Des Moines to Atlanta

What the Data Says About DSM to ATL

The Des Moines to Atlanta corridor (DSM → ATL) covers roughly 743 miles and is served by 4 carriers, based on Bureau of Transportation Statistics reporting. Across 6,506 flights in the dataset, this route posts a 89.5% on-time rate with an average delay of 108.2 minutes when flights run late. Over the most recent 24 months of BTS data, 2,434 flights were recorded on this pairing — 29 cancelled (1.2%) and 7 diverted (0.3%). Those baseline metrics tell you what to expect before you book.

Having 4 carriers on the route matters: more carriers generally means more daily schedule options, competitive pricing, and redundancy when flights are cancelled. With 6,506 total flights analyzed, the 89.5% on-time figure is statistically meaningful rather than a small-sample fluke. The 108.2-minute average delay applies only to flights that actually ran late, so it is not the average wait across all departures — the majority of flights on this route depart on time under the BTS definition of a delay (15+ minutes past schedule).

Looking at recent months, Aug 2024 posted the best performance on this corridor at 98% on-time, while Jan 2024 came in at 71% on-time — a 27-point gap between best and worst recent month. For travelers evaluating the DSM to ATL route, the combination of a 89.5% on-time rate, 108.2-minute average delay, 1.2% recent cancellation rate, and 4 available carriers is the concrete summary of what BTS data shows about reliability on this pairing.