Salt Lake City International Airport ranked #2 for most reliable airport right before holiday travel rush

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City International Airport only has 0.6% of flights that get canceled and 15% that get delayed. According to a recent study by Squaremouth, that’s better than the airports in almost any other state in the country. Hawaii was the only state that ranked above us.

Airport officials believe the ranking is due to our new and spacious runways, meaning planes don’t have to wait as long for space to take off and land. There’s also the fact that Salt Lake experiences so many different types of weather, and they have to be prepared for anything.

“If it snows, we’re ready. If it doesn’t snow, we’re ready. If it rains, we’re ready. If it doesn’t rain, we’re ready,” said Bill Wyatt, Executive Director of Airports for Salt Lake City.

Other airports may not always have snow removal, de-icing and other severe weather resources at the ready. So when a storm rolls in, it can cause lots of problems for those airports.

“It does occasionally snow in the warm parts of the country, just not enough for those airports to go out and make the investment that is required to go out and fight the snow,” Wyatt said.

So if you’re planning on flying during the rush of Christmas holiday travel, you’re in good hands.

But there’s another pleasant surprise at Salt Lake International Airport: Wyatt said it’s actually not much busier during the holidays, but most people will notice increased congestion because of the types of people who are traveling, especially families.

The normal day-to-day traveler often travels individually or in smaller groups, is experienced, and travels often for work. During Christmas, families aren’t as fast going through TSA and other checkpoints.

“It’s mom and dad and the kids who maybe haven’t been on a plane for a year and kind of remember, and kind of don’t, the processes for doing all of this,” Wyatt said.

But Salt Lake City International Airport is proud that it has created a fun atmosphere as those families travel. They understand that travel is stressful, and they want to make sure there is something to brighten travelers’ days.

“We have a large polar bear up in the third-level ticket lobby,” Wyatt said. “It’s always surrounded by kids and parents getting pictures. I think dressing up for the holidays the way that we do really makes a difference for families, particularly families with young ones. They see the nutcrackers, they see the Christmas tree, the decorations, the polar bears, and it just kind of adds to the spirit a little bit, which is helpful because traveling can be stressful.”

Related: New gates, concessions open at Salt Lake City International Airport