Fort Smith, AR

What the Data Says About FSM

Fort Smith, AR in Fort Smith, Arkansas handled 14,933 flights in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics dataset between 2020 and 2025, posting a 85.8% on-time departure rate. Of those flights, 2,123 experienced delays, 295 were cancelled, and 9 were diverted. The cancellation rate works out to 1.98%, the diversion rate to 0.06%, and the average delay when departures run late is 84.8 minutes. These figures are the baseline for comparing FSM against other airports in the same state and nationally.

Breaking down what drives delays at FSM, Carrier leads the pack. Carrier accounts for 36.6% of total delay minutes, followed by Late Aircraft at 33.3% and Weather at 16.6%. Weather contributes 16.6% of delay minutes at this airport, while security holds the smallest share at 0.3%. Travelers often overestimate the weather share; the BTS categorization shows late-arriving aircraft and carrier operations as the larger contributors.

Seasonally, February runs the cleanest at FSM with a 95.4% on-time rate, while June is the roughest at 87.6% — a 8-point swing between best and worst month. Volume peaks in March, when average flights hit 238. The busiest route from FSM is to FSM (Fort Smith), with 7,208 flights at a 85.5% on-time rate. Combine these numbers — 85.8% on-time, 84.8-minute average delay, 1.98% cancellation rate — and you have a concrete picture of departure reliability at Fort Smith, AR.