Best Time to Fly MSP to DTW: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Minneapolis-St Paul International → Detroit Metro Wayne County
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 82.0% of Minneapolis (MSP) to Detroit (DTW) flights arrived on time (1,918 scheduled flights). That is 4.4 points above the national average of 77.6%.
Delta Air Lines was the only reporting airline with regular flights on this route.
October has been the best month (92% on time) and Sunday the weakest day of the week (81%).
0.6% of flights were cancelled, versus 1.8% nationally.
MSP to DTW on-time performance by airline
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 completed flights are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On time | Avg delay when late | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 81.9% | 62 min | 0.6% | 1,890 |
| Spirit Airlines | Limited data | 28 | ||
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly MSP to DTW
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 4,232 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | 93.0% | 0.7% | 144 |
| 6am–7am | 93.4% | 0.5% | 793 |
| 7am–8am | Limited data | 23 | |
| 8am–9am | 89.5% | 0.2% | 524 |
| 9am–10am | 89.1% | 0.5% | 221 |
| 10am–11am | Limited data | 2 | |
| 11am–12pm | Limited data | 14 | |
| 12pm–1pm | 90.0% | 0.3% | 691 |
| 1pm–2pm | 92.2% | 0.0% | 52 |
| 2pm–3pm | 78.1% | 3.0% | 33 |
| 3pm–4pm | 85.0% | 0.0% | 428 |
| 4pm–5pm | 76.1% | 0.6% | 357 |
| 5pm–6pm | 69.7% | 0.5% | 189 |
| 6pm–7pm | 80.0% | 0.0% | 35 |
| 7pm–8pm | 61.5% | 0.4% | 533 |
| 8pm–9pm | 73.5% | 0.5% | 190 |
| 9pm–10pm | Limited data | 2 | |
| 10pm–11pm | Limited data | 1 | |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on MSP to DTW
On-time arrivals during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On time | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | 76.8% | -8.6 pts | 0.0% | 82 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 71.8% | -13.7 pts | 0.6% | 178 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 78.8% | -6.6 pts | 0.1% | 773 |
| All other days | 85.5% | — | 0.4% | 3,199 |
Monthly on-time trend
On-time arrival % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
What causes delays on this route
Share of reported delay minutes, last 12 months (BTS cause categories).