Route reliability

Detroit (DTW) to Newark (EWR): which airline is most on time?

On-time arrivals, cancellations and long delays for every airline that reported nonstop flights from Detroit, MI (DTW) to Newark, NJ (EWR), September 2025 to August 2026.

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

Detroit, MINewark, NJ

Check a route

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

Route at a glance · September 2025 to August 2026

DTW to EWR

Detroit, MI to Newark, NJ

On time
73.0%vs 75.6% U.S. average Worse than average
Cancelled
5.5%vs 1.9% U.S. average Worse than average
60+ min late
9.3%vs 8.1% U.S. average Worse than average
Scheduled flights
3,642in 12 months4 airlines
Most reliable airline
Republic Airways76.3% on time · 1,539 flights

On time less often than the U.S. average, with more 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 DTW to EWR, 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. United Airlines Small sample (under 300 flights) 89.5% 1.8% 7.0% Unavailable 0.0% 57
2. Republic Airways Operating carrier; sold as American Eagle, Delta Connection, United Express Most reliable 76.3% 6.4% 6.7% 75 min 0.3% 1,539
3. Delta Air Lines 72.4% 3.9% 10.9% 78 min 0.1% 1,612
4. Spirit Airlines 61.5% 9.0% 12.9% 72 min 0.0% 434

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

Republic Airways has the strongest record on this route.

  • Republic Airways had the best on-time record from Detroit (DTW) to Newark (EWR): 76.3% of its 1,539 scheduled flights arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, compared with 61.5% for Spirit Airlines.
  • United Airlines (89.5% on 57 flights) scored higher but flew the route far less often, so that result is less certain.
  • 5.5% of flights on this route were cancelled (about 1 in 18), 3.6 points higher than the U.S. average of 1.9%.
  • 9.3% of flights, about 1 in 11, arrived an hour or more late. When a flight was late (15+ minutes), the average arrival delay was 76 min.
  • Overall, 73.0% of flights on this route arrived on time, 2.6 points lower than the U.S. average of 75.6%.
  • Over the last 3 years, October was the most reliable month on this route (83.3% on time) and July the least reliable (60.0%).
  • Cancellations peaked in July, when 10.2% of flights were cancelled.
  • Flights scheduled to depart 7 am to 8 am were the most punctual (88.2% on time); flights scheduled to depart 5 pm to 6 pm were the least (55.4%).
  • In the other direction, Newark (EWR) to Detroit (DTW), 75.4% of flights were on time and 5.6% were cancelled. Compare airlines EWR to DTW.

Best and worst months to fly DTW to EWR

Jan 74.1%
Feb 78.7%
Mar 80.8%
Apr 79.6%
May 73.7%
Jun 72.3%
Jul 60.0%
Aug 72.2%
Sep 81.8%
Oct 83.3%
Nov 78.3%
Dec 74.0%
Share of scheduled flights on time 12-month average 73.0%
All airlines combined, by calendar month, September 2023 to August 2026 (3 years pooled). Scale starts at zero.
Show as table
PeriodOn timeFlights
January 74.1% 738
February 78.7% 733
March 80.8% 817
April 79.6% 741
May 73.7% 741
June 72.3% 835
July 60.0% 942
August 72.2% 954
September 81.8% 1,017
October 83.3% 984
November 78.3% 861
December 74.0% 747
Best and worst calendar month by airline, September 2023 to August 2026.
AirlineBest monthWorst month
United Airlines June (94.2%) May (76.6%)
Republic Airways October (87.1%) July (55.9%)
Delta Air Lines September (81.5%) July (58.7%)
Spirit Airlines April (82.6%) December (66.2%)

Month by month, last 12 months

Sep 82.7%
Oct 70.7%
Nov 71.0%
Dec 60.6%
Jan 70.7%
Feb 71.1%
Mar 72.8%
Apr 80.3%
May 85.8%
Jun 76.1%
Jul 62.8%
Aug 72.3%
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 82.7% 359
Oct 2025 70.7% 348
Nov 2025 71.0% 334
Dec 2025 60.6% 292
Jan 2026 70.7% 294
Feb 2026 71.1% 284
Mar 2026 72.8% 324
Apr 2026 80.3% 279
May 2026 85.8% 260
Jun 2026 76.1% 280
Jul 2026 62.8% 296
Aug 2026 72.3% 292

Best and worst departure times

<6a 69.0%
6a 77.1%
7a 88.2%
8a 94.0%
9a 87.1%
10a 78.7%
11a 80.0%
12p 85.7%
1p 66.1%
2p 67.7%
3p 66.3%
4p 73.2%
5p 55.4%
6p 68.6%
7p 60.9%
8p Insufficient sample
9p 64.9%
10p 43.7%
Share of scheduled flights on time
By scheduled local departure hour at DTW, September 2025 to August 2026. Hours with no scheduled flights are omitted. Scale starts at zero.
Show as table
PeriodOn timeFlights
Departing before 6 am 69.0% 84
Departing 6 am to 7 am 77.1% 188
Departing 7 am to 8 am 88.2% 492
Departing 8 am to 9 am 94.0% 50
Departing 9 am to 10 am 87.1% 264
Departing 10 am to 11 am 78.7% 390
Departing 11 am to noon 80.0% 195
Departing noon to 1 pm 85.7% 63
Departing 1 pm to 2 pm 66.1% 56
Departing 2 pm to 3 pm 67.7% 427
Departing 3 pm to 4 pm 66.3% 101
Departing 4 pm to 5 pm 73.2% 183
Departing 5 pm to 6 pm 55.4% 242
Departing 6 pm to 7 pm 68.6% 159
Departing 7 pm to 8 pm 60.9% 248
Departing 8 pm to 9 pm Insufficient sample 36
Departing 9 pm to 10 pm 64.9% 393
Departing 10 pm to 11 pm 43.7% 71
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 Detroit, MI (DTW) to Newark, NJ (EWR), 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.

Independent reference site. No government or airline affiliation or endorsement.