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Airport · 12 months to July 2026
Seattle/Tacoma International: delays and on-time record
Seattle, Washington
BTS: A flight is counted as on time if it arrived less than 15 minutes after its scheduled time. Only carriers with at least 0.5 percent of domestic scheduled passenger revenue report. Data through July 2026; this is a monthly history, not live airport status.
Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA) in Seattle, Washington had 164,821 scheduled domestic departures by reporting carriers in the 12 months to July 2026, about 452 a day, on 92 routes.
78.2% of those flights left the gate less than 15 minutes late, 2.1 points above the national departure figure of 76.1%. Flights arriving at SEA were on time 78.8% of the time, 2.8 points above the national arrival figure of 76.0%.
0.9% of scheduled departures were cancelled (national: 1.8%), and the average departure delay, counting early and on-time departures as zero, was 13.2 min.
Alaska Airlines is the largest reporting carrier at SEA with 47% of departures. Among carriers with at least 1,648 departures, SkyWest Airlines had the highest on-time arrival share for its SEA departures (84.9%) and Southwest Airlines the lowest (69.2%).
On-time departures are down 1.1 points on the previous 12 months (79.3%).
Of the delay minutes that carriers assigned to a BTS cause category for flights leaving SEA, air carrier 43%, late-arriving aircraft 29% and national aviation system 23%.
- On time 78.6%
- Arrived 15+ minutes late 20.1%
- Cancelled 0.9%
- Diverted 0.3%
As origin and as destination, against the nation
| Measure | Departures from SEA | Arrivals at SEA | All reported flights | SEA departures, previous 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Departed on time (less than 15 min late) | 78.2% | 80.4% | 76.1% | 79.3% |
| Arrived on time | 78.6% | 78.8% | 76.0% | 77.5% |
| Cancelled | 0.9% | 1.1% | 1.8% | 0.6% |
| Diverted | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Average departure delay (late minutes only) | 13.2 min | 12.7 min | 17.4 min | 12.1 min |
| Arrival delay minutes per 100 flights | 1,243 | 1,281 | 1,684 | 1,241 |
| Scheduled flights | 164,821 | 164,830 | 7,043,858 | 164,416 |
12 months to July 2026. The first column follows flights that left SEA; the second follows flights that landed there. Year on year, on-time departures moved −1.1 pts.
Airlines at SEA
| Reporting carrier | Flights | Share | On time | Avg arrival delay | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS Alaska Airlines | 76,779 | 47% | 77.1% | 2.6 min | 0.9% |
| DL Delta Air Lines | 32,324 | 20% | 79.9% | 3.6 min | 1.1% |
| OO SkyWest Airlines | 28,770 | 17% | 84.9% | 0.3 min | 0.7% |
| UA United Airlines | 8,748 | 5% | 79.2% | 4.6 min | 0.8% |
| WN Southwest Airlines | 8,098 | 5% | 69.2% | 10.7 min | 0.4% |
| AA American Airlines | 6,702 | 4% | 77.2% | 8.4 min | 2.0% |
| F9 Frontier Airlines | 1,404 | 1% | 74.1% | 13.0 min | 2.1% |
| HA Hawaiian Airlines | 817 | 0% | 62.5% | 26.8 min | 1.2% |
| MQ Envoy Air | 754 | 0% | 85.0% | 1.0 min | 0.0% |
| B6 JetBlue Airways | 413 | 0% | 59.6% | 32.5 min | 2.9% |
Departures from SEA by reporting carrier, ordered by flights; on time means the flight reached its destination less than 15 minutes late. Green is at or above the airport's overall share of 78.6%. Carriers fly different routes at different hours, so the rows are not a like-for-like test.
Busiest routes from SEA
| Route | Cities | Flights | On time | Avg arrival delay | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEA–LAX | Seattle to Los Angeles | 7,454 | 81.9% | 2.0 min | 0.8% |
| SEA–PHX | Seattle to Phoenix | 7,225 | 77.9% | 5.1 min | 0.7% |
| SEA–SFO | Seattle to San Francisco | 6,791 | 61.4% | 17.5 min | 1.1% |
| SEA–ANC | Seattle to Anchorage | 6,657 | 75.6% | 5.4 min | 0.8% |
| SEA–DEN | Seattle to Denver | 6,325 | 77.7% | 4.1 min | 0.7% |
| SEA–LAS | Seattle to Las Vegas | 5,621 | 77.4% | 5.7 min | 0.8% |
| SEA–ORD | Seattle to Chicago | 5,551 | 73.9% | 10.2 min | 1.3% |
| SEA–DFW | Seattle to Dallas/Fort Worth | 5,229 | 75.9% | 7.4 min | 1.9% |
| SEA–GEG | Seattle to Spokane | 5,062 | 82.3% | 1.3 min | 1.0% |
| SEA–PDX | Seattle to Portland | 4,812 | 82.6% | 1.9 min | 0.7% |
| SEA–SAN | Seattle to San Diego | 4,595 | 75.1% | 4.8 min | 1.0% |
| SEA–SJC | Seattle to San Jose | 4,384 | 80.8% | 2.0 min | 0.6% |
| SEA–SMF | Seattle to Sacramento | 4,381 | 81.6% | 1.7 min | 0.4% |
| SEA–SLC | Seattle to Salt Lake City | 4,124 | 82.8% | 0.1 min | 0.8% |
| SEA–SNA | Seattle to Santa Ana | 3,958 | 83.8% | -0.9 min | 0.8% |
| SEA–BOI | Seattle to Boise | 3,881 | 85.6% | -1.6 min | 0.2% |
| SEA–ATL | Seattle to Atlanta | 3,277 | 82.6% | 2.3 min | 0.6% |
| SEA–HNL | Seattle to Honolulu | 2,933 | 64.9% | 17.5 min | 0.9% |
| SEA–JFK | Seattle to New York | 2,906 | 74.4% | 4.9 min | 2.9% |
| SEA–MSP | Seattle to Minneapolis | 2,684 | 85.4% | -1.9 min | 0.8% |
| SEA–ONT | Seattle to Ontario | 2,504 | 81.8% | 0.8 min | 1.0% |
| SEA–BOS | Seattle to Boston | 2,502 | 73.7% | 6.7 min | 1.3% |
| SEA–FAI | Seattle to Fairbanks | 2,291 | 77.3% | 3.2 min | 0.8% |
| SEA–EWR | Seattle to Newark | 2,264 | 80.5% | -2.9 min | 1.9% |
| SEA–IAH | Seattle to Houston | 2,090 | 81.8% | 1.2 min | 0.4% |
| SEA–AUS | Seattle to Austin | 2,068 | 78.4% | 3.8 min | 0.9% |
| SEA–DTW | Seattle to Detroit | 2,060 | 84.4% | -0.4 min | 0.8% |
| SEA–EUG | Seattle to Eugene | 1,930 | 83.6% | 0.9 min | 1.3% |
| SEA–RDM | Seattle to Bend/Redmond | 1,907 | 83.2% | -1.7 min | 1.7% |
| SEA–OAK | Seattle to Oakland | 1,895 | 73.5% | 7.8 min | 0.7% |
| SEA–IAD | Seattle to Washington | 1,853 | 82.6% | -1.7 min | 0.6% |
| SEA–MCO | Seattle to Orlando | 1,820 | 80.7% | 0.3 min | 0.7% |
| SEA–OGG | Seattle to Kahului | 1,809 | 78.3% | -0.2 min | 0.4% |
| SEA–PSC | Seattle to Pasco/Kennewick/Richland | 1,726 | 82.6% | 2.9 min | 1.0% |
| SEA–PSP | Seattle to Palm Springs | 1,653 | 82.3% | 0.2 min | 1.0% |
| SEA–BUR | Seattle to Burbank | 1,622 | 77.9% | 0.9 min | 2.2% |
| SEA–JNU | Seattle to Juneau | 1,588 | 78.0% | 2.8 min | 1.1% |
| SEA–BZN | Seattle to Bozeman | 1,574 | 82.0% | 2.3 min | 0.4% |
| SEA–BNA | Seattle to Nashville | 1,476 | 78.4% | 1.1 min | 0.9% |
| SEA–KOA | Seattle to Kona | 1,421 | 72.8% | 3.7 min | 1.2% |
| SEA–PHL | Seattle to Philadelphia | 1,388 | 80.5% | 0.2 min | 1.5% |
| SEA–KTN | Seattle to Ketchikan | 1,303 | 76.8% | 4.1 min | 0.2% |
| SEA–CLT | Seattle to Charlotte | 1,296 | 86.6% | -0.5 min | 1.2% |
| SEA–MFR | Seattle to Medford | 1,274 | 86.4% | 0.2 min | 1.0% |
| SEA–BLI | Seattle to Bellingham | 1,216 | 83.1% | 1.0 min | 2.3% |
| SEA–MIA | Seattle to Miami | 1,210 | 77.2% | 2.8 min | 0.9% |
| SEA–MCI | Seattle to Kansas City | 1,131 | 79.0% | 2.5 min | 0.9% |
| SEA–LIH | Seattle to Lihue | 1,094 | 72.0% | 5.5 min | 0.7% |
| SEA–DCA | Seattle to Washington | 1,092 | 80.2% | -2.6 min | 1.5% |
| SEA–TUS | Seattle to Tucson | 1,065 | 82.3% | 1.0 min | 0.5% |
| SEA–TPA | Seattle to Tampa | 975 | 78.8% | 0.8 min | 0.5% |
| SEA–FAT | Seattle to Fresno | 925 | 82.4% | 1.7 min | 0.9% |
| SEA–RDU | Seattle to Raleigh/Durham | 918 | 78.9% | 0.3 min | 1.0% |
| SEA–RNO | Seattle to Reno | 902 | 77.8% | 4.0 min | 1.0% |
| SEA–STL | Seattle to St. Louis | 883 | 82.6% | -2.2 min | 0.3% |
| SEA–FLL | Seattle to Fort Lauderdale | 826 | 77.0% | 1.8 min | 0.7% |
| SEA–CVG | Seattle to Cincinnati | 793 | 83.5% | -4.6 min | 0.9% |
| SEA–BWI | Seattle to Baltimore | 719 | 79.6% | -2.2 min | 0.4% |
| SEA–MDW | Seattle to Chicago | 678 | 80.7% | 0.3 min | 0.4% |
| SEA–MSY | Seattle to New Orleans | 627 | 80.2% | -0.5 min | 0.3% |
| SEA–MSO | Seattle to Missoula | 626 | 82.7% | -1.3 min | 0.8% |
| SEA–IND | Seattle to Indianapolis | 565 | 76.1% | 0.8 min | 1.2% |
| SEA–SAT | Seattle to San Antonio | 558 | 74.9% | 3.0 min | 0.9% |
| SEA–ABQ | Seattle to Albuquerque | 548 | 78.6% | 0.5 min | 0.5% |
| SEA–OMA | Seattle to Omaha | 510 | 82.5% | -1.0 min | 0.0% |
| SEA–MKE | Seattle to Milwaukee | 509 | 85.1% | -5.4 min | 0.2% |
| SEA–PIT | Seattle to Pittsburgh | 470 | 77.2% | 1.8 min | 0.6% |
| SEA–CMH | Seattle to Columbus | 464 | 79.7% | -0.3 min | 0.4% |
| SEA–CLE | Seattle to Cleveland | 455 | 76.9% | 2.6 min | 0.7% |
| SEA–STS | Seattle to Santa Rosa | 428 | 81.5% | -0.6 min | 2.1% |
| SEA–OKC | Seattle to Oklahoma City | 425 | 86.8% | -4.4 min | 0.2% |
| SEA–IDA | Seattle to Idaho Falls | 367 | 79.8% | 4.1 min | 0.3% |
| SEA–LWS | Seattle to Lewiston | 364 | 91.2% | -6.4 min | 0.3% |
| SEA–SBA | Seattle to Santa Barbara | 363 | 81.3% | 4.0 min | 0.8% |
| SEA–CHS | Seattle to Charleston | 347 | 86.7% | -6.7 min | 0.3% |
| SEA–SIT | Seattle to Sitka | 243 | 71.6% | 6.9 min | 0.0% |
| SEA–SBP | Seattle to San Luis Obispo | 220 | 80.9% | 1.9 min | 0.9% |
| SEA–DAL | Seattle to Dallas | 219 | 43.8% | 30.5 min | 0.0% |
| SEA–JAC | Seattle to Jackson | 203 | 88.2% | 1.1 min | 0.0% |
| SEA–HOU | Seattle to Houston | 120 | 60.8% | 13.2 min | 0.0% |
The 80 busiest of 92 routes with reported flights. Routes with at least 10 flights a month have their own page.
Month by month
By scheduled departure hour
Among hours with at least 3,296 departures, 6 am to 7 am had the highest on-time share (91.5% of 4,598 flights) and 8 pm to 9 pm the lowest (70.3% of 5,579).
Delay causes
Cancellations by reported reason (1,535 in the period): air carrier 46%, weather 40%, national aviation system 14%, security 0%.
Checkpoint volumes
TSA publishes daily checkpoint passenger counts for the country as a whole, not for SEA on its own. The national series through September 2026 is on the checkpoint volumes page.
Questions and answers
How often do flights leave SEA on time?
78.2% of the 164,821 scheduled domestic departures in the 12 months to July 2026 left less than 15 minutes late; the national figure was 76.1%. 0.9% were cancelled.
How often do flights arrive at SEA on time?
78.8% of 164,830 scheduled arrivals were on time by the BTS definition, against 76.0% nationally.
Which airline has the highest on-time share at SEA?
Counting departures from SEA and whether they reached their destination on time, SkyWest Airlines had the highest share (84.9% of 28,770 flights), then Delta Air Lines (79.9%) and United Airlines (79.2%). Carriers fly different routes at different hours, so the figures are not a like-for-like test.
What causes delays at SEA?
For departures from SEA that reached their destination 15 or more minutes late, carriers attributed the delay minutes as follows: air carrier 43%, late-arriving aircraft 29%, national aviation system 23%, extreme weather 5%, security 0%.
What time of day has the highest on-time share at SEA?
Departures scheduled from 6 am to 7 am local time left on time 91.5% of the time, the highest of any hour with enough flights to compare; 8 pm to 9 pm was lowest at 70.3%.
Is it getting better?
On-time departures for the 12 months to July 2026 were 78.2%, down 1.1 points on the previous 12 months (79.3%). The monthly chart shows each of the last 36 months, and each month has its own page.
Does this page show today's delays at SEA?
No. BTS publishes on-time records about two months after the month ends, so this page is a monthly history through July 2026. For live conditions use the FAA airport status service or your airline.
Provenance
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Reporting Carrier On-Time Performance (1987 to present), monthly files August 2023 to July 2026; airport name from the BTS airport lookup table. US government works in the public domain. Domestic scheduled flights by reporting carriers only: international flights, charters and smaller carriers are not in the source. Totals and averages only; no individual flight or aircraft is identified. See the methodology; report processing errors through corrections.