ATL to DSM flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Des Moines International Airport · 743 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at ATL or DSM right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Atlanta (ATL) to Des Moines (DSM) arrived on time 85% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 2.4% were cancelled, and 6% arrived an hour or more late.
- Delta Air Lines is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Departures scheduled around 12pm did best (90% on time); around 4pm did worst (79%).
- Wednesday was the most reliable day to fly (91% on time) and Sunday the least (81%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling) (50%).
Which airline is most on time from ATL to DSM?
Ranked by on-time arrival rate. Regional airlines fly under their partner's brand (e.g. SkyWest for Delta Connection or United Express).
| Airline | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | 1 hr+ late | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 85% | 2.4% | 10 min | 5.6% | 1,251 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 8am88%34 flights
- 9am88%299 flights
- 11am75%22 flights
- 12pm90%201 flights
- 2pm84%25 flights
- 3pm87%103 flights
- 4pm79%206 flights
- 9pm81%342 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday82%2.7% cancelled
- Tuesday88%1.1% cancelled
- Wednesday91%1.1% cancelled
- Thursday82%1.1% cancelled
- Friday83%3.2% cancelled
- Saturday88%4.8% cancelled
- Sunday81%3.4% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)50%
- Late-arriving aircraft29%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion16%
- Extreme weather5%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)67%
- Extreme weather33%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion0%
- Security0%
ATL to DSM: common questions
- How often are ATL to DSM flights on time?
- 85% of flights arrived less than 15 minutes late in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, compared with 78% for all US flights.
- How often are flights from Atlanta to Des Moines cancelled?
- 2.4% of scheduled flights were cancelled (30 of 1,251).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 10 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 59 min behind schedule on average, and 5.6% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at ATL?
- Flights on this route spent 15 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DSM to ATL — 89% on time
More flights from Atlanta
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: ATL → DSM, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.