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Route · DTW → JFK · 2020–2025 BTS data

Detroit to New York

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DTW to JFK (Detroit to New York) ranks #1149 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

81.7%
On-time
+2.7 pts
vs US avg
85 min
Delay when late
10,064
Flights
#1149 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.7%

Best Month

Nov 2023 92%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 64%

Distance

509 mi

Carriers

22

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 97 35 5 0 B6,DL
Nov 2025 145 24 5 0 DL,B6
Oct 2025 153 19 1 0 B6,DL
Sep 2025 138 13 0 0 DL,B6
Aug 2025 124 13 0 2 B6,DL
Jul 2025 121 26 7 0 B6,DL
Jun 2025 112 32 2 0 B6,DL
May 2025 88 25 0 0 B6,DL
Dec 2024 113 28 0 0 9E,DL,YX
Nov 2024 119 19 0 1 9E,YX,DL
Oct 2024 124 13 0 0 OO,DL,YX,9E
Sep 2024 120 14 0 0 YX,OO,9E,DL
Aug 2024 124 24 7 0 DL,9E
Jul 2024 124 36 4 0 9E,DL
Jun 2024 142 35 0 0 9E,B6,DL
May 2024 182 46 0 0 9E,B6,DL,YX
Apr 2024 180 33 1 0 9E,B6,DL
Mar 2024 156 21 0 0 9E,B6,DL
Feb 2024 145 18 2 0 9E,B6,DL
Jan 2024 153 41 1 0 9E,B6,DL
Dec 2023 176 26 2 0 9E,B6
Nov 2023 205 17 0 1 9E,B6,DL
Oct 2023 218 35 1 0 9E,B6,DL
Sep 2023 211 60 22 0 9E,B6,DL

DTW–JFK seasonal on-time pattern

Best: March (86.5%) · weakest: July (76.3%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 78.2%

Strongest calendar month

March

86.5% on-time · ~154 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~161 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

76.3% on-time · ~143 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.7%

60 of 3,470 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

4 of 3,470 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

DTW - Detroit

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Detroit, MI.

DTW on-time profile

JFK - New York

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for New York, NY.

JFK on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See DTW and JFK side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare DTW vs JFK

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among DTW departures

From DTW, this corridor sits with 60 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 94 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (34 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 0 below 75%). Destination: New York · fleet on-time rank #2466 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DTW to JFK

10,064 tracked flights put the DTW to JFK pairing (Detroit to New York) at a 81.7% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 85.4 minutes on average. Across the 509-mile route and its 22 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.7% cancelled and 0.1% diverted (3,470 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Nov 2023 posted the strongest performance at 92% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 64% - a 28-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DTW–JFK peaks in March at 86.5% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~161 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 76.3%, a 10.2-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DTW to JFK rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DTW to JFK ranks #1149 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1). That ordinal matches our busiest-routes listing (total_flights DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement for the exact sort basis.
How often are flights delayed from DTW to JFK? ▼
Flights from Detroit to New York have a 81.7% on-time rate based on 10,064 flights. The average delay is 85.4 minutes. The best recent month was Nov 2023 with 92% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DTW to JFK? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (60 of 3,470 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DTW to JFK? ▼
The flight distance from Detroit (DTW) to New York (JFK) is approximately 509 miles. This route is served by 22 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DTW to JFK? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Nov 2023 (92% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (64% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DTW Airport

Detroit
JFK Airport

New York
Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Using DTW–JFK data

DTW–JFK is mid-pack at 81.7% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare DTW and JFK airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DTW airport
  • If your dates flex, March (86.5% on-time) beats July (76.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 81.7% on-time rate; compare before you commit to this pairing. Similar routes

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers on this origin–destination pair, not any single flight or booking recommendation.

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

Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates this specific route's on-time performance and monthly trend, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.