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Airport · PLN · Pellston, Michigan

Pellston, MI

Pellston, MI posts above-median on-time performance among the 382 tracked U.S. airports, as a smaller regional airport. According to the U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, drawn from 9,995 flights (2020–2025); its biggest delay driver is carrier.

Data updated 2026-06-13

84.2%
On-time
Top 42%
on-time, US airports
115 min
Delay when late
1.24%
Cancelled

Key Performance Metrics

Total Flights

9,995

Best Month

Sep 95.6%

Worst Month

Jul 90.1%

Delayed

1,580

Cancelled

124

PLN on-time rate vs. the national average

Ahead of the U.S. average across all 382 tracked airports.

0%100%U.S. average79%84.2%

Where PLN sits among all 382 tracked airports

PLN's 84.2% on-time rate falls in the 80-85% band, the 192-airport band it shares.

National on-time-rate distribution

airports

What this shows PLN is marked in the 80-85% band.

Delay Cause Breakdown

Top delay cause: Carrier. Total delay minutes: 94,844.

Late Aircraft 6.9% (6,524 min)
Carrier 55.9% (53,065 min)
NAS (National Aviation System) 4.1% (3,899 min)
Weather 32.8% (31,094 min)
Security 0.3% (262 min)

PLN - seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (95.6%) · worst: July (90.1%)

88%90%92%94%96% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 90.3%

Seasonal Performance Patterns

Monthly averages across all years of data. Best month: September (95.6% on-time). Most delays: July (90.1% on-time).

Month Avg Flights Avg Delayed Avg Cancelled On-Time %
December 106 23 5 90.3%
November 103 16 1 91.6%
October 109 14 0 92.9%
September 163 15 0 95.6%
August 220 31 1 93.3%
July 220 44 1 90.1%
June 168 27 0 93.5%
May 128 17 3 93.9%
April 111 17 2 92.3%
March 122 20 2 91.5%
February 104 19 2 91.5%
January 113 22 5 90.3%

Year-Over-Year Performance

Annual flight volume and on-time trends at PLN.

PLN - on-time rate by year

2020–2025, year-over-year trend.

90%92%94%96% 202020212022202320242025 93.6% 90.9% ▼ -2.9%
Year Flights Delayed Cancelled On-Time %
2025 1,849 168 36 90.9%
2024 1,691 157 16 90.7%
2023 1,475 128 12 91.3%
2022 1,497 99 22 93.4%
2021 1,788 106 12 94.1%
2020 1,695 109 26 93.6%

Cancellation & Diversion Analysis

Flight disruption statistics for Pellston, MI.

Cancellation Rate

1.24%

124 of 9,995 flights

Diversion Rate

0.11%

11 of 9,995 flights

Delay Rate

15.8%

1,580 of 9,995 flights

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of flight data.

Period Flights Dep Delayed Arr Delayed Cancelled Diverted
Dec 2025 106 13 19 11 0
Nov 2025 104 7 8 2 0
Oct 2025 108 5 5 0 0
Sep 2025 196 14 14 1 0
Aug 2025 252 24 24 1 0
Jul 2025 252 40 37 1 3
Jun 2025 231 20 23 0 1
May 2025 188 13 13 0 0
Apr 2025 100 7 7 6 0
Mar 2025 108 7 10 8 0
Feb 2025 96 8 11 2 0
Jan 2025 108 10 12 4 0
Dec 2024 109 12 14 3 0
Nov 2024 106 10 9 0 0
Oct 2024 104 7 9 0 0
Sep 2024 138 9 6 0 0
Aug 2024 232 18 30 0 0
Jul 2024 228 27 24 1 0
Jun 2024 223 20 25 0 0
May 2024 138 15 17 0 0
Apr 2024 102 13 12 0 0
Mar 2024 108 7 9 0 0
Feb 2024 100 6 4 0 0
Jan 2024 103 13 15 12 0

Top Routes from PLN

Busiest routes to and from Pellston, MI.

Route Flights On-Time Distance
DTW (Detroit) → PLN (Pellston) 4,457 84.2% 243 mi
PLN (Pellston) → DTW (Detroit) 4,361 86.8% 243 mi

What the Data Says About PLN

Pellston, MI in Pellston, Michigan handled 9,995 flights in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics dataset between 2020 and 2025, posting a 84.2% on-time departure rate. Of those flights, 1,580 experienced delays, 124 were cancelled, and 11 were diverted. The cancellation rate works out to 1.24%, the diversion rate to 0.11%, and the average delay when departures run late is 114.7 minutes. These figures are the baseline for comparing PLN against other airports in the same state and nationally.

Breaking down what drives delays at PLN, Carrier leads the pack. Carrier accounts for 55.9% of total delay minutes, followed by Weather at 32.8% and Late Aircraft at 6.9%. Weather contributes 32.8% of delay minutes at this airport, while security holds the smallest share at 0.3%. Travelers often overestimate the weather share; the BTS categorization shows late-arriving aircraft and carrier operations as the larger contributors.

Seasonally, September runs the cleanest at PLN with a 95.6% on-time rate, while July is the roughest at 90.1% - a 6-point swing between best and worst month. Volume peaks in August, when average flights hit 220. The busiest route connecting PLN is to DTW (Detroit), with 4,457 flights at a 84.2% on-time rate. Combine these numbers - 84.2% on-time, 114.7-minute average delay, 1.24% cancellation rate, and you have a concrete picture of departure reliability at Pellston, MI.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the on-time performance rate at Pellston, MI (PLN)?
Pellston, MI has an overall on-time departure rate of 84.2%. Out of 9,995 total flights tracked, 1,580 experienced delays and 124 were cancelled.
What is the most common cause of delays at PLN?
The top delay cause at Pellston, MI is Carrier. Carrier accounts for 55.9% of all delay minutes.
What is the average delay time at PLN?
The average delay at Pellston, MI is 114.7 minutes. This includes delays from carrier issues, weather, National Aviation System constraints, security, and late-arriving aircraft.
What is the best month to fly from PLN?
Based on historical data, September has the best on-time performance at PLN with 95.6% of flights departing on time.
What is the worst month for delays at PLN?
July tends to have the most delays at PLN, with an on-time rate of only 90.1%.
How many routes operate from PLN?
Pellston, MI serves at least 2 routes. The busiest route is DTW to PLN (Detroit - Pellston) with 4,457 flights.
What is the cancellation rate at PLN?
Pellston, MI has a cancellation rate of 1.24%, based on 124 cancelled flights out of 9,995 total flights tracked.

Explore PlainFlights

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data (2020–2025). Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods. On-time rates exclude cancelled and diverted flights.

Using PLN's data

An airport-level on-time rate is a starting point, not a guarantee for your specific flight.

  • Check the busiest route from PLN before you book a connection. See top routes
  • Travel in September rather than July if your dates are flexible. Seasonal patterns
  • Scores vary by airline and route within the same airport; check the specific carrier you're flying. Browse airlines

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers at this airport, not any single flight or airline.

Data sourced from U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFlights Editorial

Source: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Airline on-time performance and operational reliability · 2025

Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. Airport figures are computed directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.