According to PlainFlights' airport traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), Los Angeles, CA (LAX) ranks #6 of 382 tracked US airports by total flights (most flights = #1). Los Angeles, CA posts below-median on-time performance among the 382 tracked U.S. airports, as one of the busiest U.S. airports.
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LAX 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: 11,609,024.
Late Aircraft36.3% (4,217,660 min)
Carrier41.7% (4,840,709 min)
NAS (National Aviation System)18.5% (2,143,944 min)
Weather3.3% (381,005 min)
Security0.2% (25,706 min)
LAX - seasonal on-time pattern
Best: September (93.2%) · worst: June (89.3%)
LAX - on-time rate by year
2020–2025, year-over-year trend.
LAX - taxi-out and taxi-in (monthly)
Average taxi-out 18.2 min · taxi-in 10.6 min over the last 24 reported months (U.S. airport mean taxi-out ≈ 16.4 min).
LAX's average taxi-out (18.2 min) sits near the recent U.S. airport mean (~16.4 min). Month-to-month, it swings from 17.0 min (January 2025) to 20.0 min (June 2024).
Two PlainFlights-derived comparison paths for Los Angeles, CA, both outside California 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 Los Angeles, CA is traffic scale: 2,137,032 BTS flights (2020–2025) place it #6 of 382 by book size. That busy-book footprint sits beside a 82.8% on-time rate (3.8 pts above the 79% national flight-weighted average), 366,815 delayed departures, and 15,795 cancellations (0.74% of the book).
Delay minutes concentrate in Carrier (36.3% late-aircraft, 41.7% carrier, 18.5% NAS, 3.3% weather, 0.2% security). As a busy airport, that mix matters more for connection planning than for a thin schedule.
On the multi-year calendar, LAX is strongest in September (93.2% on-time) and weakest in June (89.3%), a 3.9-point swing. Volume peaks in July (~31,847 flights/month). The busiest connecting route is to SFO (San Francisco) at 78.7% on-time. Field definitions: on-time performance explained.
Los Angeles, CA vs. the national on-time distribution
On-time rate among all 382 tracked U.S. airports
82.8%Top 57%higher than 43% of 382 airports
Los Angeles, CA
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.
LAX's on-time book is mid-pack; month and delay-cause mix move more than the headline rate.
Check the busiest route from LAX before you book a connection. See top routes →
Travel in September rather than June if your dates are flexible. Seasonal patterns →
Gate-to-wheels taxi-out averages 18.2 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 Los Angeles, CA's on-time rate?
Los Angeles, CA (LAX) has a 82.8% on-time rate across 2,137,032 BTS-tracked flights (2020-2025), 3.8 pts above the 79% national flight-weighted average; that places it in roughly the below-median on-time performance.
How does LAX rank among U.S. airports by traffic volume?
Los Angeles, CA ranks #6 of 382 tracked US airports by total BTS flights (most flights = #1), making it one of the busiest U.S. airports.
What's the most common cause of delays at Los Angeles, CA?
Carrier is the leading delay cause at LAX, accounting for 41.7% of delay minutes. The full breakdown: 36.3% late-aircraft, 41.7% carrier, 18.5% NAS/air-traffic-control, 3.3% weather, and 0.2% security.
When is the best time to fly through Los Angeles, CA?
September is historically LAX's strongest month at 93.2% on-time, while June is the weakest at 89.3%, a 3.9-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