Des Moines International (DSM) Delays and On-Time Departures
Des Moines, IA · ranked 173rd of 333 airports for on-time departures
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, Des Moines (DSM) had 15,584 scheduled departures and 80.4% of them left on time (US average 77.4%).
That ranks 173rd of 333 US airports tracked on this site, with 2.5% of departures cancelled.
Among airlines at Des Moines (DSM), Delta Air Lines left on time most often (86.0%).
Over 24 months, Tuesday was the most reliable day (86% on time) and December the worst month (76%).
Best time of day to fly out of Des Moines (DSM)
On-time departure % by scheduled departure hour (local time), last 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12am–1am | Limited data | 1 | |
| 5am–6am | 89.7% | 2.2% | 3,538 |
| 6am–7am | 90.7% | 2.4% | 3,545 |
| 7am–8am | 86.9% | 2.0% | 2,384 |
| 8am–9am | 87.7% | 1.5% | 1,901 |
| 9am–10am | 85.5% | 1.2% | 1,450 |
| 10am–11am | 83.5% | 1.2% | 565 |
| 11am–12pm | 84.8% | 1.2% | 2,339 |
| 12pm–1pm | 81.9% | 1.6% | 1,216 |
| 1pm–2pm | 80.0% | 2.2% | 2,174 |
| 2pm–3pm | 79.7% | 1.5% | 2,260 |
| 3pm–4pm | 73.5% | 2.2% | 2,401 |
| 4pm–5pm | 69.1% | 2.0% | 1,077 |
| 5pm–6pm | 75.5% | 1.7% | 1,909 |
| 6pm–7pm | 75.2% | 2.6% | 2,437 |
| 7pm–8pm | 58.4% | 4.4% | 686 |
| 8pm–9pm | 72.1% | 4.0% | 250 |
| 9pm–10pm | 65.3% | 3.9% | 51 |
| 10pm–11pm | 58.1% | 0.0% | 31 |
Airlines at DSM ranked by on-time departures
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 departures are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On-time departures | On-time arrivals | Cancelled | Departures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 86.0% | 89.3% | 2.4% | 1,253 |
| United Airlines | 85.4% | 77.4% | 1.4% | 2,018 |
| Republic Airways | 81.8% | 79.8% | 3.7% | 1,162 |
| Envoy Air | 81.0% | 81.6% | 2.6% | 1,095 |
| Southwest Airlines | 81.0% | 83.4% | 0.8% | 1,783 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 80.9% | 77.7% | 3.0% | 2,727 |
| PSA Airlines | 80.1% | 79.0% | 5.3% | 980 |
| Frontier Airlines | 77.8% | 81.1% | 0.5% | 186 |
| Allegiant Air | 77.1% | 76.5% | 1.5% | 2,029 |
| American Airlines | 74.5% | 76.5% | 3.4% | 2,351 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best day to fly out of DSM
On-time departures by day, 24 months.
Best month to fly out of DSM
On-time departures by month, 24 months.
Holiday travel at Des Moines (DSM)
On-time departures during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On-time departures | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | 72.5% | -11.5 pts | 8.0% | 600 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 74.8% | -9.2 pts | 2.9% | 1,112 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 76.4% | -7.5 pts | 2.4% | 5,575 |
| All other days | 83.9% | — | 1.7% | 22,928 |
Monthly on-time departure trend at DSM
On-time departure % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
Routes from Des Moines (DSM)
Every route from DSM with its own page, by number of flights (last 12 months, on-time arrivals).
| To | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| DSM → Chicago (ORD) | 73.9% | 4.1% | 3,411 |
| DSM → Denver (DEN) | 83.4% | 0.6% | 2,330 |
| DSM → Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) | 73.4% | 3.8% | 1,438 |
| DSM → Atlanta (ATL) | 89.3% | 2.4% | 1,252 |
| DSM → Phoenix (PHX) | 80.2% | 1.5% | 1,064 |
| DSM → Charlotte (CLT) | 82.9% | 3.0% | 809 |
| DSM → Washington (DCA) | 77.9% | 5.3% | 702 |
| DSM → Las Vegas (LAS) | 80.9% | 0.2% | 595 |
| DSM → St. Louis (STL) | 89.2% | 0.7% | 403 |
| DSM → Philadelphia (PHL) | 79.4% | 4.0% | 350 |
| DSM → Houston (IAH) | 89.4% | 1.4% | 346 |
| DSM → Los Angeles (LAX) | 71.2% | 0.3% | 303 |
| DSM → Chicago (MDW) | 80.9% | 1.7% | 290 |
| DSM → New York (LGA) | 81.1% | 2.7% | 261 |
| DSM → Sanford (SFB) | 69.5% | 1.0% | 205 |
| DSM → Punta Gorda (PGD) | 77.2% | 2.1% | 188 |
| DSM → St. Petersburg (PIE) | 75.1% | 1.6% | 186 |
| DSM → Phoenix (AZA) | 75.8% | 1.1% | 180 |
| DSM → Miami (MIA) | 85.0% | 3.4% | 179 |
| DSM → Nashville (BNA) | 83.3% | 1.8% | 165 |