ON TIMEBOARD

DTW → MDT on time

Detroit Metro (Detroit, MI) to Harrisburg (Harrisburg, PA). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
73%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
1.4%
887 flights
Typical arrival
−8 min
median vs schedule
When late
+99 min
average delay
Flights / day
2
1 airline

73% of flights from Detroit to Harrisburg arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is worse than the typical U.S. route. The 10 a.m. departures ran on time 80% of the time; the 9 p.m. ones 71%. 14% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.

How late?

The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for DTW → MDT: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 39% of the time. About 1 in 8 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 42 three hours or more; 1.4% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 887 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
Delta Air Lines88773%1.4%−8 min12.6%+99 minEndeavor Air 61%, SkyWest 39%

Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.

Best time of day to fly

On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at DTW). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%10 a.m. departures: 80% on time (227 flights)8010a11 a.m. departures: too few flights11anoon departures: too few flights12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights1p2 p.m. departures: 74% on time (226 flights)742p3 p.m. departures: too few flights (62 flights)3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights (9 flights)4p5 p.m. departures: too few flights (2 flights)5p6 p.m. departures: too few flights6p7 p.m. departures: too few flights7p8 p.m. departures: too few flights8p9 p.m. departures: 71% on time (361 flights)719p
DTW → MDT, share of flights arriving on time, by departure hour. Hours with under 100 flights are greyed out.
82%+ on time76–82%68–76%under 68%too few flights

Last flight of the day

On DTW → MDT, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 2.1% of the time, against 0.8% for its earlier flights (2.8× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 2.4% of the time (earlier flights: 1.9%). It matters more than the numbers suggest. Miss an earlier flight and there's another one that evening; miss the last one and you're usually waiting until morning.

AirlineLast departureLast: cancelledLast: 3h+ lateEarlier: cancelledNext morning
Delta Air Lines9:38 p.m.2.1%2.4%0.8%first flight 10:10 a.m.

Last flight = the airline's last scheduled departure on this route that day, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Times are typical scheduled times over the latest three months.

If you need to be in MDT tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: October (91%). Worst: January (60%).

40%70%100%Jan: 60% on time (113 flights)60JanFeb: too few flights (99 flights)FebMar: 81% on time (118 flights)81MarApr: 86% on time (133 flights)86AprMay: 81% on time (173 flights)81MayJun: 77% on time (222 flights)77JunJul: 65% on time (233 flights)65JulAug: 75% on time (236 flights)75AugSep: 84% on time (195 flights)84SepOct: 91% on time (176 flights)91OctNov: 79% on time (169 flights)79NovDec: 62% on time (167 flights)62Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday13672%0.7%
Tuesday12570%0.0%
Wednesday12578%0.0%
Thursday13277%0.0%
Friday13374%3.0%
Saturday10576%2.9%
Sunday13165%3.0%

Why flights were late

Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.

Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 61%Late inbound plane 18%Severe weather 12%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 9%

Cancellations: weather 7 · air traffic/airport 4 · airline 1

Month by month

Not enough months with data to draw a trend.

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Jul 5, 202630%0
Nov 14, 202530%0
Jul 10, 202630%0
Nov 9, 202530%0
Jul 21, 202630%0

Questions

How often are flights from DTW to MDT on time?

73% of 887 scheduled flights from Detroit, MI to Harrisburg, PA arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 1.4% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly DTW to MDT?

Flights scheduled to leave at 10 a.m. were the most reliable (80% on time). The 9 p.m. departures were the least (71%).

What month has the most delays from DTW to MDT?

January (60% on time). The best month is October (91%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from DTW to MDT more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last DTW–MDT flight of the day was cancelled 2.1% of the time over the past year, against 0.8% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.

Related

Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.