CLT to DSM flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to Des Moines International Airport · 815 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at CLT or DSM right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Charlotte (CLT) to Des Moines (DSM) arrived on time 73% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.1% were cancelled, and 9% arrived an hour or more late.
- PSA Airlines was the most punctual airline here (77% on time); American Airlines was the least (71%).
- Departures scheduled around 9am did best (94% on time); around 10pm did worst (58%).
- Wednesday was the most reliable day to fly (85% on time) and Sunday the least (65%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (42%).
Which airline is most on time from CLT 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 77% | 5.9% | 18 min | 5.6% | 188 |
| American Airlines | 71% | 2.3% | 20 min | 10.1% | 621 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 8am85%13 flights
- 9am94%33 flights
- 11am74%203 flights
- 12pm96%24 flights
- 1pm64%24 flights
- 2pm90%66 flights
- 3pm75%52 flights
- 4pm78%37 flights
- 6pm30%10 flights
- 7pm57%23 flights
- 8pm73%82 flights
- 9pm73%107 flights
- 10pm58%135 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday68%1.7% cancelled
- Tuesday75%0.8% cancelled
- Wednesday85%0.8% cancelled
- Thursday71%0.9% cancelled
- Friday69%2.5% cancelled
- Saturday76%9.9% cancelled
- Sunday65%6.0% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft42%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)35%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion13%
- Extreme weather10%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather92%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion8%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)0%
- Security0%
CLT to DSM: common questions
- How often are CLT to DSM flights on time?
- 73% 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 Charlotte to Des Moines cancelled?
- 3.1% of scheduled flights were cancelled (25 of 809).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 20 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 70 min behind schedule on average, and 9.1% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at CLT?
- Flights on this route spent 19 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DSM to CLT — 83% on time
More flights from Charlotte
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: CLT → DSM, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.