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Airport · PIR · Pierre, South Dakota

Pierre, SD

Pierre, SD posts top-quartile on-time performance among the 382 tracked U.S. airports, as a smaller regional airport. According to the U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, drawn from 3,006 flights (2020–2025); its biggest delay driver is carrier.

Data updated 2026-06-13

87%
On-time
Top 16%
on-time, US airports
117 min
Delay when late
1.60%
Cancelled

Key Performance Metrics

Total Flights

3,006

Best Month

Apr 99%

Worst Month

Feb 91.1%

Delayed

390

Cancelled

48

PIR on-time rate vs. the national average

Ahead of the U.S. average across all 382 tracked airports.

0%100%U.S. average79%87%

Where PIR sits among all 382 tracked airports

PIR's 87% on-time rate falls in the 85-90% band, the 116-airport band it shares.

National on-time-rate distribution

airports

What this shows PIR is marked in the 85-90% band.

Delay Cause Breakdown

Top delay cause: Carrier. Total delay minutes: 24,033.

Late Aircraft 11.3% (2,713 min)
Carrier 66.7% (16,037 min)
NAS (National Aviation System) 13.8% (3,311 min)
Weather 8.2% (1,972 min)
Security 0.0% (0 min)

PIR - seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (99%) · worst: February (91.1%)

90%92%94%96%98%100% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 95.3%

Seasonal Performance Patterns

Monthly averages across all years of data. Best month: April (99% on-time). Most delays: February (91.1% on-time).

Month Avg Flights Avg Delayed Avg Cancelled On-Time %
December 93 12 1 95.3%
November 114 9 1 95%
October 117 18 1 91.8%
September 102 10 1 95.1%
August 106 22 1 92.2%
July 103 22 3 91.3%
June 81 14 0 93.8%
May 90 7 3 96.1%
April 104 5 1 99%
March 111 7 7 97.3%
February 101 23 1 91.1%
January 76 7 2 96.1%

Year-Over-Year Performance

Annual flight volume and on-time trends at PIR.

PIR - on-time rate by year

2020–2025, year-over-year trend.

90%95%100%105% 2020202120222025 95.8% 92.1% ▼ -3.9%
Year Flights Delayed Cancelled On-Time %
2025 595 47 6 92.1%
2022 6 0 1 100%
2021 1,207 72 22 94%
2020 1,198 50 19 95.8%

Cancellation & Diversion Analysis

Flight disruption statistics for Pierre, SD.

Cancellation Rate

1.60%

48 of 3,006 flights

Diversion Rate

0.00%

0 of 3,006 flights

Delay Rate

13.0%

390 of 3,006 flights

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of flight data.

Period Flights Dep Delayed Arr Delayed Cancelled Diverted
Dec 2025 110 5 10 1 0
Nov 2025 136 9 6 2 0
Oct 2025 140 10 10 0 0
Sep 2025 102 10 7 2 0
Aug 2025 107 13 21 1 0
Jan 2022 6 0 0 1 0
Dec 2021 62 4 4 3 0
Nov 2021 102 7 3 0 0
Oct 2021 106 9 9 2 0
Sep 2021 104 4 5 1 0
Aug 2021 106 7 15 1 0
Jul 2021 106 14 21 5 0
Jun 2021 102 7 15 0 0
May 2021 106 6 6 0 0
Apr 2021 104 1 5 1 0
Mar 2021 106 2 4 6 0
Feb 2021 96 7 11 1 0
Jan 2021 107 4 4 2 0
Dec 2020 106 4 9 0 0
Nov 2020 104 1 2 0 0
Oct 2020 106 10 7 2 0
Sep 2020 100 1 4 0 0
Aug 2020 106 5 5 0 0
Jul 2020 100 4 5 0 0

Top Routes from PIR

Busiest routes to and from Pierre, SD.

Route Flights On-Time Distance
DEN (Denver) → PIR (Pierre) 1,380 84.8% 385 mi
PIR (Pierre) → DEN (Denver) 1,380 85.9% 385 mi

What the Data Says About PIR

Pierre, SD in Pierre, South Dakota handled 3,006 flights in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics dataset between 2020 and 2025, posting a 87% on-time departure rate. Of those flights, 390 experienced delays, 48 were cancelled, and 0 were diverted. The cancellation rate works out to 1.60%, the diversion rate to 0.00%, and the average delay when departures run late is 116.7 minutes. These figures are the baseline for comparing PIR against other airports in the same state and nationally.

Breaking down what drives delays at PIR, Carrier leads the pack. Carrier accounts for 66.7% of total delay minutes, followed by NAS (National Aviation System) at 13.8% and Late Aircraft at 11.3%. Weather contributes 8.2% of delay minutes at this airport, while security holds the smallest share at 0.0%. 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 PIR with a 99% on-time rate, while February is the roughest at 91.1% - a 8-point swing between best and worst month. Volume peaks in October, when average flights hit 117. The busiest route connecting PIR is to DEN (Denver), with 1,380 flights at a 84.8% on-time rate. Combine these numbers - 87% on-time, 116.7-minute average delay, 1.60% cancellation rate, and you have a concrete picture of departure reliability at Pierre, SD.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the on-time performance rate at Pierre, SD (PIR)?
Pierre, SD has an overall on-time departure rate of 87%. Out of 3,006 total flights tracked, 390 experienced delays and 48 were cancelled.
What is the most common cause of delays at PIR?
The top delay cause at Pierre, SD is Carrier. Carrier accounts for 66.7% of all delay minutes.
What is the average delay time at PIR?
The average delay at Pierre, SD is 116.7 minutes. This includes delays from carrier issues, weather, National Aviation System constraints, security, and late-arriving aircraft.
What is the best month to fly from PIR?
Based on historical data, April has the best on-time performance at PIR with 99% of flights departing on time.
What is the worst month for delays at PIR?
February tends to have the most delays at PIR, with an on-time rate of only 91.1%.
How many routes operate from PIR?
Pierre, SD serves at least 2 routes. The busiest route is DEN to PIR (Denver - Pierre) with 1,380 flights.
What is the cancellation rate at PIR?
Pierre, SD has a cancellation rate of 1.60%, based on 48 cancelled flights out of 3,006 total flights tracked.

Explore PlainFlights

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.

Using PIR's data

An airport-level on-time rate is a starting point, not a guarantee for your specific flight.

  • 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
  • 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.

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 Editorial

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.