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BTS> TranStats
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International and Domestic Tarmac Times by Airline
Type:   Year:   Start Month: To:   Tarmac Min: Max:
Tarmac Home   Back
Data begins with August 2011. Data available through January 2024 Please limit search using dropdowns to a single calendar year.
This page has tarmac times for all domestic flights and all international flights to and from the United States (U.S. airports only). For tarmac times since 1995 for domestic flights operated by large airlines, see Domestic Tarmac Times
AirlineTarmac TimesStage of Operation Tarmac Flights
TotalPrior To CancellationMultiple Gate DepartureTaxi-OutTaxi-InAt Diversion AirportDomesticInternational
United1710529314
American100025364
Delta91040418
Envoy Air91008090
ExpressJet LLC d/b/a aha!80008080
Virgin Atlantic61130106
British50040105
Shuttle America Corp.52102050
Air Canada40040004
American Eagle32001003
JetBlue20000202
Southwest20000220
Caribbean Airlines Limited20100102
GoJet LLC d/b/a United Express20002020
SkyWest20002020
Virgin America10100010
US Airways10010001
Japan Ltd.10100001
Aeromexico10010001
Frontier11000010
Mesa10100010
Singapore Ltd.00000000
Lufthansa German00000000
Compania Panamena (Copa)00000000
AirTran00000000
Alaska00000000
Hawaiian00000000
All Airlines92962430234151

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.

Note: Click on page headers, it will redirect to detail carrier summary of that specified link

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

2012: 15
2013: 16
2014: 14
2015: 13 (14 through June after which American and US Airways began joint reporting)
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