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Route · DTW → SDF · 2020–2025 BTS data

Detroit to Louisville

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DTW to SDF (Detroit to Louisville) ranks #1976 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

84.6%
On-time
+5.6 pts
vs US avg
80 min
Delay when late
6,360
Flights
#1976 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.5%

Best Month

Sep 2025 96%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 63%

Distance

306 mi

Carriers

18

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 88 33 2 0 YX,OO
Nov 2025 107 19 2 0 OO,YX
Oct 2025 105 10 0 0 OO,YX
Sep 2025 73 3 0 0 OO,YX
Aug 2025 123 20 0 0 OO,YX,NK
Jul 2025 124 39 1 0 OO,YX,NK
Jun 2025 119 28 1 0 NK,OO,YX
May 2025 118 19 0 0 OO,YX,DL
Apr 2025 103 16 0 0 OO,YX
Mar 2025 88 12 0 0 OO,YX
Feb 2025 78 13 0 0 YX
Jan 2025 88 20 4 0 OO,YX
Dec 2024 106 13 0 0 OO,YX
Nov 2024 109 11 0 0 OO,YX
Oct 2024 114 6 0 0 OO,YX,9E
Sep 2024 110 13 0 0 YX,OO
Aug 2024 116 29 3 1 YX,9E,OO
Jul 2024 116 26 0 0 OO,YX
Jun 2024 114 25 0 0 OO,YX
May 2024 119 20 0 2 9E,OO,YX
Apr 2024 106 12 0 0 9E,OO,YX
Mar 2024 86 7 0 1 YX,OO
Feb 2024 69 5 0 0 9E,OO,YX
Jan 2024 70 21 0 0 9E,YX,OO

DTW–SDF seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (92.3%) · weakest: December (79.8%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79.8%

Strongest calendar month

September

92.3% on-time · ~87 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~99 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

79.8% on-time · ~84 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.5%

13 of 2,449 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

4 of 2,449 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

SDF - Louisville

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Louisville, KY.

SDF on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare DTW vs SDF

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: Louisville · fleet on-time rank #1361 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DTW to SDF

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Detroit to Louisville (DTW to SDF) running a 84.6% on-time rate over 6,360 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 80.3 minutes. The 306-mile corridor is served by 18 carriers, and over the last 24 months 0.5% of 2,449 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Sep 2025 posted the strongest performance at 96% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 63% - a 33-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DTW–SDF peaks in September at 92.3% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~99 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 79.8%, a 12.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DTW to SDF rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DTW to SDF ranks #1976 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 SDF? ▼
Flights from Detroit to Louisville have a 84.6% on-time rate based on 6,360 flights. The average delay is 80.3 minutes. The best recent month was Sep 2025 with 96% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DTW to SDF? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.5% of flights on this route were cancelled (13 of 2,449 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DTW to SDF? ▼
The flight distance from Detroit (DTW) to Louisville (SDF) is approximately 306 miles. This route is served by 18 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DTW to SDF? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Sep 2025 (96% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (63% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DTW Airport

Detroit
SDF Airport

Louisville
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–SDF data

DTW–SDF runs 5.6 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 SDF airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DTW airport
  • If your dates flex, September (92.3% on-time) beats December (79.8%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 84.6% 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.