According to PlainFlights' airport traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), Vernal, UT (VEL) ranks #329 of 382 tracked US airports by total flights (most flights = #1). Vernal, UT posts top-quartile on-time performance among the 382 tracked U.S. airports, as a smaller regional airport.
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VEL 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: 39,311.
Late Aircraft30.3% (11,914 min)
Carrier45.4% (17,860 min)
NAS (National Aviation System)10.3% (4,037 min)
Weather13.9% (5,483 min)
Security0.0% (17 min)
VEL - seasonal on-time pattern
Best: May (96.7%) · worst: July (90.5%)
VEL - on-time rate by year
2020–2024, year-over-year trend.
VEL - taxi-out and taxi-in (monthly)
Average taxi-out 17.2 min · taxi-in 3.7 min over the last 24 reported months (U.S. airport mean taxi-out ≈ 16.4 min).
VEL's average taxi-out (17.2 min) sits near the recent U.S. airport mean (~16.4 min). Month-to-month, it swings from 7.0 min (September 2022) to 31.8 min (November 2022).
Two PlainFlights-derived comparison paths for Vernal, UT, both outside Utah 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 Vernal, UT is the delay mix: Carrier owns 45.4% of 39,311 delay minutes across 4,784 BTS flights. The on-time headline is 86.8% (7.8 pts above the 79% national average), with 632 delayed and 113 cancelled (2.36%).
Delay minutes concentrate in Carrier (30.3% late-aircraft, 45.4% carrier, 10.3% NAS, 13.9% 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, VEL is strongest in May (96.7% on-time) and weakest in July (90.5%), a 6.2-point swing. Volume peaks in March (~107 flights/month). The busiest connecting route is to DEN (Denver) at 85.6% on-time. Field definitions: on-time performance explained.
Vernal, UT vs. the national on-time distribution
On-time rate among all 382 tracked U.S. airports
86.8%Top 17%higher than 83% of 382 airports
Vernal, UT
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 (2020–2024).
Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods. On-time rates exclude cancelled and diverted flights.
VEL'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 VEL before you book a connection. See top routes →
Travel in May rather than July if your dates are flexible. Seasonal patterns →
Gate-to-wheels taxi-out averages 17.2 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 Vernal, UT's on-time rate?
Vernal, UT (VEL) has a 86.8% on-time rate across 4,784 BTS-tracked flights (2020-2024), 7.8 pts above the 79% national flight-weighted average; that places it in roughly the top-quartile on-time performance.
How does VEL rank among U.S. airports by traffic volume?
Vernal, UT ranks #329 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 Vernal, UT?
Carrier is the leading delay cause at VEL, accounting for 45.4% of delay minutes. The full breakdown: 30.3% late-aircraft, 45.4% carrier, 10.3% NAS/air-traffic-control, 13.9% weather, and 0.0% security.
When is the best time to fly through Vernal, UT?
May is historically VEL's strongest month at 96.7% on-time, while July is the weakest at 90.5%, a 6.2-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