Route Reliability

Route reliability

Atlanta (ATL) to Minneapolis (MSP): which airline is most on time?

On-time arrivals, cancellations and long delays for every airline that reported nonstop flights from Atlanta, GA (ATL) to Minneapolis, MN (MSP), September 2025 to August 2026.

Historical performance Official DOT data through August 2026 · Not live flight status

Atlanta, GAMinneapolis, MN

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Three-letter airport codes, nonstop U.S. domestic flights. One direction at a time.

Route at a glance · September 2025 to August 2026

ATL to MSP

Atlanta, GA to Minneapolis, MN

On time
79.4%vs 75.6% U.S. average Better than average
Cancelled
0.4%vs 1.9% U.S. average Better than average
60+ min late
5.7%vs 8.1% U.S. average Better than average
Scheduled flights
3,509in 12 months3 airlines
Most reliable airline
Spirit Airlines81.9% on time · 72 flights

On time more often than the U.S. average, with fewer cancellations.

Compared with all U.S. flights, September 2025 to August 2026. “About average” means within 1.5 points for on time, 0.3 for cancelled and 1 for 60+ minutes late.

Airlines on this route

Ranked by on-time arrival

Airlines from ATL to MSP, September 2025 to August 2026. Rates are shares of all scheduled flights.
Airline On time Cancelled 60+ min late Avg delay when late Diverted Flights
1. Spirit Airlines Most reliable 81.9% 0.0% 8.3% 64 min 0.0% 72
2. Delta Air Lines 80.6% 0.4% 5.1% 55 min 0.2% 3,227
3. Frontier Airlines 60.5% 1.0% 13.3% 58 min 0.0% 210

On time = arrived within 15 minutes of schedule. Avg delay when late = average arrival delay of flights 15+ minutes late. "Most reliable" needs at least 300 flights in 12 months. Tap a heading to sort.

What this means

Spirit Airlines has the strongest record on this route.

  • Spirit Airlines had the best on-time record from Atlanta (ATL) to Minneapolis (MSP): 81.9% of its 72 scheduled flights arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, compared with 60.5% for Frontier Airlines.
  • 0.4% of flights on this route were cancelled, 1.5 points lower than the U.S. average of 1.9%.
  • 5.7% of flights, about 1 in 18, arrived an hour or more late. When a flight was late (15+ minutes), the average arrival delay was 56 min.
  • Overall, 79.4% of flights on this route arrived on time, 3.8 points higher than the U.S. average of 75.6%.
  • Over the last 3 years, September was the most reliable month on this route (89.6% on time) and July the least reliable (66.3%).
  • Flights scheduled to depart 7 am to 8 am were the most punctual (91.4% on time); flights scheduled to depart 4 pm to 5 pm were the least (53.8%).
  • In the other direction, Minneapolis (MSP) to Atlanta (ATL), 81.2% of flights were on time and 0.5% were cancelled. Compare airlines MSP to ATL.

Best and worst months to fly ATL to MSP

Jan 82.6%
Feb 83.8%
Mar 82.0%
Apr 84.6%
May 78.7%
Jun 74.2%
Jul 66.3%
Aug 77.8%
Sep 89.6%
Oct 88.9%
Nov 86.9%
Dec 78.9%
Share of scheduled flights on time 12-month average 79.4%
All airlines combined, by calendar month, September 2023 to August 2026 (3 years pooled). Scale starts at zero.
Show as table
PeriodOn timeFlights
January 82.6% 850
February 83.8% 798
March 82.0% 896
April 84.6% 874
May 78.7% 909
June 74.2% 890
July 66.3% 931
August 77.8% 936
September 89.6% 929
October 88.9% 981
November 86.9% 915
December 78.9% 895
Best and worst calendar month by airline, September 2023 to August 2026.
AirlineBest monthWorst month
Spirit Airlines April (91.2%) July (64.8%)
Delta Air Lines September (90.3%) July (67.8%)

Month by month, last 12 months

Sep 87.8%
Oct 84.8%
Nov 84.5%
Dec 67.9%
Jan 83.8%
Feb 81.7%
Mar 78.3%
Apr 86.0%
May 78.2%
Jun 78.8%
Jul 63.9%
Aug 77.3%
Share of scheduled flights on time U.S. average 75.6%
All airlines combined, September 2025 to August 2026. Scale starts at zero.
Show as table
PeriodOn timeFlights
Sep 2025 87.8% 303
Oct 2025 84.8% 323
Nov 2025 84.5% 290
Dec 2025 67.9% 280
Jan 2026 83.8% 277
Feb 2026 81.7% 263
Mar 2026 78.3% 295
Apr 2026 86.0% 285
May 2026 78.2% 298
Jun 2026 78.8% 288
Jul 2026 63.9% 299
Aug 2026 77.3% 308

Best and worst departure times

6a Insufficient sample
7a 91.4%
8a 87.0%
9a 79.7%
10a 88.5%
11a 61.3%
12p 84.7%
1p 84.5%
2p 81.0%
3p 70.4%
4p 53.8%
5p 78.1%
6p Insufficient sample
7p 69.2%
8p Insufficient sample
9p Insufficient sample
10p 80.2%
11p 69.4%
Share of scheduled flights on time
By scheduled local departure hour at ATL, September 2025 to August 2026. Hours with no scheduled flights are omitted. Scale starts at zero.
Show as table
PeriodOn timeFlights
Departing 6 am to 7 am Insufficient sample 28
Departing 7 am to 8 am 91.4% 372
Departing 8 am to 9 am 87.0% 393
Departing 9 am to 10 am 79.7% 177
Departing 10 am to 11 am 88.5% 253
Departing 11 am to noon 61.3% 119
Departing noon to 1 pm 84.7% 359
Departing 1 pm to 2 pm 84.5% 233
Departing 2 pm to 3 pm 81.0% 126
Departing 3 pm to 4 pm 70.4% 324
Departing 4 pm to 5 pm 53.8% 130
Departing 5 pm to 6 pm 78.1% 256
Departing 6 pm to 7 pm Insufficient sample 16
Departing 7 pm to 8 pm 69.2% 279
Departing 8 pm to 9 pm Insufficient sample 36
Departing 9 pm to 10 pm Insufficient sample 44
Departing 10 pm to 11 pm 80.2% 253
Departing 11 pm to midnight 69.4% 111
Woman at an airport window watching a plane take off
Photo: Depositphotos (licensed stock, illustrative only). Credits

Sources & data dates

Source
U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Reporting Carrier On-Time Performance (1987-present)
Period
September 2025 to August 2026 (12 months); month-of-year patterns September 2023 to August 2026
Data through
August 2026
Processed
2026-11-03
Scope
Nonstop scheduled flights from Atlanta, GA (ATL) to Minneapolis, MN (MSP), one direction. Airlines that report to the DOT only.
Method
Rates use all scheduled flights as the denominator; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Figures based on fewer than 50 scheduled flights are suppressed. Full methodology.

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