82% of flights leaving Fort Smith (FSM) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 7 points better than the national average of 76%. About 3 flights leave FSM on a typical day; 2.7% 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. (91% on time). Worst: 10 a.m. (83%).
- Best month: August (88%). Worst: June (68%).
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (49% 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 FSM: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 49% of the time. About 1 in 19 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 57 three hours or more; 2.7% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early82%
- 15–30 min late4.6%
- 30–60 min late4.7%
- 1–2 hours late2.3%
- 2–3 hours late1.3%
- 3+ hours late1.8%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled2.7%
Share of all 1,194 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of FSM
FSM is unusually consistent through the day. Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. arrived on time 91% of the time; at 10 a.m. it was 83%, a 8-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 91% on time against 74% for the evening bank (5–10 p.m.). 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.
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
June is the hardest month at FSM, with 68% of flights on time across 2023–2026; August is the best at 88%. Summer (June–August) runs 4 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 3 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (10.0% of flights).
Airlines at FSM
American Airlines runs 100% of departures from FSM, so FSM is effectively its hub. When American Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 1,194 | 82% | 84% | 2.7% | −9 min |
Why flights are late at FSM
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At FSM, 49% of delay minutes came from late-arriving aircraft: the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Next is the airlines themselves at 22%. That's why the first flight of the morning is the safest bet: it has no earlier flight to inherit a delay from.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 15 minutes, shorter than at most large U.S. airports.
Month by month
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from FSM, each airline's final departure was cancelled 3.8% of the time, against 2.2% for its earlier flights (1.8× as often). Late in the day crews run short on duty hours, aircraft arrive late from elsewhere, and with no later flight to fold passengers into, cancelling is easier for the airline. 1.6% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to Dallas (3.8% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 8:18 p.m. | 3.8% | 1.6% | 73% |
Each airline's last scheduled departure of the day on a route, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Riskiest first.
Tips for flying out of FSM
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At FSM the 6 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in June? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of FSM; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at FSM come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from FSM
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 1,194 | 82% | 2.7% | −9 min |
Flights into FSM
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Fort Smith, least reliable first. The weakest is from Dallas (82% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 1,194 | 82% | 2.6% |
Questions about FSM delays
What is the best time to fly out of FSM?
Flights scheduled at 6 a.m.: over the past year 91% of FSM departures at that hour arrived on time, against 83% at 10 a.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at FSM?
June (68% on time). August is the best month (88%).
Why are flights delayed at FSM?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (49% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (22%).
How often are flights cancelled at FSM?
2.7% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 10.0%.
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.