FlightRecord

New York (JFK) to Minneapolis (MSP): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

When you fly JFK to MSP matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 94% on-time in September 2024 to just 59% in June 2024. Across the full period the route averages 80% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (86% vs 66%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
80%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
19 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.1%
Flights/day
2.1
last 12 months
Duration
3h 17m
scheduled
Distance
1,029 mi

Best airline from JFK to MSP

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

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
SkyWest Airlinesmost reliable83%9 min0.0%122
Delta Air Lines80%20 min1.2%1,554

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for JFK to MSP flights50%75%100%June 2024: 59% on-time (90 flights)59Jun 2024July 2024: 66% on-time (93 flights)66August 2024: 69% on-time (94 flights)69September 2024: 94% on-time (90 flights)94Sep 2024October 2024: 84% on-time (93 flights)84November 2024: 94% on-time (90 flights)94December 2024: 83% on-time (93 flights)83Dec 2024January 2025: 85% on-time (39 flights)85February 2025: 79% on-time (28 flights)79March 2025: 87% on-time (54 flights)87Mar 2025April 2025: 78% on-time (60 flights)78May 2025: 87% on-time (87 flights)87June 2025: 77% on-time (90 flights)77Jun 2025July 2025: 79% on-time (93 flights)79August 2025: 82% on-time (93 flights)82September 2025: 90% on-time (90 flights)90Sep 2025October 2025: 81% on-time (93 flights)81November 2025: 80% on-time (89 flights)80December 2025: 65% on-time (91 flights)65Dec 2025January 2026: 64% on-time (11 flights)64April 2026: 86% on-time (36 flights)86May 2026: 86% on-time (87 flights)86May 2026

Best time to fly from JFK to MSP

Aim for departures around 12 p.m. (92% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (63%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, JFK to MSP6 a.m.: 88% on-time (204 flights)67 a.m.: 88% on-time (314 flights)78 a.m.: 83% on-time (29 flights)811 a.m.: 84% on-time (563 flights)1112 p.m.: 92% on-time (62 flights)125 p.m.: 63% on-time (239 flights)176 p.m.: 70% on-time (265 flights)18scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday82%16 min
Tuesdaybest84%23 min
Wednesday83%16 min
Thursday77%21 min
Friday81%15 min
Saturday74%26 min
Sunday80%17 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft30%
  • Airline operations41%
  • National airspace system28%
  • Weather1%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from JFK to MSP delayed?
20% of JFK–MSP 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 19 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from JFK to MSP?
SkyWest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 83%, based on 122 flights. 2 airlines flew JFK–MSP frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from JFK to MSP?
Departures around 12 p.m. have the best record (92% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (63%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from JFK to MSP?
The scheduled JFK–MSP flight time averages 3h 17m over 1,029 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 20% of the time.
How often are JFK to MSP flights cancelled?
1.1% 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 JFK to MSP?
June 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 59% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2024 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 36-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 1,684 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.