Route reliability

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

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

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

Newark, NJDetroit, MI

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

EWR to DTW

Newark, NJ to Detroit, MI

On time
75.4%vs 75.6% U.S. average About average
Cancelled
5.6%vs 1.9% U.S. average Worse than average
60+ min late
8.1%vs 8.1% U.S. average About average
Scheduled flights
3,660in 12 months4 airlines
Most reliable airline
Republic Airways78.7% on time · 1,558 flights

On time about as often as 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 EWR to DTW, 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. Republic Airways Operating carrier; sold as American Eagle, Delta Connection, United Express Most reliable 78.7% 6.7% 5.3% 70 min 0.1% 1,558
2. Delta Air Lines 76.4% 4.0% 10.0% 108 min 0.0% 1,612
3. United Airlines Small sample (under 300 flights) 73.7% 1.8% 3.5% 47 min 0.0% 57
4. Spirit Airlines 60.0% 8.3% 12.0% 74 min 0.2% 433

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 Newark (EWR) to Detroit (DTW): 78.7% of its 1,558 scheduled flights arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, compared with 60.0% for Spirit Airlines.
  • 5.6% of flights on this route were cancelled (about 1 in 18), 3.7 points higher than the U.S. average of 1.9%.
  • 8.1% of flights, about 1 in 12, arrived an hour or more late. When a flight was late (15+ minutes), the average arrival delay was 88 min.
  • Overall, 75.4% of flights on this route arrived on time, about the same as the U.S. average of 75.6%.
  • Over the last 3 years, March was the most reliable month on this route (83.8% on time) and July the least reliable (63.5%).
  • Cancellations peaked in July, when 9.9% of flights were cancelled.
  • Flights scheduled to depart 11 am to noon were the most punctual (85.6% on time); flights scheduled to depart 10 pm to 11 pm were the least (45.8%).
  • In the other direction, Detroit (DTW) to Newark (EWR), 73.0% of flights were on time and 5.5% were cancelled. Compare airlines DTW to EWR.

Best and worst months to fly EWR to DTW

Jan 75.5%
Feb 82.0%
Mar 83.8%
Apr 81.2%
May 78.0%
Jun 71.7%
Jul 63.5%
Aug 72.9%
Sep 81.3%
Oct 82.1%
Nov 79.9%
Dec 73.0%
Share of scheduled flights on time 12-month average 75.4%
All airlines combined, by calendar month, September 2023 to August 2026 (3 years pooled). Scale starts at zero.
Show as table
PeriodOn timeFlights
January 75.5% 742
February 82.0% 733
March 83.8% 815
April 81.2% 740
May 78.0% 742
June 71.7% 835
July 63.5% 942
August 72.9% 955
September 81.3% 1,019
October 82.1% 981
November 79.9% 860
December 73.0% 763
Best and worst calendar month by airline, September 2023 to August 2026.
AirlineBest monthWorst month
Republic Airways March (88.9%) July (61.3%)
Delta Air Lines March (85.6%) July (62.9%)
United Airlines November (96.2%) January (72.2%)
Spirit Airlines September (81.7%) May (47.3%)

Month by month, last 12 months

Sep 83.3%
Oct 72.0%
Nov 70.7%
Dec 61.6%
Jan 73.7%
Feb 78.9%
Mar 75.9%
Apr 86.3%
May 87.4%
Jun 76.1%
Jul 68.9%
Aug 71.9%
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 83.3% 359
Oct 2025 72.0% 347
Nov 2025 70.7% 335
Dec 2025 61.6% 307
Jan 2026 73.7% 297
Feb 2026 78.9% 285
Mar 2026 75.9% 323
Apr 2026 86.3% 278
May 2026 87.4% 261
Jun 2026 76.1% 280
Jul 2026 68.9% 296
Aug 2026 71.9% 292

Best and worst departure times

<6a Insufficient sample
6a 83.5%
7a 95.1%
8a 81.0%
9a 80.5%
10a 76.2%
11a 85.6%
12p 70.7%
1p 82.9%
2p 77.6%
3p 87.7%
4p 71.7%
5p 74.5%
6p 75.5%
7p 70.7%
8p 53.8%
9p 64.7%
10p 45.8%
Share of scheduled flights on time
By scheduled local departure hour at EWR, 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 Insufficient sample 27
Departing 6 am to 7 am 83.5% 521
Departing 7 am to 8 am 95.1% 82
Departing 8 am to 9 am 81.0% 116
Departing 9 am to 10 am 80.5% 452
Departing 10 am to 11 am 76.2% 63
Departing 11 am to noon 85.6% 104
Departing noon to 1 pm 70.7% 82
Departing 1 pm to 2 pm 82.9% 455
Departing 2 pm to 3 pm 77.6% 143
Departing 3 pm to 4 pm 87.7% 57
Departing 4 pm to 5 pm 71.7% 492
Departing 5 pm to 6 pm 74.5% 231
Departing 6 pm to 7 pm 75.5% 196
Departing 7 pm to 8 pm 70.7% 58
Departing 8 pm to 9 pm 53.8% 171
Departing 9 pm to 10 pm 64.7% 255
Departing 10 pm to 11 pm 45.8% 155
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 Newark, NJ (EWR) to Detroit, MI (DTW), 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.