PHL to DSM flight delays
Philadelphia, PA (PHL) Des Moines, IA (DSM) · 973 miles
337 flights · January 2025 – August 2026 · US Bureau of Transportation Statistics
77.88%
Arrived on time
Within 15 minutes of schedule
2.08%
Cancelled
Share of scheduled flights
109 min
When late, late by
Average across delayed arrivals
25 min
Delay per flight
Averaged over every flight flown
What the record says about this route
The season swings this route hard. In September it ran 21.6 points more punctual than in July — a difference bigger than the one between the best and worst airlines on most routes. If the date is flexible, it is worth more than the carrier.
Only PSA Airlines flies this route in the published record, so there is no choice to weigh — the route's figures and the airline's are the same figures.
This is a thin route — 337 flights across the whole period. On a route this infrequent a cancellation is far more costly than the rate suggests, because the next departure may not be the same day.
The Philadelphia to Des Moines route sits close to the middle of the record — neither notably punctual nor notably late.
Which airline should you fly on this route?
Over January 2025 – August 2026, PSA Airlines arrived on time most often on PHL to DSM. Flights ran closest to schedule in November and worst in July.
Every airline on PHL to DSM
Ranked by how many flights each one operated. A carrier with fewer than 100 flights in the period is listed but not graded.
| Airline | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA Airlines | 253 | 79.12% | 1.58% | 110 min | C |
| Republic Airways | 72 | 78.57% | 2.78% | 96 min | — |
| Allegiant Air | 12 | 45.45% | 8.33% | 130 min | — |
Month by month
Share of flights that arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, by month flown.
The return leg
DSM to PHL Des Moines back to Philadelphia 81.29% on time COther routes from Philadelphia
Common questions
Are flights from Philadelphia to Des Moines usually delayed?
77.88% of flights on the PHL to DSM route arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, so roughly 2 in every ten arrived late. That is about the same as the average route in this record.
Which airlines fly from Philadelphia to Des Moines?
Only PSA Airlines appears in the published record on this route, with 253 flights and 79.12% arriving on time.
How often are PHL to DSM flights cancelled?
2.08% of scheduled flights did not operate — about 21 in every thousand. That is in the normal range.
What is the best month to fly Philadelphia to Des Moines?
September, when 90% of flights arrived on time. The worst was July at 68.4%.
When PHL to DSM flights are late, how late are they?
About 109 minutes on average across the flights that arrived more than 15 minutes behind schedule.
What these figures do and do not tell you
Everything on this page is counted from the flights that actually operated on PHL to DSM during January 2025 – August 2026, as reported by the airlines to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics. "On time" is the federal definition: arriving at the gate within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.
A route's record is a description of the past, not a forecast. Weather, air traffic control and the aircraft's earlier flights that day drive most delays, and none of them are predictable from a historical rate. What the record does tell you is whether this route runs late more often than others, and which carrier on it has the better history — which is the part you can actually act on when you book.
Cancellations are counted separately from delays because they are a different problem for a traveller: a late flight still gets you there. How the grade is calculated →