Minneapolis (MSP) Flight Delays: Rate, Worst Hours and Live Risk
Minneapolis (MSP) is ranked 21 of 22 for delays among DelayGuard's guide airports (1 is the highest rate): 18.3% of flights departing MSP arrived 15 or more minutes late across 357,344 flights, January 2023 to December 2025. Delta Air Lines operated 56.1% of those departures. The worst scheduled departure hours are 5 PM (30.0%) and 11 PM (27.7%); 5 AM is the best at 8.7%. 0.85% of scheduled MSP departures were cancelled in 2024 to 2025.
These figures are historical US domestic rates, not a forecast for one departure. Use the free delay prediction for your trip before you book.
Delay window: January 2023 to December 2025. Cancellation window: 2024 to 2025. Last updated: 2026-10-18. Delayed means a flight arrived 15 or more minutes after its scheduled arrival, the BTS and DOT on-time standard. Cancelled and diverted flights are excluded from delay rates. Historical BTS figures are separate from DelayGuard's per-flight model probability and from live FAA, weather and ground-delay status.
Layover buffer
Chance an inbound arrival is 45+ min late at MSP: 8.22%.
29,408 of 357,716 arrivals, January 2023 to December 2025. Not a missed-connection rate.
Flight delays today at MSP
FAA now: No FAA program
Tomorrow: Typical
October delay rate: 12.4%
FAA now is the current National Airspace System program.
Historical delay rate (15+ min late) at MSP
Sample size: 357,344 flights, window: January 2023 to December 2025. Delay rate 18.3%. Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). Cancellation rate 0.85% of 239,710 scheduled flights, 2024 to 2025.
Why MSP runs the way it does
Delta Air Lines flew 56.1% of MSP departures in the window, and its flights ran 18.4% late, in line with the airport as a whole. With one carrier that large, MSP's delay record largely follows how Delta Air Lines runs its schedule.
MSP delays peak in July (25.7%), June (24.4%) and December (22.9%) and are lowest in October (12.4%). That shape is consistent with the summer thunderstorm season, when convective weather builds through the afternoon and slows arrivals and departures.
Delays build through the day: 11.5% of flights scheduled before 8 AM ran late against 21.6% after 8 PM. That is the pattern BTS describes as late-arriving aircraft, where a previous flight with the same aircraft arriving late makes the next departure late.
Best and worst times to fly from MSP
| Hour | Delayed 15+ min | Flights |
|---|---|---|
| 5 AM | 8.7% | 6,210 |
| 6 AM | 10.5% | 13,540 |
| 7 AM | 12.6% | 28,286 |
| 8 AM | 12.4% | 20,354 |
| 9 AM | 13.2% | 21,165 |
| 10 AM | 15.1% | 31,441 |
| 11 AM | 15.7% | 21,551 |
| 12 PM | 15.7% | 22,815 |
| 1 PM | 18.3% | 18,851 |
| 2 PM | 21.5% | 21,701 |
| 3 PM | 22.1% | 28,879 |
| 4 PM | 23.6% | 11,975 |
| 5 PM | 30.0% | 6,785 |
| 6 PM | 23.8% | 31,326 |
| 7 PM | 24.0% | 19,344 |
| 8 PM | 21.1% | 23,472 |
| 9 PM | 21.8% | 21,824 |
| 10 PM | 21.6% | 7,149 |
| 11 PM | 27.7% | 676 |
MSP delays and cancellations by month
| Month | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20.1% | 26,768 | 1.48% |
| Feb | 15.5% | 24,696 | 0.46% |
| Mar | 19.7% | 29,596 | 0.88% |
| Apr | 16.4% | 29,081 | 0.24% |
| May | 15.9% | 30,798 | 0.38% |
| Jun | 24.4% | 31,783 | 0.65% |
| Jul | 25.7% | 32,651 | 2.59% |
| Aug | 19.4% | 33,031 | 0.58% |
| Sep | 12.9% | 30,336 | 0.14% |
| Oct | 12.4% | 31,239 | 0.32% |
| Nov | 13.3% | 28,517 | 1.05% |
| Dec | 22.9% | 28,848 | 1.36% |
Airlines at MSP
| Airline | Share of departures | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 56.1% | 18.4% | 200,648 | 0.69% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 20.3% | 16.3% | 72,566 | 0.82% |
| Southwest Airlines | 5.7% | 18.7% | 20,528 | 0.70% |
| United Airlines | 4.3% | 20.1% | 15,415 | 1.12% |
| Endeavor Air | 4.3% | 15.5% | 15,289 | 0.81% |
| American Airlines | 3.7% | 20.6% | 13,184 | 1.57% |
| Republic Airways | 1.1% | 18.8% | 3,955 | 3.15% |
| Frontier Airlines | 0.9% | 26.0% | 3,390 | 1.58% |
| Spirit Airlines (ceased 2 May 2026) | 0.9% | 23.8% | 3,338 | 1.06% |
| Alaska Airlines | 0.8% | 19.6% | 3,036 | 1.24% |
Regional operators are reported separately from the airline brands they fly for.
Routes from MSP
| Route | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSP to DEN | 20.5% | 18,230 | 0.74% | Predict |
| MSP to ORD | 23.3% | 16,880 | 1.23% | Predict |
| MSP to ATL | 16.6% | 10,946 | 0.43% | Predict |
| MSP to PHX | 18.3% | 9,867 | 0.47% | Predict |
| MSP to DFW | 21.4% | 9,327 | 1.59% | Predict |
| MSP to MDW | 17.2% | 8,829 | 1.07% | Predict |
| MSP to SEA | 14.9% | 8,017 | 0.70% | Predict |
| MSP to LAS | 17.1% | 7,819 | 0.64% | Predict |
| MSP to CLT | 19.2% | 7,281 | 0.91% | Predict |
| MSP to DCA | 21.1% | 7,007 | 2.04% | Predict |
| MSP to LAX | 16.1% | 6,910 | 0.62% | Predict |
| MSP to LGA | 18.5% | 6,702 | 1.40% | Predict |
| MSP to DTW | 15.8% | 6,630 | 0.36% | Predict |
| MSP to EWR | 23.6% | 6,625 | 2.09% | Predict |
| MSP to BOS | 23.1% | 6,261 | 0.52% | Predict |
- Summer thunderstorm delays: which airports suffer most
- Thanksgiving and Christmas 2026 flight delay guide
- US airline cancellation rates
Questions
- How often are flights delayed at MSP?
- 18.3% of flights departing MSP arrived 15 or more minutes late across 357,344 flights, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS). Across all US domestic flights in the data, the rate is 21.2%.
- What is the best time to fly from MSP?
- Early departures run best. 5 AM flights ran 8.7% late (6,210 flights), 6 AM flights ran 10.5% late (13,540 flights) and 8 AM flights ran 12.4% late (20,354 flights). The worst hours are 5 PM (30.0%), 11 PM (27.7%) and 7 PM (24.0%).
- Which month is worst for delays at MSP?
- July has the highest delay rate at 25.7%. October is the lowest at 12.4%.
- Which airline has the best on-time record at MSP?
- Among carriers still flying with at least 5,000 flights from MSP, Endeavor Air has the lowest delay rate at 15.5% (15,289 flights). American Airlines is highest at 20.6%. Regional operators such as SkyWest are reported separately from the airline brands they fly for.
- How often are MSP flights cancelled?
- 0.85% of 239,710 scheduled departures from MSP were cancelled in 2024 to 2025. The US figure over the same period is 1.41%. See the full ranking on the cancellation rates page.
- Does DelayGuard show live delays at MSP?
- Yes. The live module on this page shows DelayGuard's hourly risk score and any active FAA ground stop or ground delay program. It is separate from the historical BTS figures above. For a specific flight, the predictor gives a model probability that combines history, weather and FAA data.
- Why does MSP have delays?
- Delta Air Lines flew 56.1% of MSP departures in the window, and its flights ran 18.4% late, in line with the airport as a whole. With one carrier that large, MSP's delay record largely follows how Delta Air Lines runs its schedule. MSP delays peak in July (25.7%), June (24.4%) and December (22.9%) and are lowest in October (12.4%). That shape is consistent with the summer thunderstorm season, when convective weather builds through the afternoon and slows arrivals and departures.