DTW → ATL Flight Reliability

Right now

Origin · DTWNo disruption reported

Aviation weather is not currently a factor.

Updated 07:53 UTC

Detroit airport profile →

Destination · ATLNo disruption reported

Aviation weather is not currently a factor.

Updated 07:52 UTC

Atlanta airport profile →

Route reliability

July 2023 – July 2026

Route Reliability Score

70/ 100Good

Better than 63% of comparable major US routes (4,598 compared)

Calculated from 15,413 flights. How this is calculated

On-time arrivals

80.5%

12,284 of 15,259

Cancellation rate

0.81%

125 cancelled

Median arrival delay

-8 min

Average 5.4 min

Severe delays

6.9%

60+ minutes late

Delay when late

72 min

Average, when 15+ min late

Flights analyzed

15,413

3 carriers

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

DTW → ATL spends 27.1 minutes on the ground on a 594-mile trip: 16.4 minutes from pushback to wheels-up at DTW and 10.7 minutes from touchdown to gate at ATL.

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

What stands out

The airline matters unusually much on this route, a wider carrier-to-carrier gap than 94% of 2,692 comparable routes.

Delta Air Lines arrived on time 83.1% of the time, against 62.9% for Frontier Airlines, flying the exact same route.

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 2,692 in the comparison.

Why DTW → ATL flights are cancelled

July 2023 – July 2026

DTW → ATL cancelled 125 of 15,413 scheduled flights — about 1 in every 123. The reason filed most often was extreme weather, 50.4% of the cancellations coded on this route — about 1 in every 245 scheduled flights.

Share of cancellations

Weather50.4%

Airline47.2%

Air traffic2.4%

Security0.0%

Of 125 cancelled departures carrying a reason code.

What each reason means

Extreme weather1 in 245

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

63 cancellations, 50.4% of the total.

The airline1 in 261

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

59 cancellations, 47.2% of the total.

The air traffic system1 in 5,138

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

3 cancellations, 2.4% 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.

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

When it goes wrong

July 2023 – July 2026

One arrival in ten is worse than

40 min late

against a median of 8 min early

Arrived an hour or more late6.9%

Typical delay when late72 min

Cancelled0.81%

Landed somewhere else0.19%

Percentiles over 15,413 operations; cancelled and diverted flights are counted separately.

Will your connection be tight enough?

Layovers at ATL after arriving from DTW.

Connection buffer and chance of missing by layover length, DTW → ATL arrivals
Connection time	Chance of missing	Reads as
30 min	33%	Likely to miss
45 min	19%	High risk
60 min	12%	Some risk
90 min	6.8%	Some risk
120 min	4.1%	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 0.81% of the time and diverts 0.19% of the time, which a late arrival never shows up in.

Chance of missing is the share of 15,259 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 40 minutes late (90th-percentile gate arrival delay), over 15,413 operations.

Any other layover length: connection checker.

Best time to fly

DTW → ATL flights departing 5–9 AM arrived on time 88.5% of the time, against 72.2% for 3–6 PM departures, a gap of 16.3 percentage points.

By day and hour

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

Hour of departure matters more than day of the week: hourly averages sit a typical 7.2 points from the route-wide rate, weekday averages 2.7 points.

On-time arrival rate for DTW to ATL by weekday and scheduled departure hour, local time. Each button reads out one slot.
Hour	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
5 AM–6 AM
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

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

65–69
70–74
75–79
80–84
85–89
90–94

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 after 10 PM (140 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 DTW to ATL. A dash means fewer than 120 flights, which are not scored.
Hour	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
5 AM–6 AM	92.7% on time181 flights	90.4% on time177 flights	93.8% on time177 flights	88.8% on time179 flights	93.2% on time195 flights	91.5% on time167 flights	92.1% on time182 flights
6 AM–7 AM	85.8% on time121 flights	89.8% on time121 flights	90.2% on time122 flights	81.3% on time123 flights	90.1% on time122 flights	86.9% on time125 flights	85.1% on time122 flights
7 AM–8 AM	81.5% on time170 flights	87.4% on time139 flights	93.5% on time139 flights	81.1% on time160 flights	82.7% on time162 flights	86.3% on time141 flights	85.5% on time153 flights
8 AM–9 AM	85.6% on time209 flights	89.7% on time194 flights	94.4% on time178 flights	87.9% on time208 flights	90.0% on time214 flights	87.3% on time205 flights	88.7% on time212 flights
9 AM–10 AM	85.6% on time125 flights	106 flights, too few to score	113 flights, too few to score	86.9% on time138 flights	83.2% on time126 flights	93 flights, too few to score	78.4% on time136 flights
10 AM–11 AM	84.0% on time181 flights	84.4% on time154 flights	87.4% on time184 flights	86.5% on time155 flights	83.8% on time182 flights	87.1% on time148 flights	85.6% on time156 flights
11 AM–12 PM	31 flights, too few to score	39 flights, too few to score	30 flights, too few to score	40 flights, too few to score	23 flights, too few to score	57 flights, too few to score	40 flights, too few to score
12 PM–1 PM	71.2% on time187 flights	75.3% on time199 flights	79.5% on time190 flights	84.7% on time176 flights	75.1% on time183 flights	81.7% on time168 flights	75.6% on time173 flights
1 PM–2 PM	44 flights, too few to score	42 flights, too few to score	36 flights, too few to score	41 flights, too few to score	41 flights, too few to score	28 flights, too few to score	44 flights, too few to score
2 PM–3 PM	84.3% on time201 flights	82.6% on time184 flights	84.3% on time178 flights	83.3% on time181 flights	82.6% on time193 flights	88.2% on time172 flights	75.8% on time180 flights
3 PM–4 PM	43 flights, too few to score	38 flights, too few to score	33 flights, too few to score	61 flights, too few to score	43 flights, too few to score	54 flights, too few to score	54 flights, too few to score
4 PM–5 PM	71.5% on time196 flights	82.0% on time173 flights	73.8% on time173 flights	76.9% on time187 flights	75.4% on time195 flights	71.2% on time139 flights	70.2% on time180 flights
5 PM–6 PM	67 flights, too few to score	43 flights, too few to score	47 flights, too few to score	40 flights, too few to score	65 flights, too few to score	95 flights, too few to score	56 flights, too few to score
6 PM–7 PM	71.4% on time169 flights	76.1% on time164 flights	75.0% on time180 flights	72.5% on time202 flights	76.0% on time169 flights	74.1% on time177 flights	68.7% on time200 flights
7 PM–8 PM	69.8% on time126 flights	73.5% on time134 flights	86.0% on time137 flights	72.7% on time141 flights	69.2% on time134 flights	114 flights, too few to score	68.4% on time137 flights
8 PM–9 PM	63 flights, too few to score	54 flights, too few to score	60 flights, too few to score	70 flights, too few to score	70 flights, too few to score	52 flights, too few to score	77 flights, too few to score
9 PM–10 PM	68.6% on time159 flights	112 flights, too few to score	81.4% on time120 flights	78.7% on time158 flights	73.8% on time167 flights	94 flights, too few to score	64.7% on time155 flights

By departure window

5–9 AM88.5%

9 AM–12 PM85.3%

12–3 PM79.6%

3–6 PM72.2%

6–9 PM72.6%

9 PM–5 AM73.2%

By departure hour

12 AM

3 AM

6 AM

9 AM

12 PM

3 PM

6 PM

9 PM

Why DTW → ATL runs late

July 2023 – July 2026

The airline46.0%

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

Late-arriving aircraft31.6%

the inbound aircraft was late, so this flight started late

Air traffic control19.3%

airspace and airport capacity, including weather-driven flow control

Weather3.0%

weather severe enough to stop this flight specifically

Security0.1%

screening or terminal security incidents

Share of the delay minutes US DOT attributed to each cause for DTW → ATL. 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 DTW to ATL: 2.3 times the normal rate at DTW and 3.3 times at ATL. Cancelled in bad weather against normal hours: DTW 2.5% against 1.1%, ATL 3.4% against 1.0%. 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 DTW and ATL in hours of bad weather and in normal hours
Departures from	DTW	ATL
Cancelled in bad weather	2.5%	3.4%
Cancelled in normal hours	1.1%	1.0%
Arrived on time, bad weather	66.5%	66.5%
Arrived on time, normal hours	81.6%	80.2%
Departures in bad weather	53,809	105,854

Of the carriers on this route, Delta Air Lines (1.6% cancelled against 3.3% for the other carriers at DTW) cancelled the fewest departures from DTW in bad weather and Spirit Airlines (3.3% cancelled against 2.3% for the other carriers at DTW) the most.

This route’s airlines in bad weather at DTW

All departures from DTW

Cancellation rates in bad weather at DTW for the airlines that fly DTW to ATL, against the other carriers at DTW in the same months
Airline	Bad-weather departures	Cancelled	Other carriers
Delta Air Lines	25,101	1.6%below the others	3.3%
Frontier Airlines	1,150	2.5%about level	2.8%
Spirit Airlines	4,380	3.3%above the others	2.3%

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

Weather source and limits. In full: DTW (airlines), ATL, 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	11,370	83.1%	0.48%	-8 min	6.0%
Spirit Airlines	2,803	77.3%	1.21%	-6 min	7.2%
Frontier Airlines	1,239	62.9%	2.91%	2 min	15.3%

Delta Air Lines flew 73.8% of the 15,412 flights listed. Frontier Airlines cancelled 2.91% of its flights here against 0.48% for Delta Air Lines.

Delta Air Lines arrived on time 20.2 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
DL2375 Delta Air Lines	5:20 AM	1,057	92.6%
DL1467 Delta Air Lines	4:25 PM	1,040	77.8%
DL1611 Delta Air Lines	7:00 AM	1,033	88.0%
DL2856 Delta Air Lines	10:35 AM	1,032	86.7%
DL2053 Delta Air Lines	6:15 PM	977	74.8%
DL2188 Delta Air Lines	12:15 PM	902	78.7%
DL1228 Delta Air Lines	2:36 PM	721	83.2%
DL965 Delta Air Lines	8:25 AM	693	86.2%
DL1653 Delta Air Lines	9:15 PM	689	78.2%

DL2375 (5:20 AM) arrived on time 92.6% of the time, 17.8 points more often than DL2053 (6:15 PM) at 74.8%.

Weekly and seasonal patterns

By day of week

Mon78.3%

Tue82.6%

Wed85.1%

Thu80.4%

Fri79.7%

Sat81.9%

Sun76.2%

Wednesday is historically the most reliable day and Sunday the least, a gap of 8.9 percentage points.

By month

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

July is historically the weakest month and September the strongest, a spread of 19.2 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 78.9% against 80.1% in the 12 months before — broadly unchanged.

Data and methodology

Calculated by FlyerIntel from 15,413 DTW → ATL 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

DTW airport ATL airport Return direction ATL → DTW

DTW→ATL

Right now

Route reliability

What stands out

Why DTW → ATL 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 DTW → ATL 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 DTW

Airlines on this route

Flights on this route

Weekly and seasonal patterns

By day of week

By month

Reliability over time

Data and methodology