West Palm Beach/Palm Beach (PBI) to Detroit (DTW): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly PBI to DTW matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 97% on-time in October 2024 to just 45% in December 2024. Across the full period the route averages 74% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 74%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 20 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.4%
- Flights/day
- 1.3
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 58m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,086 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from PBI to DTW
Aim for departures around 12 p.m. (80% on-time); avoid 6 p.m. departures (67%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 77% | 20 min |
| Tuesday | 78% | 19 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 82% | 9 min |
| Thursday | 62% | 22 min |
| Friday | 73% | 20 min |
| Saturday | 77% | 26 min |
| Sunday | 69% | 24 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft54%
- Airline operations29%
- National airspace system15%
- Weather1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from PBI to DTW delayed?
- 26% of PBI–DTW 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 20 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from PBI to DTW?
- Departures around 12 p.m. have the best record (80% on-time), while departures around 6 p.m. have the worst (67%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from PBI to DTW?
- The scheduled PBI–DTW flight time averages 2h 58m over 1,086 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 26% of the time.
- How often are PBI to DTW flights cancelled?
- 1.4% 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 PBI to DTW?
- December 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 45% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 97%. If your dates are flexible, that 52-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 972 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.