Carlsbad, CA

What the Data Says About CLD

Carlsbad, CA in Carlsbad, California handled 1,281 flights in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics dataset between 2025 and 2025, posting a 89.3% on-time departure rate. Of those flights, 137 experienced delays, 2 were cancelled, and 1 were diverted. The cancellation rate works out to 0.16%, the diversion rate to 0.08%, and the average delay when departures run late is 62.9 minutes. These figures are the baseline for comparing CLD against other airports in the same state and nationally.

Breaking down what drives delays at CLD, Carrier leads the pack. Carrier accounts for 39.8% of total delay minutes, followed by Late Aircraft at 31.2% and NAS (National Aviation System) at 14.9%. Weather contributes 8.0% of delay minutes at this airport, while security holds the smallest share at 6.1%. Travelers often overestimate the weather share; the BTS categorization shows late-arriving aircraft and carrier operations as the larger contributors.

Seasonally, December runs the cleanest at CLD with a 99.2% on-time rate, while November is the roughest at 93.3% — a 6-point swing between best and worst month. Volume peaks in October, when average flights hit 124. The busiest route from CLD is to CLD (Carlsbad), with 641 flights at a 86.9% on-time rate. Combine these numbers — 89.3% on-time, 62.9-minute average delay, 0.16% cancellation rate — and you have a concrete picture of departure reliability at Carlsbad, CA.