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Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) delays and on-time record

Seattle, Washington KSEA #12 US airport by passengers

Live airport-wide delay programs from the FAA, the weather that causes them, and how each airline has actually performed at SEA.

FAA status
Departure delays Updated 4 min ago
Weather now
MVFR 49°F Observed 8 h ago
Late departures
24.0%May 2026 to July 2026
Security line
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FAA delay status for SEA

  • Departure delays RWY:Construction 16 minutes to 30 minutes (Increasing)

Source: FAA National Airspace System Status, checked 4 min ago. Airline-specific delays are not shown here.

Current conditions at SEA

MVFR

49°F9°C

Marginal: lower cloud or reduced visibility. Some delays are possible.

Wind
160° 6 mph
Visibility
10+ mi
Clouds
FEW 1,000 ft, BKN 2,500 ft, OVC 4,000 ft
Ceiling
2,500 ft
Pressure
29.81 inHg

METARMETAR KSEA 101153Z 16005KT 10SM FEW010 BKN025 OVC040 09/07 A2981 RMK AO2 SLP099 60000 T00940067 10106 20089 58005 $

Source: NOAA Aviation Weather Center. Observed 8 h ago.

Active weather alerts

  • Frost AdvisoryFrost Advisory issued October 10 at 3:03AM PDT until October 12 at 8:00AM PDT by NWS Seattle WA

On-time performance at SEA

Based on 46,180 departures from May 2026 to July 2026. A flight counts as late when it leaves 15 or more minutes after schedule.

24.0%Departures late
21.1%Arrivals late
0.62%Cancelled
14.7 minAverage departure delay
On-time performance by airline at SEA
AirlineDeparturesLateCancelled
Alaska Airlines 21,557 26.0% 0.45%
Delta Air Lines 8,780 18.7% 0.80%
SkyWest Airlines 7,633 15.5% 0.21%
United Airlines 2,709 24.3% 0.85%
Southwest Airlines 2,510 45.0% 0.24%
American Airlines 2,058 28.8% 1.36%
Frontier Airlines 398 23.6% 1.51%
Envoy Air 327 17.7% 0.00%
JetBlue Airways 208 63.5% 5.29%

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, On-Time Performance of reporting carriers. Smaller regional carriers and some airlines are not included.

Late departures by month

AprMayJunJul

How delays work at SEA

A ground stop holds flights bound for SEA at their origin airports. A ground delay program spaces arrivals out so the airport is not overloaded. Departure and arrival delay messages describe the average wait the FAA expects. None of these tell you whether your own flight is late, so always check your airline as well.

Local tips

  • If you are flying to Alaska or the Pacific Northwest, check the weather: low cloud and winter storms can affect operations.
  • Link light rail avoids the traffic on I-5 and is the better choice at rush hour.
  • The satellites are reached by train, so factor several extra minutes into your connection.