Flights Buffalo → Detroit
BUF → DTW
How long is the flight from Buffalo to Detroit?
The flight from Buffalo (BUF) to Detroit (DTW) takes 41 min on average. That is the median time recorded across 1 scheduled flight on this leg; the actual time varies by a few minutes with wind, routing and take-off queues.
Route overview
The flight route from Buffalo to Detroit operates with an average on-time performance rate of 82%, experiencing a mean delay of 15.2 minutes per flight. Over the course of a year, this route sees approximately 343 flights using aircraft such as the McDonnell Douglas MD-88, Airbus A319, Airbus A320, and McDonnell Douglas MD-90, serving a destination airport that handles nearly 28 million passengers annually.
Your rights on this US flight (DOT)
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under the US DOT rules, if your flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Amenities for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
US flight refund rules & checker →General information, not legal advice.
The Buffalo (BUF) → Detroit (DTW) route is operated by Delta Air Lines. Across 912 flights monitored in recent months, 81% arrived on time (within 15 min of schedule), with an average delay of 15 minutes. The cancellation rate is 1.75%. FlightGuard's average computed risk is 21.2/100 (medium), updated in real time from weather, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel and flight history. At Detroit the average ATFM delay is 5.5 minutes (main cause: atfm). Departing from Buffalo the average ATFM delay is 5.5 minutes.
Heading to Detroit: what to expect in this direction
Flying from Buffalo (BUF) to Detroit (DTW) heads west for about 387 km, a flight time of roughly 41m.
Departures from Buffalo on this leg cluster in the morning window: about 38% of BUF-DTW flights take off then.
Air-traffic congestion: departing Buffalo the average ATFM delay is 5.5 min (atfm); arriving into Detroit it is 5.5 min (atfm).
Across 912 tracked BUF-DTW flights, 81% left on time with an average delay of 15 min and a 1.8% cancellation rate.
Route facts
Flights on this route
Check the risk of a specific flight.
Flexible on this trip? Compare flights
Airline punctuality on this route
| Airline | On-time | Average delay | Cancellations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines (DL) | 85% | 1 min | 0.8% |
Airlines operating BUF-DTW
Airports
Frequently asked questions about BUF-DTW
The flight from Buffalo (BUF) to Detroit (DTW) takes 41 min on average. That is the median time recorded across 1 scheduled flight on this leg; the actual time varies by a few minutes with wind, routing and take-off queues.
On the Buffalo (BUF) -> Detroit (DTW) route, on-time performance is 81% with an average delay of 15 minutes, based on 912 tracked flights.
The cancellation rate on Buffalo-Detroit is 1.75% across 912 monitored flights.
The route is operated by 1 airline: Delta Air Lines.
Enter your flight number on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis based on 9 factors: weather at Detroit, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel, airline punctuality and recent trends.
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under US DOT rules, if the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Meals or hotels for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
