PlainFlights

Route · DTW → MSY · 2020–2025 BTS data

Detroit to New Orleans

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DTW to MSY (Detroit to New Orleans) ranks #2521 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

84.5%
On-time
+5.5 pts
vs US avg
61 min
Delay when late
4,901
Flights
#2521 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.9%

Best Month

Oct 2025 92%

Worst Month

Feb 2025 70%

Distance

926 mi

Carriers

6

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 62 14 3 0 DL,NK
Nov 2025 76 11 0 0 DL,NK
Oct 2025 93 7 0 0 DL,NK
Sep 2025 52 8 0 0 DL,NK
Aug 2025 57 14 0 0 NK,DL
Jul 2025 71 18 0 0 DL,NK
Jun 2025 72 18 1 1 DL,NK
May 2025 75 15 0 0 NK,DL
Apr 2025 80 20 0 0 DL,NK
Mar 2025 96 14 0 1 DL,NK
Feb 2025 91 27 0 0 DL,NK
Jan 2025 82 9 8 0 DL,NK
Dec 2024 72 17 0 0 DL,NK
Nov 2024 70 8 0 0 NK,DL
Oct 2024 72 7 0 0 DL,NK
Sep 2024 47 6 0 0 DL,NK
Aug 2024 51 7 0 0 DL,NK
Jul 2024 51 14 1 0 DL,NK
Jun 2024 53 7 0 1 DL,NK
May 2024 78 20 0 0 DL,NK
Apr 2024 81 11 0 1 DL,NK
Mar 2024 92 17 1 0 DL,NK
Feb 2024 77 8 0 0 DL,NK
Jan 2024 59 17 2 0 9E,DL

DTW–MSY seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (92.6%) · weakest: February (77.6%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79.4%

Strongest calendar month

October

92.6% on-time · ~67 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~96 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

February

77.6% on-time · ~81 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.9%

16 of 1,710 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

4 of 1,710 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

MSY - New Orleans

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for New Orleans, LA.

MSY on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare DTW vs MSY

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 Orleans · fleet on-time rank #1396 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DTW to MSY

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Detroit to New Orleans (DTW to MSY) running a 84.5% on-time rate over 4,901 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 60.6 minutes. The 926-mile corridor is served by 6 carriers, and over the last 24 months 0.9% of 1,710 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2025 posted the strongest performance at 92% on-time, while Feb 2025 came in at just 70% - a 22-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DTW–MSY peaks in October at 92.6% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~96 flights per month) ; the softest month is February at 77.6%, 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 MSY rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DTW to MSY ranks #2521 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 MSY? ▼
Flights from Detroit to New Orleans have a 84.5% on-time rate based on 4,901 flights. The average delay is 60.6 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2025 with 92% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DTW to MSY? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (16 of 1,710 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DTW to MSY? ▼
The flight distance from Detroit (DTW) to New Orleans (MSY) is approximately 926 miles. This route is served by 6 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DTW to MSY? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2025 (92% on-time). The worst was Feb 2025 (70% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DTW Airport

Detroit
MSY Airport

New Orleans
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–MSY data

DTW–MSY runs 5.5 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 MSY airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DTW airport
  • If your dates flex, October (92.6% on-time) beats February (77.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 84.5% 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.