ON TIMEBOARD
MSP Minneapolis

MSP → ATY on time

Minneapolis-St. Paul (Minneapolis, MN) to Watertown (Watertown, SD). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
86%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
1.6%
365 flights
Typical arrival
−21 min
median vs schedule
When late
+198 min
average delay
Flights / day
1
1 airline

86% of flights from Minneapolis to Watertown arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is better than the typical U.S. route. The 6 p.m. departures ran on time 89% of the time; the 8 p.m. ones 82%. 8% 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 MSP → ATY: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 39% of the time. About 1 in 17 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 33 three hours or more; 1.6% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 365 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
Delta Air Lines36586%1.6%−21 min5.8%+198 minSkyWest

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 MSP). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%6 p.m. departures: 89% on time (177 flights)896p7 p.m. departures: too few flights7p8 p.m. departures: 82% on time (159 flights)828p9 p.m. departures: too few flights (26 flights)9p
MSP → ATY, 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

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026.

40%70%100%Jan: too few flights (31 flights)JanFeb: too few flights (28 flights)FebMar: too few flights (31 flights)MarApr: too few flights (30 flights)AprMay: too few flights (31 flights)MayJun: too few flights (30 flights)JunJul: too few flights (31 flights)JulAug: too few flights (62 flights)AugSep: too few flights (30 flights)SepOct: too few flights (31 flights)OctNov: too few flights (30 flights)NovDec: too few flights (31 flights)Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday53——
Tuesday52——
Wednesday52——
Thursday52——
Friday52——
Saturday52——
Sunday52——

Why flights were late

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

Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 72%Severe weather 22%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 6%

Cancellations: weather 6

Month by month

Not enough months with data to draw a trend.

Flight numbers on this route

Regular flights with at least 120 scheduled trips in the past year. Sorted by departure time.

FlightDepartsFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrivalOperated by
DL 42996:15 p.m.36586%1.6%−21 minSkyWest

Questions

How often are flights from MSP to ATY on time?

86% of 365 scheduled flights from Minneapolis, MN to Watertown, SD arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 1.6% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly MSP to ATY?

Flights scheduled to leave at 6 p.m. were the most reliable (89% on time). The 8 p.m. departures were the least (82%).

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.