LAX to DSM flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Des Moines International Airport · 1,447 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at LAX or DSM right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Des Moines (DSM) arrived on time 87% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 0% were cancelled, and 3% arrived an hour or more late.
- SkyWest Airlines is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Departures scheduled around 9am did best (95% on time); around 12pm did worst (78%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (91% on time) and Friday the least (75%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (33%).
Which airline is most on time from LAX 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. | 87% | 0.0% | 8 min | 3.4% | 300 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 8am85%42 flights
- 9am95%139 flights
- 12pm78%118 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday88%0.0% cancelled
- Tuesday91%0.0% cancelled
- Wednesday88%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday86%0.0% cancelled
- Friday75%0.0% cancelled
- Saturday90%0.0% cancelled
- Sunday90%0.0% 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 aircraft33%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion29%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)28%
- Extreme weather9%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
No cancellation causes recorded in this period.
LAX to DSM: common questions
- How often are LAX to DSM flights on time?
- 87% 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 Los Angeles to Des Moines cancelled?
- 0.0% of scheduled flights were cancelled (0 of 300).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 8 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 54 min behind schedule on average, and 3.4% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at LAX?
- Flights on this route spent 20 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DSM to LAX — 71% on time
More flights from Los Angeles
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: LAX → DSM, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.