Seattle, WA · Airport profile
SEA
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
79.1% of departures from SEA arrived on time across 510,205 flights, July 2023 – July 2026. The weakest hour is 1 AM, at 72.6%. Airline-caused delays accounts for the most delay minutes.
SEA right now
Live conditions where a permitted source publishes them, and the historical record where none does.
Aviation weather is not currently a factor.
Minimal operational impact. Conditions are not a notable factor for operations right now.
UpdatedForecast issued 05:24Z.
UpdatedBelow 10,000 ft, so aircraft overflying at cruise are not counted. These are observations, not an operational status: a count is a floor, since receiver coverage varies and a movement between two samples can be missed.
UpdatedAircraft observations from ADSB.lol (opens in a new tab) (Katia Esposito and contributing feeders), under the ODbL 1.0 (opens in a new tab). Derived data.
FlyerIntel shows live values only where a permitted source provides them. Sections without data are left empty rather than estimated.
Airport reliability
Departures from SEA, July 2023 – July 2026.
Better than 81% of major US airports covered by FlyerIntel (64 compared)
Calculated from 510,205 flights. How this is calculated
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026
What stands out
How this airport compares to others like it, not just to itself.
Airline drives an unusually large share of cancellations at this airport, a bigger share than 98% of 61 comparable airports.
Airline accounts for 60.6% of coded cancellations at this airport, against 25.7% across every covered airport.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Ranked against every other airport with the same kind of figure and at least 61 in the comparison.
Why flights are cancelled at SEA
Every cancellation carries a reason code filed by the airline that operated the flight. Departures, July 2023 – July 2026.
The airline accounts for 60.6% of cancelled departures from SEA — about 1 in every 194 scheduled departures. That is 35 points higher than the 25.8% recorded across every airport FlyerIntel covers.
Share of cancellations
Of 4,353 cancelled departures carrying a reason code.
What each reason means
Crew, maintenance, aircraft cleaning, baggage or fueling: what BTS counts as within the carrier’s own control.
2,636 cancellations, 60.6% of the total.
Conditions the carrier judged severe enough to stop the flight: a blizzard, a hurricane, a line of thunderstorms.
1,470 cancellations, 33.8% of the total.
Airport capacity, air traffic control flow programs, heavy traffic and ordinary bad weather. A system decision, not the airline’s.
247 cancellations, 5.7% of the total.
A terminal evacuation, a security breach, screening equipment failure, or screening queues over 29 minutes.
0 cancellations, 0.0% of the total.
4,353 of 510,205 scheduled departures from SEA were cancelled. Ordinary bad weather is filed under air traffic, so weather’s full share is larger than its bar.
By carrier
| Carrier | Cancelled | Rate | Airline | Weather | Air traffic | Security |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines AS | 2,377 | 0.99% | 72% | 24% | 3% | 0% |
| Delta Air Lines DL | 689 | 0.69% | 71% | 27% | 2% | 0% |
Shares are of each carrier’s own coded cancellations at SEA and run across the row, so they total 100%. “Rate” is cancellations as a share of that carrier’s scheduled departures here. Two carriers on the same runways in the same weather can file very different splits, so read this as what each airline reported about itself, not as a ranking of fault. Carriers below the published minimum of coded cancellations are not listed.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026 · Reason codes are each airline’s own filing, not an independent finding of fault. Shown for airports with at least 500 coded cancellations; 4,353 were recorded at SEA.
Why flights run late at SEA
Where US DOT attributed the delay minutes on departures from SEA.
crew, maintenance, boarding and fueling, all within the carrier’s control
the inbound aircraft was late, so this flight started late
airspace and airport capacity, including weather-driven flow control
weather severe enough to stop this flight specifically
screening or terminal security incidents
Share of the delay minutes US DOT attributed to each cause for departures from SEA. Only delays of 15 minutes or more are attributed.
Of the 89,233 departures from SEA that left 15 or more minutes late and have a known inbound aircraft, 48% followed a flight that landed 15 or more minutes late. The other 52% left late even though the aircraft had come in on time or early. Across the 64 covered airports that share runs from 47% to 73%, with a median of 62%; SEA’s is the 2nd lowest.
The late flight is the one the same aircraft flew into SEA just before, found from the tail number in the DOT file. Airlines and hours differ from one airport to the next, so this describes the departures from SEA and does not rate the airport.
An airport is only partly the author of its own delays. Late-arriving aircraft describes the national schedule arriving here more than anything about this airfield. Air traffic control covers airspace and airport capacity, which is where a congested airport shows up; only the airline category sits squarely inside the carriers’ own operation. How differently they run it is further down this page.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026
What weather costs at SEA
Departures from SEA by the weather at the airport in the hour they were scheduled to leave, July 2023 – July 2026.
8.5% of scheduled departures from SEA left in an hour of bad weather. 1.5% of them were cancelled, against 0.8% in normal conditions, and 75.4% of the ones that flew arrived on time, against 79.3%. Those hours held 15% of all cancelled departures. That is about 309 more cancellations than the normal-conditions rate would give.
Cancellations were highest in snow or ice hours: 11.6% of 1,831 departures, 14.7 times the normal rate.
Airlines filed 34% of SEA’s coded cancellations under extreme weather. By the weather at the airport in the scheduled hour, 15% of cancelled departures were in bad-weather hours. A code is the airline’s stated reason and an hour’s weather is what the airport reported, so the two need not match.
By weather
Scheduled departures, July 2023 – July 2026| Weather at the airport | Departures | Cancelled | Left on time | Arrived on time | Avg. departure delay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal conditionsVFR with no thunderstorm, snow or ice, fog, heavy rain or high wind | 376,21773.8% of all | 0.8% | 79.3% | 79.3% | 9.6 min |
| Any bad weatherIFR or LIFR, or a thunderstorm, snow or ice, fog, heavy rain or high wind | 43,4168.5% of all | 1.5%1.9 times normal | 79.6% | 75.4%3.9 points below normal | 11.0 min |
| MVFRceiling 1,000 to 3,000 feet or visibility 3 to 5 miles | 92,79818.2% of all | 0.8% | 80.6% | 79.9% | 8.9 min |
| IFRceiling 500 to 999 feet or visibility 1 to under 3 miles | 22,8094.5% of all | 1.2%1.5 times normal | 81.1% | 77.0%2.3 points below normal | 9.3 min |
| LIFRceiling under 500 feet or visibility under 1 mile | 16,3023.2% of all | 1.8%2.3 times normal | 79.3% | 74.5%4.8 points below normal | 11.9 min |
| Thunderstorma thunderstorm reported at the airport | 3820.1% of all | 3.1%4.0 times normal | 53.0% | 36.3%43.0 points below normal | 45.2 min |
| Snow or icesnow, snow grains, ice pellets, freezing rain or freezing drizzle | 1,8310.4% of all | 11.6%14.7 times normal | 64.5% | 47.6%31.7 points below normal | 33.8 min |
| Fogfog or freezing fog reported at the airport | 5,9901.2% of all | 1.0% | 79.3% | 70.7%8.6 points below normal | 12.8 min |
| Heavy rainheavy rain reported at the airport | 4990.1% of all | 0.6% | 71.6% | 58.5%20.8 points below normal | 16.9 min |
| High windwind of 25 knots or more, or gusts of 30 knots or more | 3,3870.7% of all | 1.3%1.6 times normal | 73.1% | 75.0%4.3 points below normal | 15.2 min |
| Low ceilinga broken or overcast layer under 1,000 feet | 33,3236.5% of all | 1.4%1.8 times normal | 80.7% | 76.4%2.9 points below normal | 10.0 min |
| Low visibilityvisibility under 3 miles | 21,3684.2% of all | 2.0%2.5 times normal | 78.7% | 73.0%6.3 points below normal | 12.4 min |
A departure is counted in every row its hour fits, so the rows overlap and do not add up. Left on time is a departure under 15 minutes late, and arrived on time an arrival under 15 minutes late; cancelled is the share of scheduled departures. Rows with fewer than 120 departures are not scored.
This is the weather reported at SEA in the hour a flight was scheduled to leave. It leaves out the weather at the destination and on the way, weather that arrived after the scheduled time, and anything else that goes wrong in a bad hour. An hour takes the worst conditions any report in it gave. Weather was matched to 99.9% of the airport’s scheduled departures; the rest left in hours with no report, or at a scheduled time the flight records cannot place exactly. Bad-weather hours are compared with normal hours at the same airport, not with what the same flights would have done in a clear sky: they also fall more often in some seasons and at some times of day.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS flight records and Iowa Environmental Mesonet weather reports · July 2023 – July 2026 · Where the weather comes from, and its limits. All covered airports side by side: What Weather Costs Each Airport.
Which airlines hold up in bad weather at SEA
Cancellations by airline in hours of bad weather at SEA, against the other carriers in the same months, July 2023 – July 2026.
9% of the weather-matched departures from SEA left in an hour of bad weather at the airport. 1.5% of them were cancelled. That is 1.9 times the 0.8% in normal hours. No one carrier holds most of them; 6 airlines have enough to compare.
Compared with the other carriers at SEA in the same months, Southwest Airlines (0.4% cancelled against 1.5% for the others; below them in normal hours too) cancelled the fewest in bad weather and Alaska Airlines (1.8% cancelled against 1.2% for the others; level with them in normal hours, so a bad-weather difference) the most. 3 more airlines are also clearly apart from the others.
Airlines in bad weather at SEA
Scheduled departures, July 2023 – July 2026| Airline | Bad-weather departures | Cancelled | Other carriers | Normal hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 2,2295% of bad-weather | 0.4%below the others | 1.5% | 0.3%others 0.8% |
| United Airlines | 2,5316% of bad-weather | 0.8%below the others | 1.5% | 1.2%others 0.7% |
| Delta Air Lines | 9,02021% of bad-weather | 1.1%below the others | 1.6% | 0.7%others 0.8% |
| American Airlines | 1,6654% of bad-weather | 1.0% | 1.5% | 1.8%others 0.7% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 6,71115% of bad-weather | 1.9%above the others | 1.5% | 0.4%others 0.9% |
| Alaska Airlines | 20,26147% of bad-weather | 1.8%above the others | 1.2% | 0.9%others 0.7% |
Best first. The other carriers’ column applies their rate in each month to the airline’s own departures, so a stormy month is not held against it; the normal-hours column gives the same pair outside bad weather.
The 6 listed airlines flew 98% of the bad-weather departures at SEA; a carrier under 500 is not listed. The comparison does not hold the hour of the day, the destination or the aircraft fixed, and a gap counts as clear only at 2 standard errors and 0.3 points. SkyWest Airlines flies for Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines and is counted as a carrier of its own here, though it shares the airport’s gates, its de-icing and often its decisions to cancel.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS flight records and Iowa Environmental Mesonet weather reports · July 2023 – July 2026 · Where the weather comes from, and its limits. All covered airports side by side: What Weather Costs Each Airport.
Turning aircraft around at SEA
Time on the ground between one flight and the next of the same aircraft at SEA, and what a late arrival does to the next departure, July 2023 – July 2026.
The median turn at SEA is scheduled for 65 minutes on the ground and takes 74 minutes, against 56 minutes and 63 minutes across all airports. Aircraft are given longer on the ground here than at the typical airport. The typical turn runs 9 minutes over its schedule, more than the 7 minutes it does across all airports.
When the aircraft landed 15 or more minutes late (68,366 turns here, 47 minutes late on average), 74% of the turns were finished in no more than the scheduled ground time, against 68% across all airports. 59% of those flights left 15 or more minutes late, against 72%. After an aircraft that landed on time, 13% did (all airports 11%).
Given the turn lengths scheduled here, the network’s rates would give 76% finished in the schedule and 63% leaving late. SEA passes lateness on less often than the network would at these turn lengths. 40% of its late-inbound turns had a scheduled turn of 60 to 89 minutes, against 29% across all airports.
Turns at SEA against all airports
396,759 turns, July 2023 – July 2026| Measure | SEA | All airports | All airports, same turn lengths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median scheduled turn | 65 min | 56 min | — |
| Median actual turn | 74 min | 63 min | — |
| Turns that began with an aircraft 15+ minutes late | 17% | 19% | — |
| Late turns finished within the schedule | 74% | 68% | 76% |
| Late inbound that left 15+ minutes late | 59% | 72% | 63% |
| On-time inbound that left 15+ minutes late | 13% | 11% | — |
The last column is the network’s rate at the turn lengths scheduled at SEA, band by band from under 30 minutes to 3 to 6 hours. A turn finishes within the schedule when the aircraft spent no more time on the ground than the schedule gave it.
A turn pairs an aircraft’s landing at SEA with its next departure from it by tail number; the aircraft is never named. These 396,759 turns are 78% of the flights that left SEA in the period; the rest are an aircraft’s first flight after a long stay, flights without a usable inbound, and cancelled flights. Ground time runs from the gate. Turns under 30 minutes are kept, but most leave late even after an on-time landing. Airlines set their own turn schedules, so this describes the airlines that fly at SEA and does not rate the airport.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS flight records · July 2023 – July 2026 · Airports side by side: Where a Late Aircraft Gets Its Time Back.
What sets SEA apart
Where SEA’s hours, months, airlines and taxi time differ most from the other airports, July 2023 – July 2026.
Flights scheduled to leave SEA at 7 PM arrive on time 77.5% of the time, 9.1 points better than the 68.4% for that hour at the other airports.
1 AM is where SEA falls furthest behind the rest: 72.6% of its 1 AM departures arrive on time, 8 points below the 80.6% for that hour elsewhere.
July treats SEA better than it treats the rest of the country: 73.5% on time against 70.0% elsewhere, 3.5 points ahead.
American Airlines does better out of SEA than anywhere else it flies: 79.3% on time here, 74.8% on its other departures, 4.5 points apart.
Hawaiian Airlines’ departures from SEA arrive on time 66.6% of the time, 17.3 points worse than the 83.9% the same airline manages at its other airports.
Departing aircraft spend 21.5 minutes on average between pushback and takeoff at SEA, 2.9 minutes more than the 18.6 minutes at the other airports.
SEA against the other airports
July 2023 – July 2026| Measure | SEA | Elsewhere | Gap | Flights behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hour: 7 PM departures | 77.5% | 68.4% | +9.1 pts | 29,679 here, 983,860 elsewhere |
| Hour: 1 AM departures | 72.6% | 80.6% | −8.0 pts | 281 here, 8,655 elsewhere |
| Month: July | 73.5% | 70.0% | +3.5 pts | 63,686 here, 1,922,797 elsewhere |
| Airline: American Airlines | 79.3% | 74.8% | +4.5 pts | 18,537 here, 2,938,102 elsewhere |
| Airline: Hawaiian Airlines | 66.6% | 83.9% | −17.3 pts | 2,765 here, 194,719 elsewhere |
| Taxi-out: Departures | 21.5 min | 18.6 min | +2.9 min | 506,067 here, 17,124,042 elsewhere |
"Elsewhere" is every other covered airport together, taken from the same aggregates as this page with SEA’s own flights removed (for airlines, that airline’s flights from all its other airports). Hours, months and airlines appear only where both sides have at least 120 completed flights (airlines 500) and the gap is at least 2 points and 2 standard errors; only the largest gap in each direction is shown. The taxi figure is weighted by departures and has no error estimate, so it appears from 2 minutes.
Best time to fly from SEA
On-time arrival rate by scheduled local departure time: each weekday and hour, and averaged over the week.
Flights departing 5–9 AM arrived on time 86.5% of the time, against 76.1% for 6–9 PM departures — a gap of 10.4 percentage points.
By day and hour
On-time arrival rate for each weekday and scheduled departure hour, in local time.
Wednesday 5–6 AM was the most reliable slot at SEA (94.2% on time, 1,126 flights) and Sunday 10–11 PM the least (68.3%, 2,676 flights).
Hour of departure matters more than day of the week: hourly averages sit a typical 4.6 points from the airport-wide rate, weekday averages 2.3 points.
| Hour | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
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On-time rate, % · stronger color, fewer on time
- 68–71
- 72–75
- 76–79
- 80–83
- 84–87
- 88–91
- 92–95
- Fewer than 120 flights, not scored
- Most reliable slot
- Least reliable slot
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · On time is arrival within 15 minutes of schedule. Cells round to whole percentages; the table shows one decimal.
Best and worst slots are named only among slots with 500+ flights, and only when the gap is larger than sampling error.
View as tableHide table
| Hour | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 AM–1 AM | 80.0% on time358 flights | 80.4% on time330 flights | 87.2% on time244 flights | 85.7% on time275 flights | 81.0% on time361 flights | 77.7% on time339 flights | 83.1% on time304 flights |
| 1 AM–2 AM | 48 flights, too few to score | 51 flights, too few to score | 31 flights, too few to score | 33 flights, too few to score | 49 flights, too few to score | 49 flights, too few to score | 27 flights, too few to score |
| 2 AM–3 AM | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 3 AM–4 AM | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 4 AM–5 AM | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 5 AM–6 AM | 92.8% on time1,373 flights | 92.8% on time1,129 flights | 94.2% on time1,126 flights | 93.7% on time1,356 flights | 92.5% on time1,392 flights | 92.5% on time1,309 flights | 93.1% on time1,389 flights |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 90.9% on time3,147 flights | 92.5% on time2,912 flights | 92.0% on time2,883 flights | 92.0% on time3,166 flights | 90.2% on time3,167 flights | 91.1% on time2,889 flights | 89.9% on time3,099 flights |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 84.7% on time6,344 flights | 86.7% on time6,054 flights | 86.3% on time6,123 flights | 84.0% on time6,294 flights | 83.6% on time6,308 flights | 84.1% on time5,786 flights | 85.5% on time6,054 flights |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 83.2% on time4,842 flights | 84.7% on time4,703 flights | 85.1% on time4,795 flights | 82.2% on time4,815 flights | 81.9% on time4,847 flights | 84.4% on time4,579 flights | 84.3% on time4,720 flights |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 82.2% on time5,431 flights | 84.0% on time5,270 flights | 83.6% on time5,251 flights | 81.1% on time5,435 flights | 80.8% on time5,431 flights | 81.8% on time5,025 flights | 82.1% on time5,338 flights |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 77.4% on time4,495 flights | 80.3% on time4,278 flights | 80.0% on time4,303 flights | 75.8% on time4,485 flights | 76.0% on time4,514 flights | 78.8% on time4,190 flights | 76.5% on time4,452 flights |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 74.4% on time6,494 flights | 77.6% on time6,265 flights | 75.9% on time6,329 flights | 72.9% on time6,469 flights | 72.5% on time6,446 flights | 75.3% on time5,959 flights | 74.7% on time6,331 flights |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 76.7% on time3,559 flights | 82.2% on time3,404 flights | 79.4% on time3,413 flights | 76.1% on time3,490 flights | 76.8% on time3,542 flights | 78.4% on time3,317 flights | 76.4% on time3,517 flights |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 76.4% on time4,356 flights | 80.7% on time4,052 flights | 79.2% on time4,083 flights | 74.4% on time4,353 flights | 74.7% on time4,363 flights | 77.8% on time3,928 flights | 75.3% on time4,345 flights |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 74.3% on time2,626 flights | 81.6% on time2,541 flights | 80.9% on time2,553 flights | 74.2% on time2,588 flights | 74.3% on time2,556 flights | 78.3% on time2,141 flights | 74.7% on time2,569 flights |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 76.9% on time5,217 flights | 82.2% on time4,985 flights | 82.1% on time4,964 flights | 75.8% on time5,209 flights | 76.0% on time5,204 flights | 79.2% on time4,210 flights | 75.2% on time5,024 flights |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 77.4% on time2,401 flights | 81.8% on time2,186 flights | 81.4% on time2,181 flights | 73.6% on time2,367 flights | 72.7% on time2,406 flights | 79.5% on time1,923 flights | 74.9% on time2,317 flights |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 73.6% on time5,124 flights | 80.3% on time4,865 flights | 79.4% on time4,888 flights | 72.1% on time5,123 flights | 72.9% on time5,122 flights | 80.5% on time4,574 flights | 71.6% on time5,076 flights |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 73.0% on time3,247 flights | 80.1% on time2,866 flights | 79.4% on time2,926 flights | 72.4% on time3,221 flights | 71.6% on time3,236 flights | 79.8% on time2,795 flights | 72.4% on time3,227 flights |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 76.5% on time4,545 flights | 82.8% on time4,154 flights | 81.0% on time4,213 flights | 74.9% on time4,517 flights | 74.2% on time4,511 flights | 81.7% on time3,521 flights | 73.1% on time4,456 flights |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 75.0% on time2,352 flights | 80.5% on time1,893 flights | 77.3% on time1,943 flights | 70.0% on time2,315 flights | 71.6% on time2,407 flights | 80.1% on time1,772 flights | 70.1% on time2,414 flights |
| 9 PM–10 PM | 74.9% on time4,295 flights | 82.5% on time3,505 flights | 80.9% on time3,513 flights | 71.6% on time4,216 flights | 73.3% on time4,281 flights | 80.6% on time3,239 flights | 70.3% on time4,290 flights |
| 10 PM–11 PM | 73.7% on time2,638 flights | 79.4% on time2,438 flights | 77.9% on time2,458 flights | 72.4% on time2,624 flights | 72.6% on time2,676 flights | 75.5% on time2,385 flights | 68.3% on time2,676 flights |
| 11 PM–12 AM | 80.1% on time2,990 flights | 85.9% on time2,749 flights | 84.1% on time2,832 flights | 79.5% on time3,031 flights | 77.7% on time3,061 flights | 80.7% on time2,668 flights | 75.9% on time3,156 flights |
By departure window
All days combinedBy departure hour
All days combined- 12 AM: 81.8% on time from 2,211 flights
- 1 AM: 72.6% on time from 288 flights
- 2 AM to 4 AM: too few flights to score
- 5 AM: 93.1% on time from 9,074 flights
- 6 AM: 91.2% on time from 21,263 flights
- 7 AM: 85.0% on time from 42,963 flights
- 8 AM: 83.7% on time from 33,301 flights
- 9 AM: 82.2% on time from 37,181 flights
- 10 AM: 77.8% on time from 30,717 flights
- 11 AM: 74.7% on time from 44,293 flights
- 12 PM: 78.0% on time from 24,242 flights
- 1 PM: 76.9% on time from 29,480 flights
- 2 PM: 76.8% on time from 17,574 flights
- 3 PM: 78.1% on time from 34,813 flights
- 4 PM: 77.2% on time from 15,781 flights
- 5 PM: 75.6% on time from 34,772 flights
- 6 PM: 75.3% on time from 21,518 flights
- 7 PM: 77.5% on time from 29,917 flights
- 8 PM: 74.5% on time from 15,096 flights
- 9 PM: 75.9% on time from 27,339 flights
- 10 PM: 74.1% on time from 17,895 flights
- 11 PM: 80.4% on time from 20,487 flights
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Buckets with fewer than 120 flights are not scored.
What parking will cost
Estimated from SEA's own published rates.
Estimated cost
Choose a facility and both dates to see an estimate.
Rates as published by the airport, last read 2026-08-31. Confirm before you travel.
Source: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport · An estimate from published standard rates. Airports vary surcharges, oversize vehicle fees and event pricing, so confirm the price with the airport before you travel.
International arrivals
How long passport control normally takes here, hour by hour and hall by hall. This is the arrivals queue, not departure security — and it is history, not a live wait.
A US passport clears South Satellite, SEA’s busiest hall, in a typical 15 min; everyone else in the same terminal typically takes 24 min, and 49 min on a busy day. These are separate halls, separately staffed — CBP’s single combined figure of 19 min is a number few arrivals actually experience.
Terminal by terminal, across the day
| Terminal | US passports | US busy day | Other passports | Other busy day | Global Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Satellite | 15 min | 26 min | 24 min | 49 min | 13.6% of arrivals |
US passports — South Satellite
- 12 AM–1 AM: too few records to publish
- 1 AM–2 AM: too few records to publish
- 2 AM–3 AM: too few records to publish
- 3 AM–4 AM: too few records to publish
- 4 AM–5 AM: too few records to publish
- 5 AM–6 AM: typically 3 min, 11 min on a busy day (512 days)
- 6 AM–7 AM: typically 0 min, 20 min on a busy day (465 days)
- 7 AM–8 AM: typically 3 min, 28 min on a busy day (496 days)
- 8 AM–9 AM: typically 17 min, 31 min on a busy day (540 days)
- 9 AM–10 AM: typically 12 min, 26 min on a busy day (665 days)
- 10 AM–11 AM: typically 16 min, 25 min on a busy day (729 days)
- 11 AM–12 PM: typically 14 min, 24 min on a busy day (769 days)
- 12 PM–1 PM: typically 17 min, 29 min on a busy day (775 days)
- 1 PM–2 PM: typically 16 min, 27 min on a busy day (775 days)
- 2 PM–3 PM: typically 15 min, 25 min on a busy day (748 days)
- 3 PM–4 PM: typically 17 min, 24 min on a busy day (708 days)
- 4 PM–5 PM: typically 17 min, 24 min on a busy day (741 days)
- 5 PM–6 PM: typically 17 min, 26 min on a busy day (761 days)
- 6 PM–7 PM: typically 18 min, 27 min on a busy day (750 days)
- 7 PM–8 PM: typically 19 min, 27 min on a busy day (773 days)
- 8 PM–9 PM: typically 14 min, 23 min on a busy day (776 days)
- 9 PM–10 PM: typically 13 min, 21 min on a busy day (306 days)
- 10 PM–11 PM: too few records to publish
- 11 PM–12 AM: too few records to publish
US citizens and lawful permanent residents, who use the US-passport lanes.
All other passports — South Satellite
- 12 AM–1 AM: too few records to publish
- 1 AM–2 AM: too few records to publish
- 2 AM–3 AM: too few records to publish
- 3 AM–4 AM: too few records to publish
- 4 AM–5 AM: too few records to publish
- 5 AM–6 AM: typically 11 min, 24 min on a busy day (512 days)
- 6 AM–7 AM: typically 1 min, 27 min on a busy day (465 days)
- 7 AM–8 AM: typically 7 min, 40 min on a busy day (496 days)
- 8 AM–9 AM: typically 32 min, 51 min on a busy day (540 days)
- 9 AM–10 AM: typically 24 min, 50 min on a busy day (665 days)
- 10 AM–11 AM: typically 26 min, 48 min on a busy day (729 days)
- 11 AM–12 PM: typically 28 min, 50 min on a busy day (769 days)
- 12 PM–1 PM: typically 29 min, 49 min on a busy day (775 days)
- 1 PM–2 PM: typically 29 min, 52 min on a busy day (775 days)
- 2 PM–3 PM: typically 24 min, 53 min on a busy day (748 days)
- 3 PM–4 PM: typically 25 min, 50 min on a busy day (708 days)
- 4 PM–5 PM: typically 24 min, 52 min on a busy day (741 days)
- 5 PM–6 PM: typically 25 min, 50 min on a busy day (761 days)
- 6 PM–7 PM: typically 24 min, 44 min on a busy day (750 days)
- 7 PM–8 PM: typically 29 min, 58 min on a busy day (773 days)
- 8 PM–9 PM: typically 23 min, 56 min on a busy day (776 days)
- 9 PM–10 PM: typically 15 min, 28 min on a busy day (306 days)
- 10 PM–11 PM: too few records to publish
- 11 PM–12 AM: too few records to publish
Every other arriving passenger, including visa and visa-waiver travelers.
Hour by hour — South Satellite
| Cleared in hour | US passports | US busy day | Other passports | Other busy day | Booths open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 AM–6 AM | 3 min | 11 min | 11 min | 24 min | 9 |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 0 min | 20 min | 1 min | 27 min | 7 |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 3 min | 28 min | 7 min | 40 min | 9 |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 17 min | 31 min | 32 min | 51 min | 12 |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 12 min | 26 min | 24 min | 50 min | 14 |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 16 min | 25 min | 26 min | 48 min | 17 |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 14 min | 24 min | 28 min | 50 min | 22 |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 17 min | 29 min | 29 min | 49 min | 23 |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 16 min | 27 min | 29 min | 52 min | 22 |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 15 min | 25 min | 24 min | 53 min | 20 |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 17 min | 24 min | 25 min | 50 min | 18 |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 17 min | 24 min | 24 min | 52 min | 17 |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 17 min | 26 min | 25 min | 50 min | 16 |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 18 min | 27 min | 24 min | 44 min | 16 |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 19 min | 27 min | 29 min | 58 min | 16 |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 14 min | 23 min | 23 min | 56 min | 14 |
| 9 PM–10 PM | 13 min | 21 min | 15 min | 28 min | 10 |
US passports: clearing in the 7 PM–8 PM hour typically takes 19 min, against 0 min in the 6 AM–7 AM hour — 19 min between the slowest and fastest of 17 measured hours.
All other passports: clearing in the 8 AM–9 AM hour typically takes 32 min, against 1 min in the 6 AM–7 AM hour — 31 min between the slowest and fastest of 17 measured hours.
The hour is when CBP processed the passenger, not when the aircraft landed — allow for the walk from the gate. Hours with fewer than 120 days of records are not listed rather than shown as an estimate, which is why a terminal’s quietest hours are usually absent. “Busy day” is the 90th percentile: one arrival in ten is worse than that. Booths are how many CBP had open, and they follow the queue rather than prevent it — the busiest hours are staffed hardest and are still the slowest.
Source: US Customs and Border Protection · 2024-08-28 to 2026-10-16 · These are CBP passport control waits for arriving international passengers — a different queue from TSA departure screening. CBP publishes them about two days in arrears, so every figure here describes what has been typical over 2024-08-28 to 2026-10-16, and none of it is a live queue or a forecast for your flight. US and non-US passengers are reported separately by CBP and are kept separate here, because they are separate halls. FlyerIntel publishes a terminal or an hour only where CBP filed at least 120 hourly records for it, and an hour-by-hour breakdown only where at least 6 hours clear that floor.
What to expect at SEA
How busy the airport is through the day, from scheduled departure volume.
Scheduled departures by hour
- 12 AM: about 2 departures a day
- 1 AM: fewer than one departure a day
- 2 AM: no departures
- 3 AM: no departures
- 4 AM: no departures
- 5 AM: about 8 departures a day
- 6 AM: about 19 departures a day
- 7 AM: about 38 departures a day
- 8 AM: about 30 departures a day
- 9 AM: about 33 departures a day
- 10 AM: about 27 departures a day
- 11 AM: about 39 departures a day
- 12 PM: about 22 departures a day
- 1 PM: about 26 departures a day
- 2 PM: about 16 departures a day
- 3 PM: about 31 departures a day
- 4 PM: about 14 departures a day
- 5 PM: about 31 departures a day
- 6 PM: about 19 departures a day
- 7 PM: about 27 departures a day
- 8 PM: about 13 departures a day
- 9 PM: about 24 departures a day
- 10 PM: about 16 departures a day
- 11 PM: about 18 departures a day
The busiest hour is 11 AM, with about 39 departures a day, against roughly 13 at 8 PM.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Taxi-out runs from gate to wheels-up, averaged over departures and weighted by hour. Taxi-in runs from touchdown to gate.
Weekly and seasonal patterns
By day of week
Tuesday is historically the most reliable day and Friday the least, a gap of 5.8 percentage points.
By month
- Jan: 80.4% on time
- Feb: 82.0% on time
- Mar: 80.9% on time
- Apr: 82.5% on time
- May: 78.6% on time
- Jun: 74.6% on time
- Jul: 73.5% on time
- Aug: 75.0% on time
- Sep: 80.8% on time
- Oct: 83.9% on time
- Nov: 83.6% on time
- Dec: 79.2% on time
July is historically the weakest month and October the strongest, a spread of 10.4 percentage points.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026
Airlines at SEA
Departure performance by operating carrier. Regional flights are reported by the carrier that operated them, not by the mainline brand.
| Carrier | Departures | On time | Cancelled | Median delay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines AS | 240,691 | 76.2% | 0.99% | -2 min |
| Delta Air Lines DL | 99,813 | 83.2% | 0.69% | -8 min |
| SkyWest Airlines OO | 84,775 | 84.6% | 0.50% | -6 min |
| United Airlines UA | 27,923 | 81.6% | 1.08% | -8 min |
| Southwest Airlines WN | 25,297 | 73.5% | 0.30% | -1 min |
| American Airlines AA | 18,969 | 79.3% | 1.63% | -8 min |
| Frontier Airlines F9 | 4,443 | 73.1% | 1.76% | -3 min |
| Hawaiian Airlines HA | 2,813 | 66.6% | 1.49% | 4 min |
| JetBlue B6 | 2,256 | 62.1% | 1.86% | 4 min |
| Spirit Airlines NK | 1,771 | 76.9% | 0.90% | -6 min |
| Envoy Air MQ | 1,454 | 84.0% | 0.00% | -10 min |
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Carriers with fewer than 500 departures are not listed.
Routes from SEA
Ranked by FlyerIntel Route Reliability Score.
Most reliable
Busiest routes
| Destination | Flights | On time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEA → LAX Los Angeles | 23,181 | 82.5% | 79 |
| SEA → ANC Anchorage | 22,363 | 75.8% | 71 |
| SEA → PHX Phoenix | 22,328 | 79.4% | 75 |
| SEA → SFO San Francisco | 20,772 | 68.7% | 53 |
| SEA → DEN Denver | 20,291 | 77.9% | 70 |
| SEA → LAS Las Vegas | 19,230 | 77.6% | 71 |
| SEA → ORD Chicago | 16,300 | 77.3% | 66 |
| SEA → PDX Portland | 16,049 | 80.7% | 78 |
| SEA → DFW Dallas–Fort Worth | 15,630 | 76.3% | 60 |
| SEA → SAN San Diego | 14,317 | 78.5% | 74 |
| SEA → SJC San Jose | 13,887 | 81.3% | 78 |
| SEA → SMF Sacramento | 13,124 | 79.9% | 78 |
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Only routes with at least 10,000 flights are ranked.
Reliability over time
On-time arrival rate for departures, by month.
- July 2023: 79.3% on time from 15,666 flights
- August 2023: 78.6% on time from 15,974 flights
- September 2023: 81.2% on time from 15,041 flights
- October 2023: 85.2% on time from 14,313 flights
- November 2023: 83.3% on time from 13,117 flights
- December 2023: 83.1% on time from 12,736 flights
- January 2024: 75.1% on time from 11,751 flights
- February 2024: 83.6% on time from 11,102 flights
- March 2024: 80.2% on time from 12,626 flights
- April 2024: 80.1% on time from 12,924 flights
- May 2024: 76.8% on time from 14,338 flights
- June 2024: 74.8% on time from 15,183 flights
- July 2024: 73.9% on time from 16,198 flights
- August 2024: 72.8% on time from 15,984 flights
- September 2024: 78.4% on time from 14,805 flights
- October 2024: 83.7% on time from 13,763 flights
- November 2024: 85.6% on time from 12,453 flights
- December 2024: 80.5% on time from 12,596 flights
- January 2025: 84.1% on time from 11,882 flights
- February 2025: 77.9% on time from 10,738 flights
- March 2025: 82.4% on time from 12,577 flights
- April 2025: 82.0% on time from 12,716 flights
- May 2025: 76.7% on time from 14,630 flights
- June 2025: 70.9% on time from 15,695 flights
- July 2025: 69.2% on time from 16,577 flights
- August 2025: 73.6% on time from 15,970 flights
- September 2025: 82.9% on time from 14,552 flights
- October 2025: 82.9% on time from 13,859 flights
- November 2025: 81.9% on time from 12,616 flights
- December 2025: 74.0% on time from 13,023 flights
- January 2026: 81.6% on time from 11,927 flights
- February 2026: 84.4% on time from 11,000 flights
- March 2026: 80.2% on time from 12,830 flights
- April 2026: 85.6% on time from 12,864 flights
- May 2026: 82.2% on time from 14,564 flights
- June 2026: 78.1% on time from 15,402 flights
- July 2026: 71.8% on time from 16,213 flights
Over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), departures from SEA arrived on time 79.6% of the time, against 78.2% in the 12 months before — broadly unchanged.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026
Data and sources
Historical statistics
Every historical figure on this page is calculated by FlyerIntel from US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics on-time performance records covering July 2023 – July 2026, comprising 510,205 departures from SEA. A flight counts as delayed when it arrives 15 or more minutes after schedule.
Full methodology · All data sources
Related research: The Day After the Holiday · The Least Reliable Hour of the Week · The Best Major Airports for a Tight Connection · Which Months Cancel the Most Flights
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<a href="https://flyerintel.com/airports/sea/"><img src="https://flyerintel.com/badge/airport/sea/" alt="Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on-time performance, from FlyerIntel"></a>Live conditions
Aviation weather comes from the NOAA Aviation Weather Center. Operational events come from the FAA where available. FlyerIntel shows the age of every live value and does not display data it cannot currently retrieve.
Latest observation for SEA: METAR KSEA 180853Z 07008KT 10SM CLR 09/06 A3023 RMK AO2 SLP244 T00940056 58004 (issued ).