Salt Lake (SLC) Flight Delays: Rate, Worst Hours and Live Risk
Salt Lake (SLC) is ranked 22 of 22 for delays among DelayGuard's guide airports (1 is the highest rate): 16.7% of flights departing SLC arrived 15 or more minutes late across 335,788 flights, January 2023 to December 2025. Delta Air Lines operated 47.6% of those departures, with a 17.4% delay rate of its own. The worst scheduled departure hours are 7 PM (29.8%) and 6 PM (25.7%); 5 AM is the best at 8.5%. 0.57% of scheduled SLC departures were cancelled in 2024 to 2025.
Delay window: January 2023 to December 2025. Cancellation window: 2024 to 2025. Last updated: 2026-10-01. Delayed means a flight arrived 15 or more minutes after its scheduled arrival, the BTS and DOT on-time standard. Cancelled and diverted flights are excluded from delay rates. Historical BTS figures are separate from DelayGuard's per-flight model probability and from live FAA, weather and ground-delay status.
Predict a SLC flight
Historical BTS on-time (15+ min) at SLC
Sample size: 335,788 flights, window: January 2023 to December 2025. Delay rate 16.7%. Cancellation rate 0.57% of 229,545 scheduled flights, 2024 to 2025.
Why SLC runs the way it does
Delta Air Lines flew 47.6% of SLC departures in the window, and its flights ran 17.4% late against 16.7% for the airport as a whole. With one carrier that large, SLC's delay record largely follows how Delta Air Lines runs its schedule.
SLC delays peak in July (21.3%), January (20.6%) and June (19.7%) and are lowest in October (11.9%). That shape is consistent with the summer thunderstorm season, when convective weather builds through the afternoon and slows arrivals and departures.
Best and worst times to fly from SLC
SLC delay rate by scheduled departure hour (hours with 100+ flights)| Hour | Delayed 15+ min | Flights |
|---|
| 12 AM | 20.8% | 674 |
| 5 AM | 8.5% | 4,455 |
| 6 AM | 9.4% | 8,658 |
| 7 AM | 13.1% | 12,677 |
| 8 AM | 13.0% | 23,664 |
| 9 AM | 12.1% | 24,945 |
| 10 AM | 13.7% | 15,271 |
| 11 AM | 14.4% | 44,574 |
| 12 PM | 18.9% | 8,214 |
| 1 PM | 19.1% | 18,759 |
| 2 PM | 22.8% | 13,594 |
| 3 PM | 17.7% | 30,990 |
| 4 PM | 21.6% | 12,867 |
| 5 PM | 20.9% | 33,986 |
| 6 PM | 25.7% | 6,869 |
| 7 PM | 29.8% | 3,885 |
| 8 PM | 18.3% | 16,533 |
| 9 PM | 14.2% | 21,331 |
| 10 PM | 17.5% | 16,333 |
| 11 PM | 17.6% | 17,496 |
SLC delays and cancellations by month
SLC by month| Month | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled |
|---|
| Jan | 20.6% | 27,407 | 0.95% |
| Feb | 17.3% | 25,388 | 0.28% |
| Mar | 19.3% | 29,057 | 0.33% |
| Apr | 16.6% | 27,415 | 0.19% |
| May | 15.9% | 28,378 | 0.30% |
| Jun | 19.7% | 28,470 | 0.40% |
| Jul | 21.3% | 29,324 | 1.94% |
| Aug | 17.3% | 29,155 | 0.49% |
| Sep | 12.8% | 27,670 | 0.17% |
| Oct | 11.9% | 28,620 | 0.15% |
| Nov | 12.0% | 26,589 | 1.00% |
| Dec | 15.3% | 28,315 | 0.55% |
Airlines at SLC
Carriers flying from SLC (1,000+ flights)| Airline | Share of departures | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled |
|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 47.6% | 17.4% | 159,835 | 0.50% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 29.2% | 10.5% | 97,911 | 0.33% |
| Southwest Airlines | 10.5% | 21.7% | 35,265 | 0.38% |
| United Airlines | 3.5% | 21.0% | 11,697 | 1.09% |
| American Airlines | 3.4% | 23.0% | 11,461 | 1.83% |
| Frontier Airlines | 2.3% | 26.7% | 7,656 | 1.71% |
| JetBlue Airways | 1.3% | 31.5% | 4,303 | 1.08% |
| Alaska Airlines | 1.1% | 24.3% | 3,606 | 1.87% |
| Spirit Airlines (ceased 2 May 2026) | 0.9% | 26.7% | 3,050 | 1.14% |
Regional operators are reported separately from the airline brands they fly for.
Routes from SLC
Routes from SLC (500+ flights)| Route | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled | Link |
|---|
| SLC to DEN | 23.5% | 23,307 | 0.62% | Predict |
| SLC to PHX | 17.6% | 16,690 | 0.46% | Predict |
| SLC to LAX | 17.2% | 12,943 | 0.40% | Predict |
| SLC to LAS | 25.3% | 12,711 | 0.65% | Predict |
| SLC to SEA | 19.1% | 11,679 | 0.78% | Predict |
| SLC to DFW | 23.3% | 11,157 | 1.71% | Predict |
| SLC to SFO | 26.2% | 10,479 | 0.65% | Predict |
| SLC to ATL | 15.6% | 8,882 | 0.54% | Predict |
| SLC to ORD | 20.0% | 8,678 | 0.98% | Predict |
| SLC to SAN | 18.9% | 7,575 | 0.51% | Predict |
| SLC to PDX | 12.9% | 7,121 | 0.59% | Predict |
| SLC to SMF | 14.6% | 5,955 | 0.40% | Predict |
| SLC to JFK | 24.4% | 5,921 | 0.77% | Predict |
| SLC to IAH | 18.6% | 5,898 | 1.13% | Predict |
| SLC to OAK | 13.0% | 5,816 | 0.16% | Predict |
Questions
- How often are flights delayed at SLC?
- 16.7% of flights departing SLC arrived 15 or more minutes late across 335,788 flights, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS). Across all US domestic flights in the data, the rate is 21.2%.
- What is the best time to fly from SLC?
- Early departures run best. 5 AM flights ran 8.5% late (4,455 flights), 6 AM flights ran 9.4% late (8,658 flights) and 9 AM flights ran 12.1% late (24,945 flights). The worst hours are 7 PM (29.8%), 6 PM (25.7%) and 2 PM (22.8%).
- Which month is worst for delays at SLC?
- July has the highest delay rate at 21.3%. October is the lowest at 11.9%.
- Which airline has the best on-time record at SLC?
- Among carriers still flying with at least 5,000 flights from SLC, SkyWest Airlines has the lowest delay rate at 10.5% (97,911 flights). Frontier Airlines is highest at 26.7%. Regional operators such as SkyWest are reported separately from the airline brands they fly for.
- How often are SLC flights cancelled?
- 0.57% of 229,545 scheduled departures from SLC were cancelled in 2024 to 2025. The US figure over the same period is 1.41%. See the full ranking on the cancellation rates page.
- Does DelayGuard show live delays at SLC?
- Yes. The live module on this page shows DelayGuard's hourly risk score and any active FAA ground stop or ground delay program. It is separate from the historical BTS figures above. For a specific flight, the predictor gives a model probability that combines history, weather and FAA data.
- Why does SLC have delays?
- Delta Air Lines flew 47.6% of SLC departures in the window, and its flights ran 17.4% late against 16.7% for the airport as a whole. With one carrier that large, SLC's delay record largely follows how Delta Air Lines runs its schedule. SLC delays peak in July (21.3%), January (20.6%) and June (19.7%) and are lowest in October (11.9%). That shape is consistent with the summer thunderstorm season, when convective weather builds through the afternoon and slows arrivals and departures.