FlightRecord

Detroit (DTW) to Richmond (RIC): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

When you fly DTW to RIC matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 98% on-time in October 2025 to just 63% in December 2025. Across the full period the route averages 80% on-time against a national 78%.

On-time
80%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
18 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.2%
Flights/day
2.0
last 12 months
Duration
1h 41m
scheduled
Distance
455 mi

Best airline from DTW to RIC

4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Republic Airwaysmost reliable87%8 min0.8%118
Endeavor Air87%16 min3.3%211
Delta Air Lines82%14 min1.3%391
SkyWest Airlines76%22 min0.6%802

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for DTW to RIC flights50%75%100%June 2024: 75% on-time (84 flights)75Jun 2024July 2024: 83% on-time (85 flights)83August 2024: 71% on-time (85 flights)71September 2024: 84% on-time (81 flights)84Sep 2024October 2024: 83% on-time (84 flights)83November 2024: 87% on-time (77 flights)87December 2024: 76% on-time (88 flights)76Dec 2024January 2025: 76% on-time (75 flights)76February 2025: 73% on-time (62 flights)73March 2025: 79% on-time (14 flights)79Mar 2025April 2025: 87% on-time (15 flights)87May 2025: 87% on-time (76 flights)87June 2025: 82% on-time (92 flights)82Jun 2025July 2025: 71% on-time (98 flights)71August 2025: 80% on-time (91 flights)80September 2025: 90% on-time (77 flights)90Sep 2025October 2025: 98% on-time (40 flights)98November 2025: 83% on-time (30 flights)83December 2025: 63% on-time (38 flights)63Dec 2025January 2026: 65% on-time (56 flights)65February 2026: 82% on-time (54 flights)82March 2026: 86% on-time (44 flights)86Mar 2026April 2026: 89% on-time (65 flights)89May 2026: 82% on-time (39 flights)82

Best time to fly from DTW to RIC

Aim for departures around 10 a.m. (85% on-time); avoid 4 p.m. departures (59%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, DTW to RIC10 a.m.: 85% on-time (570 flights)102 p.m.: 76% on-time (146 flights)143 p.m.: 75% on-time (228 flights)154 p.m.: 59% on-time (43 flights)168 p.m.: 77% on-time (48 flights)209 p.m.: 81% on-time (492 flights)21scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday79%22 min
Tuesday78%19 min
Wednesday82%20 min
Thursday82%14 min
Friday78%17 min
Saturdaybest86%11 min
Sunday78%21 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft11%
  • Airline operations70%
  • National airspace system10%
  • Weather9%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from DTW to RIC delayed?
20% of DTW–RIC flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-06 and 2026-05. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 18 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from DTW to RIC?
Republic Airways has the best on-time record on this route at 87%, based on 118 flights. 4 airlines flew DTW–RIC frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from DTW to RIC?
Departures around 10 a.m. have the best record (85% on-time), while departures around 4 p.m. have the worst (59%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from DTW to RIC?
The scheduled DTW–RIC flight time averages 1h 41m over 455 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 20% of the time.
How often are DTW to RIC flights cancelled?
1.2% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from DTW to RIC?
December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 63% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2025 at 98%. If your dates are flexible, that 34-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 1,550 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.