BUF to DTW flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Buffalo Niagara International Airport to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport · 241 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at BUF or DTW right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Buffalo (BUF) to Detroit (DTW) arrived on time 81% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 1.7% were cancelled, and 9% arrived an hour or more late.
- Delta Air Lines was the most punctual airline here (84% on time); SkyWest Airlines was the least (79%).
- Departures scheduled around 8am did best (93% on time); around 5pm did worst (69%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (87% on time) and Sunday the least (75%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling) (59%).
Which airline is most on time from BUF to DTW?
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 | 84% | 2.3% | 16 min | 6.7% | 443 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 83% | 14.3% | 5 min | 0.0% | 7 |
| SkyWest AirlinesRegional airline operating flights for United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle and Alaska. | 79% | 1.3% | 23 min | 11.1% | 757 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am85%365 flights
- 8am93%46 flights
- 9am82%98 flights
- 10am77%48 flights
- 12pm84%142 flights
- 1pm73%77 flights
- 3pm83%96 flights
- 4pm79%33 flights
- 5pm69%157 flights
- 7pm79%144 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday81%2.8% cancelled
- Tuesday79%2.3% cancelled
- Wednesday84%0.6% cancelled
- Thursday79%0.6% cancelled
- Friday81%2.3% cancelled
- Saturday87%1.3% cancelled
- Sunday75%2.3% 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)59%
- Extreme weather23%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion12%
- Late-arriving aircraft6%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather62%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)24%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion14%
- Security0%
BUF to DTW: common questions
- How often are BUF to DTW flights on time?
- 81% 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 Buffalo to Detroit cancelled?
- 1.7% of scheduled flights were cancelled (21 of 1,207).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 21 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 104 min behind schedule on average, and 9.4% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at BUF?
- Flights on this route spent 19 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DTW to BUF — 78% on time
More flights from Buffalo
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: BUF → DTW, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.