Fairbanks, AK

What the Data Says About FAI

Fairbanks, AK in Fairbanks, Alaska handled 44,233 flights in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics dataset between 2020 and 2025, posting a 83.1% on-time departure rate. Of those flights, 7,479 experienced delays, 352 were cancelled, and 16 were diverted. The cancellation rate works out to 0.80%, the diversion rate to 0.04%, and the average delay when departures run late is 59.2 minutes. These figures are the baseline for comparing FAI against other airports in the same state and nationally.

Breaking down what drives delays at FAI, Late Aircraft leads the pack. Late Aircraft accounts for 43.8% of total delay minutes, followed by Carrier at 36.6% and NAS (National Aviation System) at 17.2%. Weather contributes 2.3% of delay minutes at this airport, while security holds the smallest share at 0.1%. Travelers often overestimate the weather share; the BTS categorization shows late-arriving aircraft and carrier operations as the larger contributors.

Seasonally, April runs the cleanest at FAI with a 95.1% on-time rate, while December is the roughest at 85% — a 10-point swing between best and worst month. Volume peaks in August, when average flights hit 827. The busiest route from FAI is to FAI (Fairbanks), with 11,703 flights at a 76.4% on-time rate. Combine these numbers — 83.1% on-time, 59.2-minute average delay, 0.80% cancellation rate — and you have a concrete picture of departure reliability at Fairbanks, AK.