82% of flights leaving Salina (SLN) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 6 points better than the national average of 76%. About 3 flights leave SLN on a typical day; 1.4% were cancelled. 84% pushed back from the gate on time, so most of the lateness is already there when the flight leaves the gate.
At a glance
- Best hour to fly: 6 a.m. (87% on time). Worst: 9 a.m. (78%).
- Best month: April (87%). Worst: January (69%).
- Biggest delay cause: the airlines themselves (64% of delay minutes).
How late?
The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for flights leaving SLN: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 37% of the time. About 1 in 11 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 25 three hours or more; 1.4% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early82%
- 15–30 min late3.6%
- 30–60 min late4.0%
- 1–2 hours late2.9%
- 2–3 hours late2.1%
- 3+ hours late4.0%
- Diverted0.1%
- Cancelled1.4%
Share of all 1,045 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of SLN
Departure time makes a real difference at SLN. Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. arrived on time 87% of the time; at 9 a.m. it was 78%, a 8-point gap. Early planes usually start the day at the airport, so they haven't had a chance to pick up delays elsewhere. By evening a late inbound aircraft, a crew running out of duty hours or an afternoon thunderstorm can push one late flight into the next. Cancellations cluster too: 9 a.m. departures were cancelled 3.0% of the time, against 1.4% overall.
Hour × month
Each cell: on-time rate for that departure hour in that calendar month, 2023–2026. Find your travel month, then look along the row for the greenest hour.
Best and worst months
January is the hardest month at SLN, with 69% of flights on time across 2023–2026; April is the best at 87%. Summer (June–August) runs 5 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 7 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (8.4% of flights).
Airlines at SLN
United Airlines runs 100% of departures from SLN, so SLN is effectively its hub. When United Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 1,045 | 82% | 84% | 1.4% | −12 min |
Why flights are late at SLN
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At SLN, 64% of delay minutes came from the airlines themselves: crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Next is severe weather at 15%.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 16 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
SLN vs nearby airports
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLN Salina | — | 1,045 | 82% | 1.4% |
| MHK Manhattan | 58 mi | 1,680 | 81% | 2.6% |
Month by month
Not enough months with data to draw a trend.
Tips for flying out of SLN
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At SLN the 6 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in January? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Delayed already? Most delays at SLN come from the airlines themselves. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from SLN
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEN Denver | 365 | 86% | 0.5% | −14 min |
Flights into SLN
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Salina, least reliable first. The weakest is from Denver (73% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEN Denver | 365 | 73% | 0.3% |
Questions about SLN delays
What is the best time to fly out of SLN?
Flights scheduled at 6 a.m.: over the past year 87% of SLN departures at that hour arrived on time, against 78% at 9 a.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at SLN?
January (69% on time). April is the best month (87%).
Why are flights delayed at SLN?
The biggest cause was the airlines themselves (64% of delay minutes): crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling and baggage. Then severe weather (15%).
How often are flights cancelled at SLN?
1.4% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 8.4%.
Hours are scheduled local departure times. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes late at the destination; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Method.