San Diego airport's on-time performance scorecard
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San Diego International Airport (SAN) posted above-average on-time performance in 2023 compared to other major U.S. airports, particularly in the busy travel month of December, according to the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
The big picture: About 86% of flights out of SAN departed on time in December, compared to the national average of roughly 83%.
- That's a big upswing compared to December 2022, when Southwest Airlines' epic meltdown dragged down the industrywide average to about 70%.
Reality check: Being a warm-weather city without ice and snowstorms no doubt helps things run more smoothly.
Zoom in: The holiday season was the most efficient time period in SAN last year, with November and December outperforming every other month.
- The airport averaged 79.6% for on-time departures during 2023 overall, against 78.7% nationally.
By the numbers: SAN's on-time departure performance has been declining since 2020, when the average was nearly 89%.
- 2021 average: 84.8%
- 2022 average: 80.4%
Zoom out: Northwest Arkansas National had the nation's best on-time departure rate in December 2023 (90%), while Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (67.2%) had the worst.