PlainFlights

State · SC · 2020–2025 BTS data

South Carolina

According to PlainFlights' state traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), South Carolina ranks #27 of 53 US states by total flight operations (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

82.4%
On-time
+3.4 pts
vs US avg
76 min
Delay when late
1.27%
Cancelled
#27 of 53
Corpus placement

State reliability verdict

According to U.S. DOT BTS data, flights in South Carolina run at 82.4% on-time (typical tercile) across 699,538 operations at 6 airports, 3.4 pts above the 79% U.S. average. Among tracked airports, CAE leads locally at 84.3% on-time.

82.4%
statewide on-time
+3.4 pts
vs US average
6
airports tracked
1.27%
cancellation rate

On-time means arrived less than 15 minutes after schedule. Figures are historical BTS averages, not a guarantee for any single flight.

South Carolina - all airports - flight delay tier distribution Stacked horizontal bar showing what percent of South Carolina - all airports flights fell into each Bureau of Transportation Statistics delay tier: on-time (under 15 minutes late), delayed (15-60 minutes), heavily delayed (60-120 minutes), severe (120+ minutes), and cancelled. South Carolina - all airports Flight delay tiers · BTS On-Time Performance methodology 82.4% 17.6% 0% 100% On time <15m · 82.4% Delayed 15–60m · 17.6% Cancelled cnx · 1.3%
Tiers follow Bureau of Transportation Statistics On-Time Performance definitions, a flight is on-time if it arrives less than 15 minutes after schedule.

South Carolina vs all states by total flight operations

Where this state's BTS On-Time Performance flight count sits among every state with tracked operations (traffic density, not on-time quality)

699,538 Top 51% more flights than 49% of 53 states

States, banded by total BTS-tracked flights

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. 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.

Source BTS On-Time Performance · 2026-06-13

Airports in South Carolina

South Carolina airports ranked by on-time rate

6 BTS-tracked airports, led by CAE at 84.3%

On-time rate by airport

%

What this shows Airports here range from 81.4% to 92.5% on-time.

Code Airport City Flights On-Time Avg Delay (when late)
CHS Charleston, SC Charleston 276,798 81.4% 74.9 min
MYR Myrtle Beach, SC Myrtle Beach 171,781 82.1% 76.5 min
GSP Greer, SC Greer 155,526 83.5% 77.4 min
CAE Columbia, SC Columbia 67,973 84.3% 79.1 min
HHH Hilton Head, SC Hilton Head 27,234 83.5% 78.7 min
FLO Florence, SC Florence 226 92.5% 83.2 min

South Carolina airport-inventory reading

The standout signal in South Carolina is airport inventory: 6 BTS-tracked airports across 699,538 flights. Statewide on-time is 82.4% (3.4 pts above the 79% U.S. average) with a 1.27% cancellation rate.

Mid-volume books still show a clear airport fingerprint: Charleston, SC (CHS) handles 276,798 flights at 81.4% on-time.

On the recent 24-month tape, delay pressure is lightest in Oct 2024 and heaviest in Jul 2025. On reliability, Columbia, SC (CAE) posts the highest on-time rate at 84.3% across 67,973 flights. On-time performance explained.

Using South Carolina's data

South Carolina's statewide on-time book is mid-pack; airport choice and month move more than the headline rate.

  • Columbia, SC (CAE) is the most reliable airport in South Carolina among those with meaningful traffic. CAE profile
  • Charleston, SC handles the most traffic in the state; its performance weighs heavily on the state average. CHS profile
  • See how South Carolina compares with every other state that has BTS-tracked airports. All states

State averages are flight-weighted across all reporting airports in the state; a single busy airport can dominate the figure.

Data sourced from U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance data. See our methodology for details. South Carolina figures formatted by PlainFlights from BTS On-Time Performance.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Airline on-time performance and operational reliability · 2025