FlightRecord

Minneapolis (MSP) to Atlanta (ATL): On-Time Performance

Data through July 2026

The calendar drives reliability on MSP–ATL. October 2024 flights landed on schedule 92% of the time, but July 2024 dropped to 61% — a gap of 31 points. Across the full period the route averages 81% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (87% vs 76%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
81%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
14 min
completed flights
Cancelled
0.6%
Flights/day
9.6
last 12 months
Duration
2h 34m
scheduled
Distance
907 mi

Best airline from MSP to ATL

3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Delta Air Linesmost reliable83%13 min0.5%6,586
Spirit Airlines68%23 min0.9%547
Frontier Airlines59%31 min2.5%321

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for MSP to ATL flights50%75%100%August 2024: 79% on-time (311 flights)79Aug 2024September 2024: 88% on-time (319 flights)88October 2024: 92% on-time (329 flights)92November 2024: 87% on-time (312 flights)87Nov 2024December 2024: 74% on-time (322 flights)74January 2025: 81% on-time (293 flights)81February 2025: 80% on-time (257 flights)80Feb 2025March 2025: 82% on-time (303 flights)82April 2025: 80% on-time (294 flights)80May 2025: 82% on-time (297 flights)82May 2025June 2025: 78% on-time (292 flights)78July 2025: 79% on-time (305 flights)79August 2025: 87% on-time (317 flights)87Aug 2025September 2025: 90% on-time (301 flights)90October 2025: 88% on-time (319 flights)88November 2025: 84% on-time (287 flights)84Nov 2025December 2025: 76% on-time (275 flights)76January 2026: 82% on-time (274 flights)82February 2026: 85% on-time (264 flights)85Feb 2026March 2026: 84% on-time (296 flights)84April 2026: 86% on-time (283 flights)86May 2026: 77% on-time (296 flights)77May 2026June 2026: 75% on-time (287 flights)75July 2026: 71% on-time (298 flights)71

Best time to fly from MSP to ATL

Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (90% on-time); avoid 2 p.m. departures (58%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, MSP to ATL5 a.m.: 90% on-time (789 flights)56 a.m.: 70% on-time (89 flights)67 a.m.: 88% on-time (755 flights)78 a.m.: 90% on-time (727 flights)89 a.m.: 82% on-time (135 flights)910 a.m.: 84% on-time (751 flights)1011 a.m.: 71% on-time (101 flights)1112 p.m.: 81% on-time (763 flights)121 p.m.: 78% on-time (166 flights)132 p.m.: 58% on-time (260 flights)143 p.m.: 80% on-time (670 flights)154 p.m.: 75% on-time (736 flights)165 p.m.: 71% on-time (214 flights)176 p.m.: 77% on-time (731 flights)187 p.m.: 73% on-time (147 flights)198 p.m.: 78% on-time (390 flights)209 p.m.: 70% on-time (30 flights)21scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday82%15 min
Tuesdaybest87%9 min
Wednesday83%11 min
Thursday81%13 min
Friday78%16 min
Saturday81%13 min
Sunday77%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 aircraft25%
  • Airline operations46%
  • National airspace system24%
  • Weather4%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from MSP to ATL delayed?
19% of MSP–ATL 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 14 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from MSP to ATL?
Delta Air Lines has the best on-time record on this route at 83%, based on 6,586 flights. 3 airlines flew MSP–ATL frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from MSP to ATL?
Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (90% on-time), while departures around 2 p.m. have the worst (58%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from MSP to ATL?
The scheduled MSP–ATL flight time averages 2h 34m over 907 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 19% of the time.
How often are MSP to ATL 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 MSP to ATL?
July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 61% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 92%. If your dates are flexible, that 31-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 7,454 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.