Best Time to Fly DEN to MCI: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Denver International → Kansas City International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 76.7% of Denver (DEN) to Kansas City (MCI) flights arrived on time (4,321 scheduled flights). That is 0.9 points below the national average of 77.6%.
SkyWest Airlines was the most punctual of the 4 airlines on the route at 88.0%, while Southwest Airlines trailed at 72.4%.
November has been the best month (84% on time) and Friday the weakest day of the week (74%).
0.3% of flights were cancelled, versus 1.8% nationally.
DEN to MCI on-time performance by airline
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 completed flights are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On time | Avg delay when late | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlines | 88.0% | 60 min | 0.2% | 393 |
| Frontier Airlines | 83.8% | 71 min | 0.0% | 280 |
| United Airlines | 79.5% | 65 min | 0.3% | 1,296 |
| Southwest Airlines | 72.4% | 57 min | 0.4% | 2,352 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly DEN to MCI
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 8,481 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | 97.7% | 0.0% | 86 |
| 6am–7am | 97.2% | 0.3% | 364 |
| 7am–8am | 91.7% | 0.4% | 279 |
| 8am–9am | 93.1% | 0.8% | 719 |
| 9am–10am | 88.2% | 0.7% | 596 |
| 10am–11am | 85.3% | 0.1% | 850 |
| 11am–12pm | 84.8% | 0.4% | 260 |
| 12pm–1pm | 76.6% | 0.0% | 231 |
| 1pm–2pm | 80.6% | 0.7% | 1,064 |
| 2pm–3pm | 75.8% | 1.0% | 305 |
| 3pm–4pm | 68.7% | 1.1% | 368 |
| 4pm–5pm | 66.7% | 0.8% | 379 |
| 5pm–6pm | 64.8% | 0.4% | 931 |
| 6pm–7pm | 64.1% | 0.2% | 427 |
| 7pm–8pm | 53.9% | 0.4% | 256 |
| 8pm–9pm | 63.9% | 1.4% | 946 |
| 9pm–10pm | 67.6% | 0.3% | 368 |
| 10pm–11pm | 64.4% | 6.2% | 48 |
| 11pm–12am | Limited data | 4 | |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on DEN to MCI
On-time arrivals during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On time | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | 81.2% | +3.0 pts | 1.2% | 162 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 83.5% | +5.2 pts | 0.3% | 335 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 68.8% | -9.5 pts | 0.5% | 1,617 |
| All other days | 78.3% | — | 0.7% | 6,367 |
Monthly on-time trend
On-time arrival % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
What causes delays on this route
Share of reported delay minutes, last 12 months (BTS cause categories).