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Route · PIT → DTW · 2020–2025 BTS data

Pittsburgh to Detroit

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), PIT to DTW (Pittsburgh to Detroit) ranks #1612 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

88.1%
On-time
+9.1 pts
vs US avg
90 min
Delay when late
7,751
Flights
#1612 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.8%

Best Month

Oct 2024 95%

Worst Month

Feb 2025 61%

Distance

201 mi

Carriers

29

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 57 17 1 0 YX,OO
Nov 2025 33 5 2 0 OO,YX
Oct 2025 38 5 0 0 OO,YX
Sep 2025 86 5 0 0 OO,DL,YX
Aug 2025 96 12 0 0 OO,YX
Jul 2025 110 24 1 0 OO,YX
Jun 2025 111 21 1 0 DL,OO,YX
May 2025 118 12 0 0 OO,YX,DL
Apr 2025 116 18 0 0 DL,OO,YX
Mar 2025 111 18 0 0 OO,YX,DL
Feb 2025 80 31 0 0 OO,YX
Jan 2025 92 34 2 0 OO,YX
Dec 2024 111 14 2 0 9E,OO,YX
Nov 2024 117 9 0 0 OO,9E,YX,DL
Oct 2024 123 6 0 0 OO,DL,9E
Sep 2024 120 10 0 0 OO,9E,DL
Aug 2024 124 19 2 0 DL,9E,OO
Jul 2024 122 22 6 0 9E,DL,OO
Jun 2024 119 20 0 1 9E,DL,OO
May 2024 119 27 0 0 9E,DL,OO
Apr 2024 116 12 0 0 9E,DL,OO
Mar 2024 112 6 0 0 9E,DL,OO,YX
Feb 2024 87 6 0 0 9E,DL,OO,YX
Jan 2024 93 10 2 0 9E,DL,NK,YX,OO

PIT–DTW seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (93.4%) · weakest: January (83.2%)

80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 88.1%

Strongest calendar month

September

93.4% on-time · ~110 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~118 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

January

83.2% on-time · ~108 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.8%

19 of 2,411 flights

Diversion Rate

0.0%

1 of 2,411 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

PIT - Pittsburgh

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Pittsburgh, PA.

PIT 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 PIT and DTW side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare PIT vs DTW

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among PIT's stronger departures

PIT → DTW posts a 88.1% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 13 of 33 BTS-tracked routes leaving Pittsburgh. The same hub also shows 19 mid-band and 1 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #409 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About PIT to DTW

Pittsburgh to Detroit (PIT to DTW) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 88.1% on-time rate across 7,751 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 89.9 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 201 miles and is served by 29 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 19 of 2,411 flights were cancelled (0.8%) and 1 diverted (0.0%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 95% on-time, while Feb 2025 came in at just 61% - a 34-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, PIT–DTW peaks in September at 93.4% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~118 flights per month) ; the softest month is January at 83.2%, a 10.2-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PIT to DTW rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, PIT to DTW ranks #1612 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 PIT to DTW? ▼
Flights from Pittsburgh to Detroit have a 88.1% on-time rate based on 7,751 flights. The average delay is 89.9 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 95% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for PIT to DTW? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.8% of flights on this route were cancelled (19 of 2,411 flights) and 0.0% were diverted.
How far is the flight from PIT to DTW? ▼
The flight distance from Pittsburgh (PIT) to Detroit (DTW) is approximately 201 miles. This route is served by 29 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from PIT to DTW? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (95% on-time). The worst was Feb 2025 (61% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

PIT Airport

Pittsburgh
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 PIT–DTW data

PIT–DTW runs 9.1 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare PIT and DTW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. PIT airport
  • If your dates flex, September (93.4% on-time) beats January (83.2%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 88.1% 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.