Is there a ground stop at DSM today?
Live FAA delay status for Des Moines International Airport (KDSM, Des Moines, IA): ground stops, ground delay programs and delays right now, what the FAA has listed for DSM recently, and how often flights here actually run late.
No: the FAA is not reporting a ground stop at DSM right now.
FAA NAS Status lists no ground stop, ground delay program, or delay event for Des Moines Intl. Checked Sep 22, 2026 · 2033Z (3:33 PM CDT); this page refreshes about every two minutes.
Recent FAA events at DSM
Ground stops and delay programs the FAA has listed for DSM in the last 90 days, from ATIS Alerts' own log of FAA NAS Status.
No ground stops, ground delay programs, or delay events recorded for DSM in this window. The log is complete from 2026-09-22; earlier entries come from the ATIS Alerts bot's event history and cover only the latest event of each type.
Durations are the time the FAA kept the event listed. Log complete from 2026-09-22; older rows are the last event of each type seen by the ATIS Alerts bot since 2026-07-22.
How often is DSM delayed?
Airline on-time performance at DSM, Jun 2025 to May 2026, from the US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
15,515 scheduled airline arrivals and 15,511 departures in the period. Best month: Sep 2025 (81.7% on time); worst: Dec 2025 (67.7%). 24% of arrival delay minutes were charged to weather or the National Airspace System, the categories a ground stop or ground delay program falls under.
On-time arrivals by month
Bar = share of arrivals within 15 minutes of schedule; largest month had 1,391 arrivals.
What caused the delays
- 44%Late-arriving aircraft
- 31%Airline (crew, maintenance, ground handling)
- 14%National Airspace System (ATC, volume, non-extreme weather)
- 11%Extreme weather
- 0%Security
Shares of delay minutes on arrivals 15+ minutes late, as reported by the carriers to the DOT.
Source: BTS Airline On-Time Performance (reporting carriers; regional, cargo, and general aviation flights are not included). Published about two months after each month ends.
Weather at KDSM right now
Weather drives most ground stops: thunderstorms, low ceilings, wind and snow.
METAR KDSM 221954Z 06008KT 1 1/2SM -DZ BR BKN005 OVC008 15/14 A3026 RMK AO2 SLP247 P0000 T01500139
What a ground stop at DSM means
When the FAA issues a ground stop for Des Moines Intl, aircraft headed there are held at their departure airports until it lifts; flights already airborne continue, hold, or divert. It is the FAA's most severe traffic-management step short of closing the airport, and it is usually issued in 30 to 90 minute increments that get extended while the cause persists, then often converted into a ground delay program as conditions improve.
Passengers:your aircraft is probably sitting at its origin; the airline's "delayed" status usually resolves in waves after the stop lifts. Pilots: a stop at DSM ripples into the satellite airports and the whole TRACON; check the national board for programs at your alternate.
Terminology: ground stops explained · GDPs and EDCTs explained
Active FAA events nearby
Other airports in Iowa with a delay event right now.
DSM ground stop FAQ
How do I know if DSM has a ground stop right now?
The banner at the top of this page reads the FAA's NAS Status feed about every two minutes. A red banner means the FAA currently lists a ground stop for Des Moines Intl; green means it does not. The official source is nasstatus.faa.gov.
How long do ground stops at DSM last?
We have not recorded enough ground stops here yet to give an airport-specific average. Nationally, most stops run 30 to 90 minutes per issuance, but a stalled line of storms can keep one extended for hours.
Does a ground stop mean my flight is cancelled?
No. It means departures to DSMare held, not cancelled. Airlines cancel on their own when the backlog cannot be recovered, so watch your carrier's updates alongside this page.
⚠️ Informational only. FAA NAS Status is the authoritative source for delay programs; your airline or dispatch governs your flight. ATIS Alerts is not affiliated with the FAA.