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U.S. Department of TransportationU.S. Department of Transportation IconUnited States Department of TransportationUnited States Department of Transportation
BTS> TranStats
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Domestic Tarmac Times by Year, Partial Year or Month
Period Start: Period Start: To:   Trend Check: To:   Tarmac Min: Max:
     
Data available through . Please limit search using dropdowns to a single calendar year. Data begins with January 1995. See New Tarmac Time Data Q&A. for explanation of reporting changes in October 2008 and August 2011.
Note: For detailed monthly summary for a single year, click on the link for the year. View tarmac times by Airport or Airline
TotalTarmac TimesStage of Operation Domestic
TotalPercent of Regularly Scheduled FlightsPrior To CancellationMultiple Gate DepartureTaxi-OutTaxi-InAt Diversion Airport
2018130.0062122621,398
2019100.0053110638,649
202040.0002200660,556
202100.0000000379,384
2022140.0020345563,737
2023180.00323010573,877

Note: Tarmac times for all flights by airlines reporting on-time data are available beginning with October 2008 data. From January 1995 through September 2008, airlines reporting on-time data reported only taxi-out and taxi-in times. Airlines currently reporting on-time data.

Note: Numbers found here may differ from those previously available on the BTS website and on the Air Travel Consumer Report. Beginning with the release of May 2010 data, lengthy tarmac times are measured as more than 3 hours (181 minutes plus). Previous releases used the measurement of 3 hours or more (180 minutes plus). 2-hour and 1-hour tarmac times have been changed to conform. Data from previous months on this application have been revised but may differ from the previously-released Air Travel Consumer Report Tables 11 and 12, which were not revised. Air Travel Consumer Report Tables 11 and 12, beginning with the release of May 2010 data in the July report, will reflect the change in measurement.

Explanation of Stage of Operation
Prior to Cancellation: Flight left the gate but was cancelled at the origin airport
Multiple Gate Departure: Flight left the gate, then returned and then left again to resume normal operation. Tarmac time is the time before the return to the gate.
Taxi-out: The time between gate departure and wheels-off
Taxi-in: The time between wheels-on and gate arrival
At Diversion Airport: The tarmac time at the alternate airport

The number of reporting carriers has varied as follows:
1995: 10
1996: 10
1997: 10
1998: 10
1999: 10
2000: 10 (11 starting in November when Aloha Airlines started reporting for the first time)
2001: 12 (11 starting in November when Aloha Airlines ceased reporting for the first time)
2002: 10
2003: 17 (18 starting in November when Hawaiian Airlines started reporting)
2004: 19
2005: 20 (19 through April after which Frontier Airlines started reporting)
2006: 20 (19 through March after which Aloha Airlines started reporting for the second time)
2007: 20
2008: 19 (20 through February after which Aloha Airlines ceased reporting)
2009: 19
2010: 18
2011: 16
2016: 12
2017: 12
2018: 17 (18 through March after which Alaska Airlines and Virgin America began joint reporting)
2019: 17
2020: 17
2021: 17