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Route · ANC → FAI · 2020–2025 BTS data

Anchorage to Fairbanks

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ANC to FAI (Anchorage to Fairbanks) ranks #1432 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

87.3%
On-time
+8.3 pts
vs US avg
59 min
Delay when late
8,478
Flights
#1432 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.9%

Best Month

May 2025 98%

Worst Month

Jun 2024 81%

Distance

261 mi

Carriers

5

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 86 11 2 0 AS
Nov 2025 100 12 4 0 AS
Oct 2025 93 7 0 0 AS
Sep 2025 60 1 0 0 AS
Aug 2025 68 6 0 0 AS
Jul 2025 68 4 0 0 AS
Jun 2025 66 4 0 0 AS
May 2025 62 1 0 0 AS
Apr 2025 77 7 1 0 AS
Mar 2025 90 15 0 0 AS
Feb 2025 80 6 0 0 AS
Jan 2025 80 5 2 0 AS
Dec 2024 34 4 0 0 AS
Nov 2024 48 6 0 0 AS
Oct 2024 88 8 0 0 AS
Sep 2024 65 2 0 0 AS
Aug 2024 61 10 1 0 AS
Jul 2024 55 10 0 0 AS
Jun 2024 67 13 0 0 AS
May 2024 88 6 2 0 AS
Apr 2024 101 19 3 0 AS
Mar 2024 111 13 0 0 AS
Feb 2024 42 7 0 0 AS
Jan 2024 31 9 1 0 AS

ANC–FAI seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (93.5%) · weakest: December (72.0%)

70%75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 72%

Strongest calendar month

October

93.5% on-time · ~119 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~143 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

72.0% on-time · ~113 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.9%

16 of 1,721 flights

Diversion Rate

0.0%

0 of 1,721 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

ANC - Anchorage

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Anchorage, AK.

ANC on-time profile

FAI - Fairbanks

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Fairbanks, AK.

FAI on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See ANC and FAI side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare ANC vs FAI

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among ANC's stronger departures

ANC → FAI posts a 87.3% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 10 of 21 BTS-tracked routes leaving Anchorage. The same hub also shows 10 mid-band and 1 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #552 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About ANC to FAI

Anchorage to Fairbanks (ANC to FAI) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 87.3% on-time rate across 8,478 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 58.7 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 261 miles and is served by 5 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 16 of 1,721 flights were cancelled (0.9%) and 0 diverted (0.0%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: May 2025 posted the strongest performance at 98% on-time, while Jun 2024 came in at just 81% - a 18-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ANC–FAI peaks in October at 93.5% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~143 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 72.0%, a 21.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ANC to FAI rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ANC to FAI ranks #1432 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1). That ordinal matches our busiest-routes listing (total_flights DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement for the exact sort basis.
How often are flights delayed from ANC to FAI? ▼
Flights from Anchorage to Fairbanks have a 87.3% on-time rate based on 8,478 flights. The average delay is 58.7 minutes. The best recent month was May 2025 with 98% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ANC to FAI? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (16 of 1,721 flights) and 0.0% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ANC to FAI? ▼
The flight distance from Anchorage (ANC) to Fairbanks (FAI) is approximately 261 miles. This route is served by 5 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from ANC to FAI? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was May 2025 (98% on-time). The worst was Jun 2024 (81% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

ANC Airport

Anchorage
FAI Airport

Fairbanks
Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Using ANC–FAI data

ANC–FAI runs 8.3 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare ANC and FAI airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ANC airport
  • If your dates flex, October (93.5% on-time) beats December (72.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 87.3% on-time rate; compare before you commit to this pairing. Similar routes

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers on this origin–destination pair, not any single flight or booking recommendation.

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

Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates this specific route's on-time performance and monthly trend, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.