Denver (DEN) to Kansas City (MCI): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly DEN to MCI matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 88% on-time in November 2025 to just 62% in July 2025. Across the full period the route averages 76% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (89% vs 63%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 76%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 16 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.6%
- Flights/day
- 12
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 40m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 533 mi
Best airline from DEN to MCI
4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlinesmost reliable | 88% | 9 min | 0.4% | 531 |
| Frontier Airlines | 79% | 14 min | 0.5% | 549 |
| United Airlines | 77% | 17 min | 0.6% | 2,858 |
| Southwest Airlines | 75% | 16 min | 0.7% | 4,914 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from DEN to MCI
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (97% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (53%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 77% | 16 min |
| Tuesday | 78% | 15 min |
| Wednesday | 78% | 14 min |
| Thursday | 74% | 16 min |
| Friday | 74% | 19 min |
| Saturdaybest | 80% | 13 min |
| Sunday | 76% | 15 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft57%
- Airline operations28%
- National airspace system13%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from DEN to MCI delayed?
- 24% of DEN–MCI flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 16 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from DEN to MCI?
- SkyWest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 88%, based on 531 flights. 4 airlines flew DEN–MCI frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from DEN to MCI?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (97% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (53%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from DEN to MCI?
- The scheduled DEN–MCI flight time averages 1h 40m over 533 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 24% of the time.
- How often are DEN to MCI flights cancelled?
- 0.6% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from DEN to MCI?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 62% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2025 at 88%. If your dates are flexible, that 26-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 8,852 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.