4% |
| 2020 | 1,733 | 50 | 191 | 97.1% |
Cancellation & Diversion Analysis
Flight disruption statistics for Bellingham, WA.
Cancellation Rate
1.45%
424 of 29,229 flights
Diversion Rate
0.09%
26 of 29,229 flights
Delay Rate
14.2%
4,158 of 29,229 flights
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of flight data.
| Period | Flights | Dep Delayed | Arr Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 432 | 38 | 44 | 2 | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | 347 | 12 | 24 | 15 | 0 |
| Oct 2025 | 403 | 28 | 25 | 2 | 0 |
| Sep 2025 | 377 | 18 | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 2025 | 402 | 23 | 34 | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 2025 | 446 | 21 | 36 | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 2025 | 430 | 28 | 51 | 0 | 0 |
| May 2025 | 424 | 19 | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2025 | 403 | 19 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2025 | 417 | 25 | 36 | 1 | 0 |
| Feb 2025 | 359 | 31 | 42 | 2 | 0 |
| Jan 2025 | 378 | 25 | 24 | 5 | 1 |
| Dec 2024 | 354 | 28 | 23 | 5 | 0 |
| Nov 2024 | 326 | 14 | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 2024 | 348 | 32 | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2024 | 306 | 29 | 34 | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 2024 | 367 | 28 | 38 | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 2024 | 560 | 46 | 68 | 3 | 2 |
| Jun 2024 | 528 | 45 | 54 | 0 | 0 |
| May 2024 | 488 | 27 | 38 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2024 | 491 | 36 | 35 | 2 | 0 |
| Mar 2024 | 510 | 33 | 50 | 0 | 2 |
| Feb 2024 | 400 | 12 | 25 | 2 | 0 |
| Jan 2024 | 409 | 36 | 39 | 2 | 1 |
Top Routes from BLI
Busiest routes to and from Bellingham, WA.
| Route | Flights | On-Time | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEA (Seattle) → BLI (Bellingham) | 5,958 | 85.1% | 93 mi |
| BLI (Bellingham) → SEA (Seattle) | 5,955 | 84.5% | 93 mi |
| LAS (Las Vegas) → BLI (Bellingham) | 3,745 | 82.5% | 954 mi |
| BLI (Bellingham) → LAS (Las Vegas) | 3,743 | 89.2% | 954 mi |
| OAK (Oakland) → BLI (Bellingham) | 1,966 | 81.2% | 764 mi |
| BLI (Bellingham) → OAK (Oakland) | 1,964 | 83.2% | 764 mi |
Airports With a Similar On-Time Rate
Other U.S. airports nationwide whose on-time rate is closest to Bellingham, WA's 85.8%.
Other Airports in Washington
Compare performance with other Washington airports.
Seattle, WA
Seattle · 1,871,155 flights
Spokane, WA
Spokane · 205,595 flights
Pasco/Kennewick/Richland, WA
Pasco/Kennewick/Richland · 63,750 flights
Everett, WA
Everett · 19,411 flights
Pullman, WA
Pullman · 4,696 flights
Walla Walla, WA
Walla Walla · 4,519 flights
Wenatchee, WA
Wenatchee · 2,841 flights
Yakima, WA
Yakima · 2,733 flights
Keep exploring
More flight data around Bellingham, WA.
Washington flight data
Statewide on-time and delay aggregates, plus every reporting airport in Washington.
View WA data →Airport rankings
See where BLI sits among U.S. airports on on-time rate and average delay.
Best on-time airports →Compare airports
Put BLI head-to-head with another airport on delays and reliability.
Open comparison tool →What the Data Says About BLI
Bellingham, WA in Bellingham, Washington handled 29,229 flights in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics dataset between 2020 and 2025, posting a 85.8% on-time departure rate. Of those flights, 4,158 experienced delays, 424 were cancelled, and 26 were diverted. The cancellation rate works out to 1.45%, the diversion rate to 0.09%, and the average delay when departures run late is 67.4 minutes. These figures are the baseline for comparing BLI against other airports in the same state and nationally.
Breaking down what drives delays at BLI, Carrier leads the pack. Carrier accounts for 39.3% of total delay minutes, followed by Late Aircraft at 32.5% and NAS (National Aviation System) at 16.1%. Weather contributes 11.9% of delay minutes at this airport, while security holds the smallest share at 0.2%. 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 BLI with a 95.5% on-time rate, while December is the roughest at 91.3% - a 4-point swing between best and worst month. Volume peaks in April, when average flights hit 488. The busiest route connecting BLI is to SEA (Seattle), with 5,958 flights at a 85.1% on-time rate. Combine these numbers - 85.8% on-time, 67.4-minute average delay, 1.45% cancellation rate, and you have a concrete picture of departure reliability at Bellingham, WA.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is the average delay time at BLI? ▼
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How many routes operate from BLI? ▼
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Flight Guides
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Using BLI's data
An airport-level on-time rate is a starting point, not a guarantee for your specific flight.
- Check the busiest route from BLI before you book a connection. See top routes
- Travel in May rather than December 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.