According to PlainFlights' airport traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), Pierre, SD (PIR) ranks #352 of 382 tracked US airports by total flights (most flights = #1). Pierre, SD posts top-quartile on-time performance among the 382 tracked U.S. airports, as a smaller regional airport.
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PIR on-time rate vs. the national average
Ahead of the U.S. average across all 382 tracked airports.
Volume vs. on-time rate
Where Pierre, SD sits on volume vs. on-time rate
Among the 382 U.S. airports in the BTS corpus, Pierre, SD handles more flight
volume than 8% of them, and has a higher on-time rate than
84% of them, placing it in the quadrant for quiet and reliable.
Flight volume and on-time rate are independent figures: a busy airport can still run
reliably, and a quiet one can still run late.
Pierre, SD vs. a 29-airport national peer sample, volume percentile vs. on-time-rate percentile.
Total flights (2020-2025): 3,006 ·
On-time rate: 87.0%
Delay Cause Breakdown
Top delay cause: Carrier.
Total delay minutes24,033 min
Carrier16,037 min · 67%
NAS (National Aviation System)3,311 min · 14%
Late Aircraft2,713 min · 11%
Weather1,972 min · 8%
Security0 min · 0%
Source: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, On-Time Performance
PIR - seasonal on-time pattern
Best: April (99%) · worst: February (91.1%)
PIR - on-time rate by year
2020–2025, year-over-year trend.
PIR - taxi-out and taxi-in (monthly)
Average taxi-out 14.4 min · taxi-in 4 min over the last 24 reported months (U.S. airport mean taxi-out ≈ 16.4 min).
PIR's average taxi-out (14.4 min) sits near the recent U.S. airport mean (~16.4 min). Month-to-month, it swings from 9.9 min (May 2021) to 27.0 min (December 2025).
Two PlainFlights-derived comparison paths for Pierre, SD, both outside South Dakota 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 Pierre, SD is the delay mix: Carrier owns 66.7% of 24,033 delay minutes across 3,006 BTS flights. The on-time headline is 87% (8 pts above the 79% national average), with 390 delayed and 48 cancelled (1.60%).
Delay minutes concentrate in Carrier (11.3% late-aircraft, 66.7% carrier, 13.8% NAS, 8.2% weather, 0.0% security). As a quieter airport, a single late inbound can swing the month more than at a mega-hub.
On the multi-year calendar, PIR is strongest in April (99% on-time) and weakest in February (91.1%), a 7.9-point swing. Volume peaks in October (~117 flights/month). The busiest connecting route is to DEN (Denver) at 84.8% on-time. Field definitions: on-time performance explained.
Pierre, SD vs. the national on-time distribution
On-time rate among all 382 tracked U.S. airports
87%Top 16%higher than 84% of 382 airports
Pierre, SD
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.
PIR'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 PIR before you book a connection. See top routes →
Travel in April rather than February if your dates are flexible. Seasonal patterns →
Gate-to-wheels taxi-out averages 14.4 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 Pierre, SD's on-time rate?
Pierre, SD (PIR) has a 87% on-time rate across 3,006 BTS-tracked flights (2020-2025), 8 pts above the 79% national flight-weighted average; that places it in roughly the top-quartile on-time performance.
How does PIR rank among U.S. airports by traffic volume?
Pierre, SD ranks #352 of 382 tracked US airports by total BTS flights (most flights = #1), making it a smaller regional airport.
What's the most common cause of delays at Pierre, SD?
Carrier is the leading delay cause at PIR, accounting for 66.7% of delay minutes. The full breakdown: 11.3% late-aircraft, 66.7% carrier, 13.8% NAS/air-traffic-control, 8.2% weather, and 0.0% security.
When is the best time to fly through Pierre, SD?
April is historically PIR's strongest month at 99% on-time, while February is the weakest at 91.1%, a 7.9-point swing across the BTS historical record.