According to PlainFlights' airport traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), Fort Smith, AR (FSM) ranks #227 of 382 tracked US airports by total flights (most flights = #1). Fort Smith, AR posts top-quartile on-time performance among the 382 tracked U.S. airports, as a mid-size U.S. airport.
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FSM on-time rate vs. the national average
Ahead of the U.S. average across all 382 tracked airports.
Delay Cause Breakdown
Top delay cause: Carrier.
Total delay minutes: 103,086.
Late Aircraft33.3% (34,351 min)
Carrier36.6% (37,678 min)
NAS (National Aviation System)13.2% (13,652 min)
Weather16.6% (17,088 min)
Security0.3% (317 min)
FSM - seasonal on-time pattern
Best: February (95.4%) · worst: June (87.6%)
FSM - on-time rate by year
2020–2025, year-over-year trend.
FSM - taxi-out and taxi-in (monthly)
Average taxi-out 15.2 min · taxi-in 4.1 min over the last 24 reported months (U.S. airport mean taxi-out ≈ 16.4 min).
FSM's average taxi-out (15.2 min) sits near the recent U.S. airport mean (~16.4 min). Month-to-month, it swings from 11.1 min (July 2025) to 19.4 min (February 2024).
Two PlainFlights-derived comparison paths for Fort Smith, AR, both outside Arkansas so the neighborhoods are not same-state geography. Axes stay disjoint: volume peers exclude the on-time peer set. Same-state compare stays below.
The standout signal at Fort Smith, AR is the delay mix: Carrier owns 36.6% of 103,086 delay minutes across 14,933 BTS flights. The on-time headline is 85.8% (6.8 pts above the 79% national average), with 2,123 delayed and 295 cancelled (1.98%).
Delay minutes concentrate in Carrier (33.3% late-aircraft, 36.6% carrier, 13.2% NAS, 16.6% weather, 0.3% security). Mid-volume books still show a clear delay fingerprint rather than a weather-only story.
On the multi-year calendar, FSM is strongest in February (95.4% on-time) and weakest in June (87.6%), a 7.8-point swing. Volume peaks in March (~238 flights/month). The busiest connecting route is to DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) at 85.5% on-time. Field definitions: on-time performance explained.
Fort Smith, AR vs. the national on-time distribution
On-time rate among all 382 tracked U.S. airports
85.8%Top 25%higher than 75% of 382 airports
Fort Smith, AR
60%95%
U.S. airports by on-time rate, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more airports. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data (2020–2025).
Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods. On-time rates exclude cancelled and diverted flights.
FSM's on-time book is stronger than most peers; the remaining risk sits in the delay mix, not a weak headline rate.
Check the busiest route from FSM before you book a connection. See top routes →
Travel in February rather than June if your dates are flexible. Seasonal patterns →
Gate-to-wheels taxi-out averages 15.2 min here; check the monthly series before a tight connection. Taxi times →
On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers at this airport, not any single flight or airline.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Fort Smith, AR's on-time rate?
Fort Smith, AR (FSM) has a 85.8% on-time rate across 14,933 BTS-tracked flights (2020-2025), 6.8 pts above the 79% national flight-weighted average; that places it in roughly the top-quartile on-time performance.
How does FSM rank among U.S. airports by traffic volume?
Fort Smith, AR ranks #227 of 382 tracked US airports by total BTS flights (most flights = #1), making it a mid-size U.S. airport.
What's the most common cause of delays at Fort Smith, AR?
Carrier is the leading delay cause at FSM, accounting for 36.6% of delay minutes. The full breakdown: 33.3% late-aircraft, 36.6% carrier, 13.2% NAS/air-traffic-control, 16.6% weather, and 0.3% security.
When is the best time to fly through Fort Smith, AR?
February is historically FSM's strongest month at 95.4% on-time, while June is the weakest at 87.6%, a 7.8-point swing across the BTS historical record.
Data sourced from U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFlights