Business & Finance
Salt Lake City leads major US airports in on-time departures while Fort Lauderdale ranks lowest
Federal transportation data covering the first half of 2026 tracks departure performance across 30 major domestic hubs.
The short version
- Bureau of Transportation Statistics data for January through June 2026 showed Salt Lake City International Airport recorded the highest on-time departure rate at 83.73%.
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport logged the lowest performance among 30 major U.S. airports with an on-time departure rate of 66.39%.
- Federal standards classify flights as on time if they depart the gate within 15 minutes of their scheduled time.
Key facts
- Salt Lake City International Airport achieved the top on-time departure rate among 30 major U.S. airports at 83.73% from January through June 2026.[Business Insider]
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport recorded the lowest on-time departure performance at 66.39% during the same six-month period.[Business Insider]
- The Bureau of Transportation Statistics defines an on-time departure as a flight leaving its gate less than 15 minutes past its scheduled departure time.[Business Insider]
- Other major airports near the bottom of the list included Dallas Fort Worth International at 68.22% and Chicago Midway International at 69.30%.[Business Insider]
What remains uncertain
- The extent to which localized severe weather events contributed to specific airport delays during the reporting period is not detailed in the data summary.[Business Insider]
Sources
- 30 major US airports with the most departure delays, rankedBusiness Insider metered