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Route · DTW → MCI · 2020–2025 BTS data

Detroit to Kansas City

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DTW to MCI (Detroit to Kansas City) ranks #1614 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

87.8%
On-time
+8.8 pts
vs US avg
74 min
Delay when late
7,749
Flights
#1614 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.7%

Best Month

Oct 2024 94%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 67%

Distance

629 mi

Carriers

28

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 110 36 4 1 DL
Nov 2025 107 20 0 0 DL
Oct 2025 117 12 0 0 AA,DL
Sep 2025 107 16 0 0 OO,DL
Aug 2025 116 19 0 0 NK,DL
Jul 2025 125 32 0 0 YX,DL,NK
Jun 2025 123 23 1 1 DL,NK
May 2025 125 21 0 0 DL,NK
Apr 2025 116 15 0 0 DL,OO
Mar 2025 119 11 0 0 DL
Feb 2025 98 17 0 1 DL
Jan 2025 103 17 7 0 OO,DL
Dec 2024 104 15 0 0 DL,OO
Nov 2024 105 8 0 0 9E,DL
Oct 2024 117 7 0 0 DL,NK,9E
Sep 2024 120 17 0 0 DL,NK
Aug 2024 129 21 0 1 DL,NK
Jul 2024 127 28 3 0 DL,NK
Jun 2024 116 16 0 0 DL,NK,OO
May 2024 119 14 0 0 9E,DL,OO
Apr 2024 116 10 0 1 9E,DL,OO
Mar 2024 112 8 0 0 9E,DL
Feb 2024 79 7 0 0 9E,DL
Jan 2024 90 15 3 0 9E,DL,YX

DTW–MCI seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (93.8%) · weakest: July (80.6%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 85.3%

Strongest calendar month

October

93.8% on-time · ~113 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~119 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

80.6% on-time · ~113 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.7%

18 of 2,700 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

5 of 2,700 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

MCI - Kansas City

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Kansas City, MO.

MCI on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare DTW vs MCI

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among DTW's stronger departures

DTW → MCI posts a 87.8% 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 #450 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About DTW to MCI

Detroit to Kansas City (DTW to MCI) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 87.8% on-time rate across 7,749 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 73.5 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 629 miles and is served by 28 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 18 of 2,700 flights were cancelled (0.7%) and 5 diverted (0.2%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 67% - a 27-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DTW–MCI peaks in October at 93.8% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~119 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 80.6%, a 13.2-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DTW to MCI rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DTW to MCI ranks #1614 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 MCI? ▼
Flights from Detroit to Kansas City have a 87.8% on-time rate based on 7,749 flights. The average delay is 73.5 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DTW to MCI? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (18 of 2,700 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DTW to MCI? ▼
The flight distance from Detroit (DTW) to Kansas City (MCI) is approximately 629 miles. This route is served by 28 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DTW to MCI? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (94% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (67% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DTW Airport

Detroit
MCI Airport

Kansas City
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–MCI data

DTW–MCI runs 8.8 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 MCI airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DTW airport
  • If your dates flex, October (93.8% on-time) beats July (80.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 87.8% 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.