MSP to DSM flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field to Des Moines International Airport · 232 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at MSP or DSM right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Minneapolis (MSP) to Des Moines (DSM) arrived on time 92% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 2.6% were cancelled, and 5% arrived an hour or more late.
- The largest source of delay minutes was extreme weather (49%).
Which airline is most on time from MSP 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 100% | 0.0% | 0 min | 0.0% | 2 |
| SkyWest AirlinesRegional airline operating flights for United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle and Alaska. | 91% | 2.8% | 8 min | 5.7% | 36 |
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
- Tuesday80%0.0% cancelled
- Wednesday100%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday100%0.0% cancelled
- Friday100%0.0% cancelled
- Saturday89%10.0% cancelled
- Sunday75%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.
- Extreme weather49%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)30%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion21%
- Late-arriving aircraft0%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Air traffic control & airport congestion100%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)0%
- Extreme weather0%
- Security0%
MSP to DSM: common questions
- How often are MSP to DSM flights on time?
- 92% 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 Minneapolis to Des Moines cancelled?
- 2.6% of scheduled flights were cancelled (1 of 38).
- 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 78 min behind schedule on average, and 5.4% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at MSP?
- Flights on this route spent 24 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DSM to MSP — 86% on time
More flights from Minneapolis
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: MSP → DSM, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.