ON TIMEBOARD

FAT → SAN on time

Fresno Yosemite (Fresno, CA) to San Diego (San Diego, CA). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
70%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
1.4%
1,974 flights
Typical arrival
−1 min
median vs schedule
When late
+53 min
average delay
Flights / day
5
2 airlines

70% of flights from Fresno to San Diego arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is worse than the typical U.S. route. The 6 a.m. departures ran on time 90% of the time; the 7 p.m. ones 52%. Most reliable airline: Southwest Airlines (73%). 9% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.

How late?

The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for FAT → SAN: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 61% of the time. About 1 in 14 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 132 three hours or more; 1.4% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 1,974 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
Alaska Airlines1,34769%1.9%+1 min7.1%+52 minSkyWest 88%, Horizon Air 12%
Southwest Airlines62773%0.3%−4 min7.7%+54 minSouthwest Airlines

Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.

Best time of day to fly

On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at FAT). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%6 a.m. departures: 90% on time (606 flights)906a7 a.m. departures: too few flights (10 flights)7a8 a.m. departures: 62% on time (130 flights)628a9 a.m. departures: 77% on time (107 flights)779a10 a.m. departures: 64% on time (263 flights)6410a11 a.m. departures: too few flights (14 flights)11anoon departures: too few flights (21 flights)12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights (30 flights)1p2 p.m. departures: too few flights (40 flights)2p3 p.m. departures: 67% on time (243 flights)673p4 p.m. departures: 59% on time (179 flights)594p5 p.m. departures: too few flights (94 flights)5p6 p.m. departures: too few flights (22 flights)6p7 p.m. departures: 52% on time (207 flights)527p
FAT → SAN, share of flights arriving on time, by departure hour. Hours with under 100 flights are greyed out.
82%+ on time76–82%68–76%under 68%too few flights

By airline and hour

DepartsAlaska AirlinesSouthwest Airlines
6 a.m.88%94%
9 a.m.78%—
10 a.m.64%—
3 p.m.66%—
7 p.m.55%—

Last flight of the day

On FAT → SAN, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 1.8% of the time, against 1.3% for its earlier flights (1.5× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 0.5% of the time (earlier flights: 0.9%). It matters more than the numbers suggest. Miss an earlier flight and there's another one that evening; miss the last one and you're usually waiting until morning.

AirlineLast departureLast: cancelledLast: 3h+ lateEarlier: cancelledNext morning
Alaska Airlines4:22 p.m.2.7%0.5%1.6%first flight 6:00 a.m.
Southwest Airlines5:10 p.m.0.7%0.3%0.0%first flight 6:25 a.m.

Last flight = the airline's last scheduled departure on this route that day, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Times are typical scheduled times over the latest three months.

If you need to be in SAN tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: September (85%). Worst: December (65%).

40%70%100%Jan: 74% on time (303 flights)74JanFeb: 77% on time (283 flights)77FebMar: 77% on time (328 flights)77MarApr: 76% on time (344 flights)76AprMay: 77% on time (386 flights)77MayJun: 72% on time (384 flights)72JunJul: 69% on time (395 flights)69JulAug: 71% on time (391 flights)71AugSep: 85% on time (278 flights)85SepOct: 71% on time (380 flights)71OctNov: 74% on time (367 flights)74NovDec: 65% on time (330 flights)65Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday29969%0.3%
Tuesday27775%1.4%
Wednesday27176%0.4%
Thursday30065%1.7%
Friday30363%2.0%
Saturday23379%2.6%
Sunday29168%1.7%

Why flights were late

Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.

Air traffic & airport (NAS) 37%Late inbound plane 33%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 25%Severe weather 5%

Cancellations: weather 13 · air traffic/airport 8 · airline 7

Month by month

50%75%100%Sep 2023Jan 2024Jan 2025Jan 2026Oct 2024: 59% on time, 4.4% cancelledNov 2024: 61% on time, 0.0% cancelledMay 2025: 79% on time, 1.7% cancelledJun 2025: 80% on time, 0.0% cancelledJul 2025: 80% on time, 0.8% cancelledAug 2025: 79% on time, 0.8% cancelledSep 2025: 82% on time, 1.9% cancelledOct 2025: 72% on time, 1.1% cancelledNov 2025: 74% on time, 1.1% cancelledDec 2025: 66% on time, 1.1% cancelledJan 2026: 72% on time, 4.6% cancelledFeb 2026: 81% on time, 2.1% cancelledMar 2026: 77% on time, 1.2% cancelledApr 2026: 76% on time, 0.0% cancelledMay 2026: 72% on time, 0.6% cancelledJun 2026: 65% on time, 0.0% cancelledJul 2026: 57% on time, 2.8% cancelledAug 2026: 60% on time, 1.1% cancelled
Share of flights on time, by month (hover a point for cancellations)
FAT → SAN, monthly on-time and cancellation rate.

Flight numbers on this route

Regular flights with at least 120 scheduled trips in the past year. Sorted by departure time.

FlightDepartsFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrivalOperated by
AS 34026:00 a.m.35988%3.1%−8 minSkyWest
AS 33884:22 p.m.22459%0.4%+8 minSkyWest

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Jan 1, 202650%0
Jan 17, 202630%1
Nov 9, 2025617%0
Dec 22, 2025617%0
Jun 28, 2026617%0

Questions

How often are flights from FAT to SAN on time?

70% of 1,974 scheduled flights from Fresno, CA to San Diego, CA arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 1.4% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly FAT to SAN?

Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. were the most reliable (90% on time). The 7 p.m. departures were the least (52%).

Which airline is most on time from FAT to SAN?

Southwest Airlines: 73% of its 627 flights on the route arrived on time. Alaska Airlines: 69%.

What month has the most delays from FAT to SAN?

December (65% on time). The best month is September (85%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from FAT to SAN more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last FAT–SAN flight of the day was cancelled 1.8% of the time over the past year, against 1.3% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.

Related

Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.