Phoenix to Des Moines

What the Data Says About PHX to DSM

The Phoenix to Des Moines corridor (PHX → DSM) covers roughly 1,149 miles and is served by 24 carriers, based on Bureau of Transportation Statistics reporting. Across 4,845 flights in the dataset, this route posts a 81.9% on-time rate with an average delay of 72.9 minutes when flights run late. Over the most recent 24 months of BTS data, 2,009 flights were recorded on this pairing — 20 cancelled (1.0%) and 5 diverted (0.2%). Those baseline metrics tell you what to expect before you book.

Having 24 carriers on the route matters: more carriers generally means more daily schedule options, competitive pricing, and redundancy when flights are cancelled. With 4,845 total flights analyzed, the 81.9% on-time figure is statistically meaningful rather than a small-sample fluke. The 72.9-minute average delay applies only to flights that actually ran late, so it is not the average wait across all departures — the majority of flights on this route depart on time under the BTS definition of a delay (15+ minutes past schedule).

Looking at recent months, Jan 2025 posted the best performance on this corridor at 92% on-time, while May 2024 came in at 65% on-time — a 28-point gap between best and worst recent month. For travelers evaluating the PHX to DSM route, the combination of a 81.9% on-time rate, 72.9-minute average delay, 1.0% recent cancellation rate, and 24 available carriers is the concrete summary of what BTS data shows about reliability on this pairing.