FlightRecord

Madison (MSN) to Detroit (DTW): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on MSN–DTW. October 2024 flights landed on schedule 94% of the time, but January 2026 dropped to 60% — a gap of 34 points. Across the full period the route averages 85% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (89% vs 80%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
85%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
15 min
completed flights
Cancelled
0.5%
Flights/day
2.6
last 12 months
Duration
1h 20m
scheduled
Distance
311 mi

Best airline from MSN to DTW

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

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Delta Air Linesmost reliable89%11 min0.6%819
Endeavor Air89%11 min1.7%118
SkyWest Airlines82%18 min0.3%1,324

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for MSN to DTW flights50%75%100%June 2024: 85% on-time (114 flights)85Jun 2024July 2024: 83% on-time (116 flights)83August 2024: 86% on-time (117 flights)86September 2024: 92% on-time (112 flights)92Sep 2024October 2024: 94% on-time (115 flights)94November 2024: 91% on-time (107 flights)91December 2024: 77% on-time (109 flights)77Dec 2024January 2025: 83% on-time (114 flights)83February 2025: 81% on-time (106 flights)81March 2025: 87% on-time (119 flights)87Mar 2025April 2025: 90% on-time (116 flights)90May 2025: 94% on-time (97 flights)94June 2025: 90% on-time (86 flights)90Jun 2025July 2025: 82% on-time (84 flights)82August 2025: 88% on-time (88 flights)88September 2025: 91% on-time (86 flights)91Sep 2025October 2025: 94% on-time (114 flights)94November 2025: 80% on-time (65 flights)80December 2025: 62% on-time (88 flights)62Dec 2025January 2026: 60% on-time (74 flights)60February 2026: 73% on-time (93 flights)73March 2026: 90% on-time (51 flights)90Mar 2026April 2026: 94% on-time (50 flights)94May 2026: 86% on-time (57 flights)86

Best time to fly from MSN to DTW

Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (92% on-time); avoid 4 p.m. departures (77%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, MSN to DTW7 a.m.: 92% on-time (554 flights)79 a.m.: 86% on-time (410 flights)910 a.m.: 86% on-time (98 flights)1011 a.m.: 85% on-time (136 flights)111 p.m.: 81% on-time (415 flights)132 p.m.: 86% on-time (42 flights)144 p.m.: 77% on-time (58 flights)165 p.m.: 79% on-time (149 flights)176 p.m.: 80% on-time (406 flights)18scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday83%15 min
Tuesday86%16 min
Wednesday85%17 min
Thursday87%11 min
Friday81%23 min
Saturdaybest88%10 min
Sunday85%13 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft14%
  • Airline operations67%
  • National airspace system4%
  • Weather16%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from MSN to DTW delayed?
15% of MSN–DTW 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 15 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from MSN to DTW?
Delta Air Lines has the best on-time record on this route at 89%, based on 819 flights. 3 airlines flew MSN–DTW frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from MSN to DTW?
Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (92% on-time), while departures around 4 p.m. have the worst (77%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from MSN to DTW?
The scheduled MSN–DTW flight time averages 1h 20m over 311 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 15% of the time.
How often are MSN to DTW flights cancelled?
0.5% 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 MSN to DTW?
January 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 60% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 34-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 2,278 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.