Louisville (SDF) to Detroit (DTW): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on SDF–DTW. October 2024 flights landed on schedule 97% of the time, but December 2025 dropped to 64% — a gap of 32 points. Across the full period the route averages 85% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (87% vs 79%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 85%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 15 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.7%
- Flights/day
- 3.4
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 26m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 306 mi
Best airline from SDF to DTW
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Airwaysmost reliable | 90% | 7 min | 0.3% | 1,158 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 80% | 23 min | 1.0% | 1,279 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SDF to DTW
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (91% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (61%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 83% | 20 min |
| Tuesday | 87% | 19 min |
| Wednesday | 86% | 10 min |
| Thursday | 84% | 14 min |
| Friday | 83% | 16 min |
| Saturdaybest | 87% | 8 min |
| Sunday | 83% | 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 aircraft4%
- Airline operations69%
- National airspace system11%
- Weather15%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SDF to DTW delayed?
- 15% of SDF–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 SDF to DTW?
- Republic Airways has the best on-time record on this route at 90%, based on 1,158 flights. 2 airlines flew SDF–DTW frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SDF to DTW?
- Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (91% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (61%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SDF to DTW?
- The scheduled SDF–DTW flight time averages 1h 26m over 306 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 15% of the time.
- How often are SDF to DTW flights cancelled?
- 0.7% 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 SDF to DTW?
- December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 64% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 97%. If your dates are flexible, that 32-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 2,499 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.