Airport · FAI · Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks, AK
Fairbanks, AK posts below-median 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 44,233 flights (2020–2025); its biggest delay driver is late aircraft.
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 83.1%
- On-time
- Top 54%
- on-time, US airports
- 59 min
- Delay when late
- 0.80%
- Cancelled
Key Performance Metrics
Total Flights
44,233
Best Month
Apr 95.1%
Worst Month
Dec 85%
Delayed
7,479
Cancelled
352
FAI on-time rate vs. the national average
Ahead of the U.S. average across all 382 tracked airports.
Where FAI sits among all 382 tracked airports
FAI's 83.1% on-time rate falls in the 80-85% band, the 192-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 FAI is marked in the 80-85% band.
Delay Cause Breakdown
Top delay cause: Late Aircraft. Total delay minutes: 201,650.
FAI - seasonal on-time pattern
Best: April (95.1%) · worst: December (85%)
Seasonal Performance Patterns
Monthly averages across all years of data. Best month: April (95.1% on-time). Most delays: December (85% on-time).
| Month | Avg Flights | Avg Delayed | Avg Cancelled | On-Time % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 503 | 158 | 12 | 85% |
| November | 480 | 88 | 3 | 92% |
| October | 541 | 66 | 1 | 94.2% |
| September | 680 | 87 | 1 | 94% |
| August | 827 | 150 | 4 | 92.1% |
| July | 810 | 129 | 4 | 92.9% |
| June | 774 | 130 | 4 | 93.3% |
| May | 600 | 96 | 4 | 94% |
| April | 503 | 70 | 9 | 95.1% |
| March | 608 | 85 | 9 | 94.3% |
| February | 504 | 95 | 3 | 92.2% |
| January | 544 | 94 | 6 | 92% |
Year-Over-Year Performance
Annual flight volume and on-time trends at FAI.
FAI - on-time rate by year
2020–2025, year-over-year trend.
| Year | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | On-Time % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7,518 | 557 | 33 | 92.6% |
| 2024 | 6,905 | 586 | 40 | 91.5% |
| 2023 | 6,100 | 415 | 18 | 93.2% |
| 2022 | 9,268 | 728 | 130 | 92.1% |
| 2021 | 9,358 | 749 | 103 | 92% |
| 2020 | 5,084 | 203 | 28 | 96% |
Cancellation & Diversion Analysis
Flight disruption statistics for Fairbanks, AK.
Cancellation Rate
0.80%
352 of 44,233 flights
Diversion Rate
0.04%
16 of 44,233 flights
Delay Rate
16.9%
7,479 of 44,233 flights
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of flight data.
| Period | Flights | Dep Delayed | Arr Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 574 | 95 | 100 | 7 | 0 |
| Nov 2025 | 530 | 24 | 31 | 4 | 0 |
| Oct 2025 | 515 | 31 | 38 | 2 | 0 |
| Sep 2025 | 716 | 27 | 38 | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 2025 | 876 | 85 | 101 | 4 | 0 |
| Jul 2025 | 878 | 84 | 133 | 7 | 0 |
| Jun 2025 | 788 | 70 | 116 | 1 | 0 |
| May 2025 | 532 | 41 | 64 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 2025 | 497 | 22 | 46 | 2 | 0 |
| Mar 2025 | 574 | 16 | 41 | 1 | 0 |
| Feb 2025 | 496 | 25 | 44 | 1 | 0 |
| Jan 2025 | 542 | 37 | 39 | 2 | 0 |
| Dec 2024 | 438 | 35 | 40 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 2024 | 420 | 25 | 45 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 2024 | 532 | 33 | 41 | 3 | 0 |
| Sep 2024 | 694 | 59 | 61 | 2 | 0 |
| Aug 2024 | 788 | 81 | 116 | 4 | 0 |
| Jul 2024 | 768 | 96 | 106 | 7 | 0 |
| Jun 2024 | 746 | 62 | 97 | 2 | 1 |
| May 2024 | 619 | 54 | 95 | 3 | 1 |
| Apr 2024 | 528 | 38 | 72 | 4 | 1 |
| Mar 2024 | 611 | 43 | 58 | 1 | 0 |
| Feb 2024 | 374 | 17 | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| Jan 2024 | 387 | 43 | 49 | 12 | 0 |
Top Routes from FAI
Busiest routes to and from Fairbanks, AK.
| Route | Flights | On-Time | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEA (Seattle) → FAI (Fairbanks) | 11,703 | 76.4% | 1,533 mi |
| FAI (Fairbanks) → SEA (Seattle) | 11,702 | 82.2% | 1,533 mi |
| FAI (Fairbanks) → ANC (Anchorage) | 8,502 | 87.4% | 261 mi |
| ANC (Anchorage) → FAI (Fairbanks) | 8,478 | 87.3% | 261 mi |
| FAI (Fairbanks) → ORD (Chicago) | 510 | 84.3% | 2,785 mi |
| ORD (Chicago) → FAI (Fairbanks) | 510 | 76.3% | 2,785 mi |
Airports With a Similar On-Time Rate
Other U.S. airports nationwide whose on-time rate is closest to Fairbanks, AK's 83.1%.
Other Airports in Alaska
Compare performance with other Alaska airports.
Anchorage, AK
Anchorage · 214,443 flights
Juneau, AK
Juneau · 52,533 flights
Ketchikan, AK
Ketchikan · 27,238 flights
Sitka, AK
Sitka · 14,900 flights
Kodiak, AK
Kodiak · 9,654 flights
Petersburg, AK
Petersburg · 8,696 flights
Wrangell, AK
Wrangell · 8,696 flights
Yakutat, AK
Yakutat · 8,692 flights
Keep exploring
More flight data around Fairbanks, AK.
Alaska flight data
Statewide on-time and delay aggregates, plus every reporting airport in Alaska.
View AK data →Airport rankings
See where FAI sits among U.S. airports on on-time rate and average delay.
Best on-time airports →Compare airports
Put FAI head-to-head with another airport on delays and reliability.
Open comparison tool →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 connecting FAI is to SEA (Seattle), 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the on-time performance rate at Fairbanks, AK (FAI)? ▼
What is the most common cause of delays at FAI? ▼
What is the average delay time at FAI? ▼
What is the best month to fly from FAI? ▼
What is the worst month for delays at FAI? ▼
How many routes operate from FAI? ▼
What is the cancellation rate at FAI? ▼
Flight Guides
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Using FAI's data
An airport-level on-time rate is a starting point, not a guarantee for your specific flight.
- Check the busiest route from FAI before you book a connection. See top routes
- Travel in April 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.