Meadows Field (BFL): Delays & On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
Meadows Field (BFL) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 93% on-time in September 2025 but sank to 72% in January 2026. Across the year it averages 86% against a national 78%, over roughly 8 departures a day to 4 destinations.
- Departures on-time
- 86%
- left <15 min late
- Avg dep delay
- 14 min
- Arrivals on-time
- 77%
- Cancelled
- 0.8%
- Destinations
- 4
- nonstop
- Airlines
- 4
Plan your departure from BFL
The choices most likely to improve your odds, based on this airport’s historical record.
- Best departure time
- Around 6 a.m.
- 93% on-time
- Best day to fly
- Thursday
- 86% on-time
- Cancellation risk
- 0.8%
- below the US average
Monthly on-time trend
Best time of day to depart from BFL
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 82% | 16 min |
| Tuesday | 85% | 15 min |
| Wednesday | 85% | 14 min |
| Thursdaybest | 86% | 12 min |
| Friday | 84% | 15 min |
| Saturday | 85% | 15 min |
| Sunday | 83% | 16 min |
Busiest routes from BFL
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| BFL → PHX (Phoenix) | 1,306 | 85% | 13 min |
| BFL → DEN (Denver) | 728 | 86% | 13 min |
| BFL → SFO (San Francisco) | 583 | 80% | 15 min |
| BFL → DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) | 310 | 84% | 24 min |
Where flights into BFL come from
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHX (Phoenix) → BFL | 1,305 | 82% | 14 min |
| DEN (Denver) → BFL | 730 | 77% | 18 min |
| SFO (San Francisco) → BFL | 581 | 78% | 17 min |
| DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) → BFL | 311 | 54% | 53 min |
What causes delays at BFL
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing BFL.
- Late-arriving aircraft34%
- Airline operations41%
- National airspace system15%
- Weather10%
Alternative airports near Bakersfield
Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.
| Airport | Distance | On-time departures | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBA — Santa Barbara Municipal Airport | 83 mi | 83% | 15 min |
| SMX — Santa Maria Public Airport Captain G Allan Hancock Field | 87 mi | 79% | 26 min |
| SBP — San Luis County Regional Airport | 90 mi | 82% | 19 min |
| BUR — Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport | 94 mi | 82% | 13 min |
| FAT — Fresno Yosemite International Airport | 100 mi | 83% | 15 min |
Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.
Airline performance at BFL
| Airline | On-time departures | Avg delay | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Envoy Air | 92% | 6 min | 589 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 86% | 14 min | 4,103 |
| American Airlines | 85% | 19 min | 1,507 |
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights delayed at BFL?
- 14% of departures from Meadows Field left 15+ minutes late between 2024-07 and 2026-07, with an average departure delay of 14 minutes. The national on-time average over the same period was 78%.
- What is the best time of day to depart from BFL?
- Flights scheduled around 6 a.m. depart on time 93% of the time at BFL, versus 79% around 7 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
- What is the worst month for delays at BFL?
- In this dataset, January 2026 was the weakest month at BFL, with 72% of departures on time.
- How often are flights cancelled at BFL?
- 0.8% of scheduled departures from BFL were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.
Popular route pages from this airport
Related guides
Based on 6,269 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.