San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly SFO to HNL matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 92% on-time in April 2025 to just 73% in August 2024. Across the full period the route averages 83% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 83%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 12 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.7%
- Flights/day
- 6.6
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 5h 39m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,398 mi
Best airline from SFO to HNL
3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 86% | 11 min | 0.3% | 3,379 |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 76% | 17 min | 1.8% | 846 |
| Alaska Airlines | 73% | 15 min | 1.1% | 642 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SFO to HNL
Aim for departures around 5 p.m. (89% on-time); avoid 8 a.m. departures (69%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 82% | 16 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 86% | 9 min |
| Wednesday | 85% | 13 min |
| Thursday | 83% | 13 min |
| Friday | 80% | 12 min |
| Saturday | 81% | 12 min |
| Sunday | 80% | 14 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft33%
- Airline operations55%
- National airspace system11%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SFO to HNL delayed?
- 18% of SFO–HNL 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 12 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from SFO to HNL?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 86%, based on 3,379 flights. 3 airlines flew SFO–HNL frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SFO to HNL?
- Departures around 5 p.m. have the best record (89% on-time), while departures around 8 a.m. have the worst (69%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SFO to HNL?
- The scheduled SFO–HNL flight time averages 5h 39m over 2,398 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 18% of the time.
- How often are SFO to HNL flights cancelled?
- 0.7% 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 HNL?
- August 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 73% of arrivals on time. The best was April 2025 at 92%. If your dates are flexible, that 19-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 4,867 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.