San Francisco (SFO) to Burbank (BUR): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on SFO–BUR. September 2025 flights landed on schedule 91% of the time, but May 2026 dropped to 63% — a gap of 28 points. Across the full period the route averages 80% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 80%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 13 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.9%
- Flights/day
- 8.3
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 22m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 326 mi
Best airline from SFO to BUR
4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 82% | 11 min | 0.6% | 2,678 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 80% | 14 min | 1.0% | 3,167 |
| Frontier Airlines | 74% | 22 min | 0.0% | 109 |
| Southwest Airlines | 56% | 31 min | 3.2% | 251 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SFO to BUR
Aim for departures around 5 p.m. (86% on-time); avoid 12 p.m. departures (66%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 79% | 14 min |
| Tuesday | 84% | 9 min |
| Wednesday | 84% | 10 min |
| Thursday | 75% | 16 min |
| Friday | 75% | 17 min |
| Saturdaybest | 86% | 10 min |
| Sunday | 76% | 16 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft53%
- Airline operations23%
- National airspace system21%
- Weather3%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SFO to BUR delayed?
- 20% of SFO–BUR flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-06 and 2026-05. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 13 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from SFO to BUR?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 82%, based on 2,678 flights. 4 airlines flew SFO–BUR frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SFO to BUR?
- Departures around 5 p.m. have the best record (86% on-time), while departures around 12 p.m. have the worst (66%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SFO to BUR?
- The scheduled SFO–BUR flight time averages 1h 22m over 326 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 20% of the time.
- How often are SFO to BUR flights cancelled?
- 0.9% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from SFO to BUR?
- May 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 63% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2025 at 91%. If your dates are flexible, that 28-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 6,205 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.