MSP to IAH flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field to George Bush Intercontinental Airport · 1,034 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at MSP or IAH 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 Houston (IAH) arrived on time 81% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 0.9% were cancelled, and 7% arrived an hour or more late.
- United Airlines was the most punctual airline here (87% on time); Delta Air Lines was the least (78%).
- Departures scheduled around 8am did best (97% on time); around 3pm did worst (67%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (86% on time) and Friday the least (77%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling) (48%).
Which airline is most on time from MSP to IAH?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 87% | 1.0% | 8 min | 3.7% | 604 |
| Delta Air Lines | 78% | 0.9% | 14 min | 8.3% | 1,273 |
| SkyWest AirlinesRegional airline operating flights for United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle and Alaska. | 77% | 0.0% | 26 min | 18.2% | 23 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am96%57 flights
- 7am84%471 flights
- 8am97%122 flights
- 10am80%118 flights
- 11am78%136 flights
- 12pm88%179 flights
- 1pm85%34 flights
- 2pm79%275 flights
- 3pm67%61 flights
- 5pm75%70 flights
- 6pm68%96 flights
- 8pm75%268 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday80%1.1% cancelled
- Tuesday86%0.4% cancelled
- Wednesday86%0.4% cancelled
- Thursday83%0.7% cancelled
- Friday77%0.7% cancelled
- Saturday78%0.4% cancelled
- Sunday77%3.0% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)48%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion25%
- Late-arriving aircraft23%
- Extreme weather4%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)61%
- Extreme weather39%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion0%
- Security0%
MSP to IAH: common questions
- How often are MSP to IAH flights on time?
- 81% 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 Houston cancelled?
- 0.9% of scheduled flights were cancelled (18 of 1,900).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 12 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 61 min behind schedule on average, and 6.9% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at MSP?
- Flights on this route spent 20 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: IAH to MSP — 79% 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 → IAH, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.