DEN to FAI flight delays
Denver, CO (DEN) Fairbanks, AK (FAI) · 2,430 miles
219 flights · July 2024 – July 2026 · US Bureau of Transportation Statistics
73.83%
Arrived on time
Within 15 minutes of schedule
0.46%
Cancelled
Share of scheduled flights
54 min
When late, late by
Average across delayed arrivals
15 min
Delay per flight
Averaged over every flight flown
What the record says about this route
The season swings this route hard. In September it ran 41.7 points more punctual than in July — a difference bigger than the one between the best and worst airlines on most routes. If the date is flexible, it is worth more than the carrier.
The two directions do not behave alike. FAI to DEN arrives on time 16.4 points more often than the outbound. Delay accumulates through the flying day, so whichever direction is scheduled later tends to carry the worse record — which is an argument for booking the morning departure if the choice exists.
The route has been getting better. The later months in the record run 11.9 points more punctual than the earlier ones, which usually means a schedule that was too tight has been given more room.
Only United Airlines flies this route in the published record, so there is no choice to weigh — the route's figures and the airline's are the same figures.
Which airline should you fly on this route?
Over July 2024 – July 2026, United Airlines arrived on time most often on DEN to FAI. Flights ran closest to schedule in September and worst in July.
Every airline on DEN to FAI
Ranked by how many flights each one operated. A carrier with fewer than 100 flights in the period is listed but not graded.
| Airline | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 219 | 73.83% | 0.46% | 54 min | C |
Month by month
Share of flights that arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, by month flown.
The return leg
FAI to DEN Fairbanks back to Denver 90.23% on time AOther routes from Denver
- DEN → PHX · Phoenix C
- DEN → LAX · Los Angeles C
- DEN → SLC · Salt Lake City C
- DEN → LAS · Las Vegas C
- DEN → SEA · Seattle C
- DEN → ORD · Chicago D
- DEN → DFW · Dallas/Fort Worth D
- DEN → MSP · Minneapolis C
- DEN → SAN · San Diego C
- DEN → ATL · Atlanta C
- DEN → SFO · San Francisco D
- DEN → COS · Colorado Springs D
Common questions
Are flights from Denver to Fairbanks usually delayed?
73.83% of flights on the DEN to FAI route arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, so roughly 3 in every ten arrived late. That is worse than the average route in this record.
Which airlines fly from Denver to Fairbanks?
Only United Airlines appears in the published record on this route, with 219 flights and 73.83% arriving on time.
How often are DEN to FAI flights cancelled?
0.46% of scheduled flights did not operate — about 5 in every thousand. That is in the normal range.
What is the best month to fly Denver to Fairbanks?
September, when 91.7% of flights arrived on time. The worst was July at 50%.
When DEN to FAI flights are late, how late are they?
About 54 minutes on average across the flights that arrived more than 15 minutes behind schedule.
What these figures do and do not tell you
Everything on this page is counted from the flights that actually operated on DEN to FAI during July 2024 – July 2026, as reported by the airlines to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics. "On time" is the federal definition: arriving at the gate within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.
A route's record is a description of the past, not a forecast. Weather, air traffic control and the aircraft's earlier flights that day drive most delays, and none of them are predictable from a historical rate. What the record does tell you is whether this route runs late more often than others, and which carrier on it has the better history — which is the part you can actually act on when you book.
Cancellations are counted separately from delays because they are a different problem for a traveller: a late flight still gets you there. How the grade is calculated →