DTW to DSM flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to Des Moines International Airport · 534 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DTW or DSM right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Detroit (DTW) to Des Moines (DSM) arrived on time 56% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 0% were cancelled, and 38% arrived an hour or more late.
- SkyWest Airlines is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- The largest source of delay minutes was airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling) (98%).
Which airline is most on time from DTW 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest AirlinesRegional airline operating flights for United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle and Alaska. | 56% | 0.0% | 86 min | 37.5% | 16 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
Not enough departures across different hours to compare.
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday100%0.0% cancelled
- Tuesday0%0.0% cancelled
- Wednesday67%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday100%0.0% cancelled
- Friday33%0.0% cancelled
- Sunday50%0.0% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Monthly trend appears once two or more months of data are available.
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)98%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion2%
- Late-arriving aircraft0%
- Extreme weather0%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
No cancellation causes recorded in this period.
DTW to DSM: common questions
- How often are DTW to DSM flights on time?
- 56% 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 Detroit to Des Moines cancelled?
- 0.0% of scheduled flights were cancelled (0 of 16).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 86 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 191 min behind schedule on average, and 37.5% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at DTW?
- Flights on this route spent 37 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DSM to DTW — 44% on time
More flights from Detroit
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: DTW → DSM, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.