How often are flights delayed at SAT?

18% of departures from San Antonio International Airport left 15+ minutes late between 2024-07 and 2026-07, with an average departure delay of 15 minutes. The national on-time average over the same period was 78%.

What is the best time of day to depart from SAT?

Flights scheduled around 5 a.m. depart on time 94% of the time at SAT, versus 61% around 8 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.

What is the worst month for delays at SAT?

In this dataset, July 2024 was the weakest month at SAT, with 71% of departures on time.

How often are flights cancelled at SAT?

1.2% of scheduled departures from SAT were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.

San Antonio International Airport (SAT): Delays & On-Time Performance

Data through July 2026

San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 88% on-time in October 2024 but sank to 71% in July 2024. Across the year it averages 82% against a national 78%, over roughly 110 departures a day to 40 destinations.

Departures on-time: 82%; left <15 min late
Avg dep delay: 15 min
Arrivals on-time: 77%
Cancelled: 1.2%
Destinations: 40; nonstop
Airlines: 13

Plan your departure from SAT

The choices most likely to improve your odds, based on this airport’s historical record.

Best departure time: Around 5 a.m.; 94% on-time
Best day to fly: Tuesday; 85% on-time
Most reliable airline here: United Airlines; 87% on-time from SAT
Cancellation risk: 1.2%; below the US average

Check routes from SAT ↓Compare nearby airports ↓

Monthly on-time trend

Best time of day to depart from SAT

By day of week

Day	On-time	Avg delay
Monday	81%	16 min
Tuesdaybest	85%	13 min
Wednesday	84%	13 min
Thursday	80%	15 min
Friday	81%	16 min
Saturday	83%	14 min
Sunday	79%	17 min

Next: compare the busiest routes from SAT ↓

Busiest routes from SAT

Route	Flights/12mo	On-time	Avg delay
SAT → DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth)	4,375	76%	24 min
SAT → DEN (Denver)	3,040	82%	14 min
SAT → ATL (Atlanta)	2,999	84%	13 min
SAT → DAL (Dallas)	2,743	83%	11 min
SAT → PHX (Phoenix)	2,509	83%	14 min
SAT → IAH (Houston)	2,405	82%	14 min
SAT → LAS (Las Vegas)	2,040	82%	13 min
SAT → ORD (Chicago)	1,979	80%	17 min
SAT → LAX (Los Angeles)	1,846	87%	12 min
SAT → CLT (Charlotte)	1,378	85%	22 min
SAT → HOU (Houston)	1,347	77%	13 min
SAT → MCO (Orlando)	1,054	80%	17 min
SAT → SLC (Salt Lake City)	1,009	86%	13 min
SAT → BNA (Nashville)	952	81%	11 min
SAT → DTW (Detroit)	944	88%	11 min
SAT → MSP (Minneapolis)	893	86%	12 min
SAT → ELP (El Paso)	747	83%	11 min
SAT → BWI (Baltimore)	732	82%	11 min
SAT → MDW (Chicago)	661	83%	9 min
SAT → IAD (Washington)	641	91%	8 min
SAT → SAN (San Diego)	610	79%	12 min
SAT → EWR (Newark)	575	82%	19 min
SAT → SEA (Seattle)	558	75%	14 min
SAT → STL (St. Louis)	548	87%	7 min
SAT → MIA (Miami)	483	85%	13 min
SAT → SFO (San Francisco)	434	87%	13 min
SAT → TPA (Tampa)	374	79%	14 min
SAT → JFK (New York)	362	78%	23 min
SAT → BOS (Boston)	356	62%	33 min
SAT → DCA (Washington)	351	90%	13 min
SAT → MSY (New Orleans)	346	85%	7 min
SAT → MCI (Kansas City)	270	83%	10 min
SAT → PHL (Philadelphia)	266	76%	21 min
SAT → FLL (Fort Lauderdale)	224	80%	14 min

Compare airlines departing SAT ↓

Where flights into SAT come from

Route	Flights/12mo	On-time	Avg delay
DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) → SAT	4,376	67%	27 min
DEN (Denver) → SAT	3,043	77%	15 min
ATL (Atlanta) → SAT	3,000	78%	14 min
DAL (Dallas) → SAT	2,742	80%	13 min
PHX (Phoenix) → SAT	2,522	79%	15 min
IAH (Houston) → SAT	2,406	80%	14 min
LAS (Las Vegas) → SAT	2,024	77%	15 min
ORD (Chicago) → SAT	1,977	74%	19 min

Most reliable routes

Most delay-prone routes

What causes delays at SAT

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing SAT.

Late-arriving aircraft44%
Airline operations31%
National airspace system19%
Weather6%

Alternative airports near San Antonio

Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.

Airport	Distance	On-time departures	Avg delay
AUS — Austin Bergstrom International Airport	67 mi	77%	18 min
VCT — Victoria Regional Airport	105 mi	81%	34 min
GRK — Killeen Regional Airport / Robert Gray Army Airfield	113 mi	81%	14 min

Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.

Airline performance at SAT

Airline	On-time departures	Avg delay	Flights
United Airlines	87%	13 min	11,860
SkyWest Airlines	87%	15 min	3,130
Delta Air Lines	84%	14 min	13,893
American Airlines	81%	21 min	15,947
Republic Airways	81%	13 min	114
Southwest Airlines	80%	12 min	33,015
Spirit Airlines	78%	19 min	3,102
Envoy Air	77%	18 min	1,750
Frontier Airlines	76%	23 min	1,704
Alaska Airlines	76%	14 min	1,212
JetBlue Airways	66%	28 min	218

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights delayed at SAT?: 18% of departures from San Antonio International Airport left 15+ minutes late between 2024-07 and 2026-07, with an average departure delay of 15 minutes. The national on-time average over the same period was 78%.
What is the best time of day to depart from SAT?: Flights scheduled around 5 a.m. depart on time 94% of the time at SAT, versus 61% around 8 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
What is the worst month for delays at SAT?: In this dataset, July 2024 was the weakest month at SAT, with 71% of departures on time.
How often are flights cancelled at SAT?: 1.2% of scheduled departures from SAT were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.

Popular route pages from this airport

Related guides

Based on 85,963 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.