ATL → DTW Flight Reliability

Right now

Origin · ATLNo disruption reported

Aviation weather is not currently a factor.

Updated 07:52 UTC

Atlanta airport profile →

Destination · DTWNo disruption reported

Aviation weather is not currently a factor.

Updated 07:53 UTC

Detroit airport profile →

Route reliability

July 2023 – July 2026

Route Reliability Score

68/ 100Good

Better than 56% of comparable major US routes (4,598 compared)

Calculated from 15,419 flights. How this is calculated

On-time arrivals

78.1%

11,940 of 15,286

Cancellation rate

0.76%

117 cancelled

Median arrival delay

-4 min

Average 8.7 min

Severe delays

7.1%

60+ minutes late

Delay when late

63 min

Average, when 15+ min late

Flights analyzed

15,419

3 carriers

ATL → DTW arrives on time 78.1% of the time; the return trip, DTW → ATL, arrives on time 80.5% of the time, a 2.4-point gap between the two directions of the same city pair.

ATL → DTW spends 25.9 minutes on the ground on a 594-mile trip: 16.3 minutes from pushback to wheels-up at ATL and 9.6 minutes from touchdown to gate at DTW.

Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026

What stands out

This route has stayed remarkably steady year over year, a smaller swing than 92% of 5,368 comparable routes.

77.3% on time over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), against 76.8% in the 12 months before (2024-08 to 2025-07), virtually unchanged.

Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Ranked against every other route with the same kind of figure and at least 5,368 in the comparison.

Why ATL → DTW flights are cancelled

July 2023 – July 2026

ATL → DTW cancelled 117 of 15,419 scheduled flights — about 1 in every 132. The reason filed most often was extreme weather, 52.1% of the cancellations coded on this route — about 1 in every 253 scheduled flights.

Share of cancellations

Weather52.1%

Airline47.0%

Air traffic0.9%

Security0.0%

Of 117 cancelled departures carrying a reason code.

What each reason means

Extreme weather1 in 253

Conditions the carrier judged severe enough to stop the flight: a blizzard, a hurricane, a line of thunderstorms.

61 cancellations, 52.1% of the total.

The airline1 in 280

Crew, maintenance, aircraft cleaning, baggage or fueling: what BTS counts as within the carrier’s own control.

55 cancellations, 47.0% of the total.

The air traffic system1 in 15,419

Airport capacity, air traffic control flow programs, heavy traffic and ordinary bad weather. A system decision, not the airline’s.

1 cancellation, 0.9% of the total.

Security—

A terminal evacuation, a security breach, screening equipment failure, or screening queues over 29 minutes.

0 cancellations, 0.0% of the total.

Reason codes are the operating airline’s own filing with US DOT, not an independent finding of fault. Ordinary bad weather is filed under air traffic, so weather’s full share is larger than its bar.

117 coded cancellations were recorded on ATL → DTW; the section appears from 50.

When it goes wrong

July 2023 – July 2026

One arrival in ten is worse than

45 min late

against a median of 4 min early

Arrived an hour or more late7.1%

Typical delay when late63 min

Cancelled0.76%

Landed somewhere else0.10%

Percentiles over 15,419 operations; cancelled and diverted flights are counted separately.

Will your connection be tight enough?

Layovers at DTW after arriving from ATL.

Connection buffer and chance of missing by layover length, ATL → DTW arrivals
Connection time	Chance of missing	Reads as
30 min	40%	Likely to miss
45 min	21%	High risk
60 min	14%	Some risk
90 min	7.0%	Some risk
120 min	3.9%	Low risk

This is one leg of a connection. Gate changes and the next flight's own schedule matter too. And a connection can fail before delay is even the question — this route cancels 0.76% of the time and diverts 0.10% of the time, which a late arrival never shows up in.

Chance of missing is the share of 15,286 arrivals on this route that landed later than the connection time less 30 minutes to reach the next gate.

The worst tenth of arrivals on this route land at least 45 minutes late (90th-percentile gate arrival delay), over 15,419 operations.

Any other layover length: connection checker.

Best time to fly

ATL → DTW flights departing 5–9 AM arrived on time 89.0% of the time, against 65.5% for 9 PM–5 AM departures, a gap of 23.5 percentage points.

By day and hour

On-time arrival rate for each weekday and scheduled departure hour, in local time at the departure airport (ATL).

Hour of departure matters more than day of the week: hourly averages sit a typical 8.4 points from the route-wide rate, weekday averages 3.7 points.

On-time arrival rate for ATL to DTW by weekday and scheduled departure hour, local time. Each button reads out one slot.
Hour	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
6 AM–7 AM
7 AM–8 AM
8 AM–9 AM
9 AM–10 AM
10 AM–11 AM
11 AM–12 PM
12 PM–1 PM
1 PM–2 PM
2 PM–3 PM
3 PM–4 PM
4 PM–5 PM
5 PM–6 PM
6 PM–7 PM
7 PM–8 PM
8 PM–9 PM
9 PM–10 PM
10 PM–11 PM

On-time rate, % · stronger color, fewer on time

50–59
60–69
70–79
80–89
90–99

Fewer than 120 flights, not scored

Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · On time is arrival within 15 minutes of schedule. Cells round to whole percentages; the table shows one decimal.

No slot is named best or worst: too few reach 500 flights. Departures before 6 AM and after 11 PM (374 flights) are not drawn: no slot in those hours has enough flights to score.

View as tableHide table

On-time arrival rate (%) with flights beneath, by scheduled departure hour and weekday for ATL to DTW. A dash means fewer than 120 flights, which are not scored.
Hour	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
6 AM–7 AM	95.7% on time209 flights	94.2% on time139 flights	93.3% on time135 flights	89.4% on time216 flights	89.1% on time203 flights	91.7% on time134 flights	85.0% on time215 flights
7 AM–8 AM	87.2% on time204 flights	90.5% on time192 flights	92.3% on time184 flights	92.3% on time197 flights	86.3% on time207 flights	86.1% on time189 flights	83.5% on time203 flights
8 AM–9 AM	94 flights, too few to score	85 flights, too few to score	89 flights, too few to score	88 flights, too few to score	103 flights, too few to score	102 flights, too few to score	79 flights, too few to score
9 AM–10 AM	82.9% on time168 flights	85.8% on time162 flights	83.1% on time178 flights	91.0% on time156 flights	81.9% on time172 flights	85.1% on time179 flights	80.8% on time156 flights
10 AM–11 AM	84 flights, too few to score	96 flights, too few to score	91 flights, too few to score	81 flights, too few to score	83 flights, too few to score	72 flights, too few to score	86 flights, too few to score
11 AM–12 PM	99 flights, too few to score	100 flights, too few to score	97 flights, too few to score	98 flights, too few to score	97 flights, too few to score	101 flights, too few to score	105 flights, too few to score
12 PM–1 PM	78 flights, too few to score	76 flights, too few to score	73 flights, too few to score	80 flights, too few to score	70 flights, too few to score	83 flights, too few to score	80 flights, too few to score
1 PM–2 PM	75.9% on time143 flights	85.9% on time128 flights	89.3% on time132 flights	86.1% on time137 flights	79.7% on time131 flights	110 flights, too few to score	78.4% on time128 flights
2 PM–3 PM	74 flights, too few to score	84 flights, too few to score	78 flights, too few to score	64 flights, too few to score	67 flights, too few to score	97 flights, too few to score	72 flights, too few to score
3 PM–4 PM	80.1% on time144 flights	71.7% on time138 flights	81.4% on time145 flights	77.0% on time162 flights	73.8% on time143 flights	84.4% on time147 flights	71.2% on time160 flights
4 PM–5 PM	71.0% on time145 flights	69.8% on time161 flights	84.8% on time153 flights	69.2% on time186 flights	75.5% on time164 flights	73.9% on time157 flights	68.3% on time171 flights
5 PM–6 PM	72 flights, too few to score	69 flights, too few to score	76 flights, too few to score	69 flights, too few to score	73 flights, too few to score	56 flights, too few to score	74 flights, too few to score
6 PM–7 PM	71.1% on time167 flights	74.0% on time151 flights	83.4% on time147 flights	76.6% on time159 flights	68.7% on time169 flights	78.6% on time140 flights	68.0% on time171 flights
7 PM–8 PM	63.9% on time122 flights	95 flights, too few to score	117 flights, too few to score	110 flights, too few to score	65.8% on time123 flights	110 flights, too few to score	102 flights, too few to score
8 PM–9 PM	68.3% on time146 flights	79.4% on time127 flights	117 flights, too few to score	65.1% on time149 flights	62.7% on time152 flights	119 flights, too few to score	59.0% on time140 flights
9 PM–10 PM	58.1% on time161 flights	86 flights, too few to score	75 flights, too few to score	63.2% on time145 flights	50.0% on time156 flights	54 flights, too few to score	57.2% on time145 flights
10 PM–11 PM	62.7% on time135 flights	73.4% on time158 flights	81.0% on time159 flights	70.0% on time132 flights	62.8% on time134 flights	72.5% on time161 flights	56.1% on time133 flights

By departure window

5–9 AM89.0%

9 AM–12 PM83.5%

12–3 PM80.6%

3–6 PM74.9%

6–9 PM71.2%

9 PM–5 AM65.5%

By departure hour

12 AM

3 AM

6 AM

9 AM

12 PM

3 PM

6 PM

9 PM

Why ATL → DTW runs late

July 2023 – July 2026

The airline47.7%

crew, maintenance, boarding and fueling, all within the carrier’s control

Late-arriving aircraft30.6%

the inbound aircraft was late, so this flight started late

Air traffic control15.7%

airspace and airport capacity, including weather-driven flow control

Weather5.6%

weather severe enough to stop this flight specifically

Security0.2%

screening or terminal security incidents

Share of the delay minutes US DOT attributed to each cause for ATL → DTW. Only delays of 15 minutes or more are attributed.

How this route holds up in bad weather

July 2023 – July 2026

Bad weather raises cancellations by a similar amount at both ends of ATL to DTW: 3.3 times the normal rate at ATL and 2.3 times at DTW. Cancelled in bad weather against normal hours: ATL 3.4% against 1.0%, DTW 2.5% against 1.1%. Flights that did leave DTW in bad weather arrived on time 66.5% of the time, against 81.6% in normal hours.

Bad weather and normal hours at the airports

Scheduled departures, July 2023 – July 2026

Departures from ATL and DTW in hours of bad weather and in normal hours
Departures from	ATL	DTW
Cancelled in bad weather	3.4%	2.5%
Cancelled in normal hours	1.0%	1.1%
Arrived on time, bad weather	66.5%	66.5%
Arrived on time, normal hours	80.2%	81.6%
Departures in bad weather	105,854	53,809

Spirit Airlines (3.9% cancelled against 3.2% for the other carriers at ATL) and Frontier Airlines (5.0% cancelled against 3.8% for the other carriers at ATL) cancelled more departures from ATL in bad weather than the other carriers there did in the same months. None of the route’s other carriers was clearly better.

This route’s airlines in bad weather at ATL

All departures from ATL

Cancellation rates in bad weather at ATL for the airlines that fly ATL to DTW, against the other carriers at ATL in the same months
Airline	Bad-weather departures	Cancelled	Other carriers
Delta Air Lines	73,919	3.5%about level	3.6%
Spirit Airlines	2,965	3.9%above the others	3.2%
Frontier Airlines	4,928	5.0%above the others	3.8%

These are airport figures, not route figures: every scheduled departure from ATL and DTW, to any destination, in hours the weather report called bad. The airline rows count each carrier’s departures from ATL on every route.

Weather source and limits. In full: ATL (airlines), DTW, What Weather Costs Each Airport, Who Cancels More When the Weather Turns, Airports That Change Places When Weather Turns.

Airlines on this route

Carriers with at least 200 flights, by the airline that operated each one.

Airlines on this route
Carrier	Flights	On time	Cancelled	Median delay	Severe
Delta Air Lines	11,378	80.1%	0.47%	-4 min	6.1%
Spirit Airlines	2,803	74.6%	1.14%	-3 min	9.1%
Frontier Airlines	1,238	67.4%	2.58%	-1 min	12.0%

Delta Air Lines flew 73.8% of the 15,419 flights listed. Frontier Airlines cancelled 2.58% of its flights here against 0.47% for Delta Air Lines.

Delta Air Lines arrived on time 12.7 percentage points more often than Frontier Airlines on this route.

Flights on this route

Flight numbers with at least 600 operations here and still on the schedule.

Flights on this route
Flight	Scheduled	Operations	On time
DL1005 Delta Air Lines	3:10 PM	1,122	79.6%
DL1646 Delta Air Lines	7:25 AM	1,120	88.9%
DL1031 Delta Air Lines	12:59 PM	1,028	84.2%
DL1298 Delta Air Lines	8:55 AM	1,024	87.5%
DL2940 Delta Air Lines	10:59 PM	985	72.0%
DL1240 Delta Air Lines	11:00 AM	959	85.7%
DL1478 Delta Air Lines	6:10 PM	956	76.4%
F92898 Frontier Airlines	9:19 AM	662	66.1%
DL1232 Delta Air Lines	9:20 PM	650	65.8%

DL1646 (7:25 AM) arrived on time 88.9% of the time, 23.1 points more often than DL1232 (9:20 PM) at 65.8%.

Weekly and seasonal patterns

By day of week

Mon76.7%

Tue80.5%

Wed84.7%

Thu78.2%

Fri75.5%

Sat79.9%

Sun72.0%

Wednesday is historically the most reliable day and Sunday the least, a gap of 12.7 percentage points.

By month

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

July is historically the weakest month and October the strongest, a spread of 23.3 percentage points.

Reliability over time

July 2023 – July 2026

24

25

26

Over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), on-time arrivals averaged 77.3% against 76.8% in the 12 months before — broadly unchanged.

Data and methodology

Calculated by FlyerIntel from 15,419 ATL → DTW flight records from the US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, covering July 2023 – July 2026. Late means 15 or more minutes past scheduled arrival; cancelled and diverted flights are left out of on-time rates.

Full methodology · Data sources · Report a problem

Analysis last recomputed September 26, 2026

ATL airport DTW airport Return direction DTW → ATL

ATL→DTW

Right now

Route reliability

What stands out

Why ATL → DTW flights are cancelled

Share of cancellations

What each reason means

When it goes wrong

Will your connection be tight enough?

Best time to fly

By day and hour

By departure window

By departure hour

Why ATL → DTW runs late

How this route holds up in bad weather

Bad weather and normal hours at the airports

This route’s airlines in bad weather at ATL

Airlines on this route

Flights on this route

Weekly and seasonal patterns

By day of week

By month

Reliability over time

Data and methodology