San Diego International Airport (SAN): Delays & On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
San Diego International Airport (SAN) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 83% on-time in January 2025 but sank to 66% in June 2026. Across the year it averages 76% against a national 78%, over roughly 275 departures a day to 73 destinations.
- Departures on-time
- 76%
- left <15 min late
- Avg dep delay
- 16 min
- Arrivals on-time
- 75%
- Cancelled
- 1.2%
- Destinations
- 73
- nonstop
- Airlines
- 11
Plan your departure from SAN
The choices most likely to improve your odds, based on this airport’s historical record.
- Best departure time
- Around 6 a.m.
- 94% on-time
- Best day to fly
- Tuesday
- 83% on-time
- Cancellation risk
- 1.2%
- below the US average
Monthly on-time trend
Best time of day to depart from SAN
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 75% | 16 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 83% | 10 min |
| Wednesday | 81% | 12 min |
| Thursday | 73% | 19 min |
| Friday | 71% | 21 min |
| Saturday | 82% | 12 min |
| Sunday | 73% | 17 min |
Busiest routes from SAN
Where flights into SAN come from
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| SFO (San Francisco) → SAN | 6,621 | 69% | 19 min |
| DEN (Denver) → SAN | 6,035 | 75% | 15 min |
| PHX (Phoenix) → SAN | 6,002 | 75% | 16 min |
| LAS (Las Vegas) → SAN | 5,631 | 67% | 20 min |
| SMF (Sacramento) → SAN | 5,180 | 74% | 15 min |
| SJC (San Jose) → SAN | 4,986 | 74% | 14 min |
| SEA (Seattle) → SAN | 4,595 | 77% | 12 min |
| ORD (Chicago) → SAN | 3,870 | 73% | 20 min |
What causes delays at SAN
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing SAN.
- Late-arriving aircraft48%
- Airline operations25%
- National airspace system23%
- Weather5%
Alternative airports near San Diego
Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.
| Airport | Distance | On-time departures | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLD — McClellan-Palomar Airport | 28 mi | 84% | 12 min |
| SNA — John Wayne Orange County International Airport | 76 mi | 81% | 15 min |
| PSP — Palm Springs International Airport | 85 mi | 82% | 15 min |
| LGB — Long Beach International Airport | 93 mi | 84% | 10 min |
| ONT — Ontario International Airport | 94 mi | 83% | 13 min |
Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.
Airline performance at SAN
| Airline | On-time departures | Avg delay | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 86% | 13 min | 19,951 |
| United Airlines | 85% | 12 min | 21,882 |
| American Airlines | 80% | 21 min | 19,630 |
| Alaska Airlines | 79% | 13 min | 24,580 |
| Spirit Airlines | 78% | 16 min | 2,959 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 78% | 14 min | 30,088 |
| JetBlue Airways | 76% | 22 min | 3,426 |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 72% | 24 min | 1,233 |
| Frontier Airlines | 71% | 27 min | 5,481 |
| Southwest Airlines | 70% | 17 min | 75,814 |
| Allegiant Air | 59% | 30 min | 235 |
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights delayed at SAN?
- 24% of departures from San Diego International Airport left 15+ minutes late between 2024-07 and 2026-07, 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 65% 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, June 2026 was the weakest month at SAN, with 66% of departures on time.
- How often are flights cancelled at SAN?
- 1.2% of scheduled departures from SAN were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.
Popular route pages from this airport
Related guides
Based on 205,279 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.