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Route · MCI → DTW · 2020–2025 BTS data

Kansas City to Detroit

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MCI to DTW (Kansas City to Detroit) ranks #1615 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

90.5%
On-time
+11.5 pts
vs US avg
103 min
Delay when late
7,747
Flights
#1615 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.7%

Best Month

Apr 2025 94%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 77%

Distance

629 mi

Carriers

27

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 110 25 3 0 DL,OO
Nov 2025 107 14 0 1 DL
Oct 2025 117 9 0 0 AA,DL
Sep 2025 107 11 0 1 OO,DL
Aug 2025 116 12 0 0 NK,DL
Jul 2025 126 17 0 2 YX,DL,NK
Jun 2025 123 21 1 0 DL,NK
May 2025 125 11 0 0 DL,NK
Apr 2025 116 7 0 0 DL,OO
Mar 2025 119 10 0 0 DL
Feb 2025 98 13 1 0 DL
Jan 2025 103 10 7 0 OO,DL
Dec 2024 104 9 0 0 DL,OO
Nov 2024 105 9 0 0 DL
Oct 2024 116 7 0 0 DL,NK
Sep 2024 120 15 0 0 DL,NK
Aug 2024 128 10 0 1 DL,NK
Jul 2024 127 23 3 0 DL,NK
Jun 2024 116 11 0 0 DL,NK,OO
May 2024 119 11 0 0 9E,DL,OO
Apr 2024 116 14 0 1 9E,DL,OO
Mar 2024 112 9 0 0 9E,DL
Feb 2024 79 9 0 0 9E,DL
Jan 2024 90 16 3 0 9E,DL,YX

MCI–DTW seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (94.2%) · weakest: July (87.3%)

86%88%90%92%94%96% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 88.8%

Strongest calendar month

October

94.2% on-time · ~113 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~119 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

87.3% on-time · ~113 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.7%

18 of 2,699 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

6 of 2,699 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

MCI - Kansas City

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

MCI on-time profile

DTW - Detroit

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

DTW on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare MCI vs DTW

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among MCI's stronger departures

MCI → DTW posts a 90.5% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 14 of 39 BTS-tracked routes leaving Kansas City. The same hub also shows 25 mid-band and 0 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #119 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About MCI to DTW

Kansas City to Detroit (MCI to DTW) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 90.5% on-time rate across 7,747 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 102.8 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 629 miles and is served by 27 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 18 of 2,699 flights were cancelled (0.7%) and 6 diverted (0.2%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Apr 2025 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 77% - a 17-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, MCI–DTW peaks in October at 94.2% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~119 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 87.3%, a 6.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does MCI to DTW rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, MCI to DTW ranks #1615 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 MCI to DTW? ▼
Flights from Kansas City to Detroit have a 90.5% on-time rate based on 7,747 flights. The average delay is 102.8 minutes. The best recent month was Apr 2025 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for MCI to DTW? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (18 of 2,699 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from MCI to DTW? ▼
The flight distance from Kansas City (MCI) to Detroit (DTW) is approximately 629 miles. This route is served by 27 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from MCI to DTW? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Apr 2025 (94% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (77% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

MCI Airport

Kansas City
DTW Airport

Detroit
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 MCI–DTW data

MCI–DTW runs 11.5 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare MCI and DTW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MCI airport
  • If your dates flex, October (94.2% on-time) beats July (87.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 90.5% 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.