JFK to DTW flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport · 509 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at JFK or DTW right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from New York (JFK) to Detroit (DTW) arrived on time 77% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.8% were cancelled, and 10% arrived an hour or more late.
- Delta Air Lines was the most punctual airline here (81% on time); JetBlue was the least (68%).
- Departures scheduled around 9am did best (93% on time); around 9pm did worst (63%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (82% on time) and Sunday the least (70%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (48%).
Which airline is most on time from JFK 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 | 81% | 3.1% | 19 min | 8.4% | 775 |
| JetBlue | 68% | 4.9% | 22 min | 13.3% | 445 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 9am93%45 flights
- 12pm90%220 flights
- 1pm69%13 flights
- 4pm81%310 flights
- 7pm72%223 flights
- 8pm71%54 flights
- 9pm63%319 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday81%3.3% cancelled
- Tuesday82%5.2% cancelled
- Wednesday78%1.8% cancelled
- Thursday73%1.7% cancelled
- Friday77%1.1% cancelled
- Saturday74%5.2% cancelled
- Sunday70%8.3% 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 aircraft48%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)31%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion17%
- Extreme weather3%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather48%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)33%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion20%
- Security0%
JFK to DTW: common questions
- How often are JFK to DTW flights on time?
- 77% 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 New York to Detroit cancelled?
- 3.8% of scheduled flights were cancelled (46 of 1,220).
- 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 83 min behind schedule on average, and 10.1% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at JFK?
- Flights on this route spent 29 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DTW to JFK — 83% on time
More flights from New York
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: JFK → DTW, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.