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Route · DTW → MBS · 2020–2025 BTS data

Detroit to Saginaw/Bay City/Midland

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DTW to MBS (Detroit to Saginaw/Bay City/Midland) ranks #1943 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

86%
On-time
+7 pts
vs US avg
84 min
Delay when late
6,438
Flights
#1943 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.9%

Best Month

Feb 2024 94%

Worst Month

Jan 2024 57%

Distance

98 mi

Carriers

4

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 69 22 3 0 OO
Nov 2025 112 19 5 1 OO
Oct 2025 118 10 0 0 OO
Sep 2025 116 13 0 0 OO
Aug 2025 118 25 0 0 OO
Jul 2025 115 34 1 0 OO
Jun 2025 114 23 1 0 OO
May 2025 118 9 0 0 OO
Apr 2025 102 15 1 0 OO
Mar 2025 88 16 2 0 OO
Feb 2025 78 25 2 0 OO
Jan 2025 87 24 1 0 OO
Dec 2024 104 38 1 0 OO
Nov 2024 103 16 0 0 OO
Oct 2024 112 12 0 0 OO
Sep 2024 102 8 0 0 OO
Aug 2024 107 28 0 0 9E,OO
Jul 2024 103 19 0 0 9E,OO
Jun 2024 100 30 0 0 9E,OO
May 2024 88 9 0 0 9E,OO
Apr 2024 86 18 0 0 9E,OO
Mar 2024 88 14 0 0 OO
Feb 2024 78 5 0 0 OO
Jan 2024 82 35 5 1 OO

DTW–MBS seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (92.8%) · weakest: January (77.8%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 80.6%

Strongest calendar month

October

92.8% on-time · ~95 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~100 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

January

77.8% on-time · ~82 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.9%

22 of 2,388 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

2 of 2,388 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

MBS - Saginaw/Bay City/Midland

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Saginaw/Bay City/Midland, MI.

MBS on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare DTW vs MBS

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among DTW's stronger departures

DTW → MBS posts a 86% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 34 of 94 BTS-tracked routes leaving Detroit. The same hub also shows 60 mid-band and 0 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #899 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About DTW to MBS

Detroit to Saginaw/Bay City/Midland (DTW to MBS) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 86% on-time rate across 6,438 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 83.5 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 98 miles and is served by 4 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 22 of 2,388 flights were cancelled (0.9%) and 2 diverted (0.1%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Jan 2024 came in at just 57% - a 36-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DTW–MBS peaks in October at 92.8% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~100 flights per month) ; the softest month is January at 77.8%, a 15.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DTW to MBS rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DTW to MBS ranks #1943 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 MBS? ▼
Flights from Detroit to Saginaw/Bay City/Midland have a 86% on-time rate based on 6,438 flights. The average delay is 83.5 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DTW to MBS? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (22 of 2,388 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DTW to MBS? ▼
The flight distance from Detroit (DTW) to Saginaw/Bay City/Midland (MBS) is approximately 98 miles. This route is served by 4 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DTW to MBS? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (94% on-time). The worst was Jan 2024 (57% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DTW Airport

Detroit
MBS Airport

Saginaw/Bay City/Midland
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–MBS data

DTW–MBS runs 7 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare DTW and MBS airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DTW airport
  • If your dates flex, October (92.8% on-time) beats January (77.8%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 86% 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.