San Diego International Airport (SAN): Delays & On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
San Diego International Airport (SAN) in San Diego, CA is a middle-of-the-pack performer: 77% of departures are on time, within a few points of the national 78%. It hosts 11 airlines flying 272 departures a day to 73 destinations, with cancellations at 1.1%.
- Departures on-time
- 77%
- left <15 min late
- Avg dep delay
- 16 min
- Arrivals on-time
- 75%
- Cancelled
- 1.1%
- Destinations
- 73
- nonstop
- Airlines
- 11
Monthly on-time trend
Best time of day to depart from SAN
Busiest routes from SAN
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAN → SFO | 6,543 | 69% | 20 min |
| SAN → LAS | 6,129 | 74% | 18 min |
| SAN → DEN | 5,880 | 78% | 15 min |
| SAN → PHX | 5,869 | 77% | 17 min |
| SAN → SMF | 5,176 | 76% | 14 min |
| SAN → SJC | 4,980 | 77% | 14 min |
| SAN → SEA | 4,573 | 80% | 14 min |
| SAN → ORD | 3,742 | 80% | 18 min |
Airline performance at SAN
| Airline | On-time departures | Avg delay | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 86% | 12 min | 20,803 |
| Delta Air Lines | 85% | 13 min | 19,151 |
| American Airlines | 81% | 21 min | 18,685 |
| Alaska Airlines | 80% | 13 min | 23,013 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 79% | 14 min | 28,499 |
| Spirit Airlines | 78% | 17 min | 3,286 |
| JetBlue Airways | 76% | 22 min | 3,288 |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 73% | 24 min | 1,293 |
| Frontier Airlines | 71% | 27 min | 5,410 |
| Southwest Airlines | 71% | 16 min | 71,532 |
| Allegiant Air | 60% | 28 min | 269 |
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights delayed at SAN?
- 23% of departures from San Diego International Airport left 15+ minutes late between 2024-06 and 2026-05, with an average departure delay of 16 minutes. The national on-time average over the same period was 78%.
- What is the best time of day to depart from SAN?
- Flights scheduled around 6 a.m. depart on time 94% of the time at SAN, versus 67% around 7 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
- What is the worst month for delays at SAN?
- In this dataset, December 2025 was the weakest month at SAN, with 71% of departures on time.
- How often are flights cancelled at SAN?
- 1.1% of scheduled departures from SAN were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.
Popular route pages from this airport
Based on 195,229 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.