Route · CAE → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data
Columbia to Washington
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), CAE to DCA (Columbia to Washington) ranks #2511 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 77.8%
- On-time
- -1.2 pts
- vs US avg
- 84 min
- Delay when late
- 4,909
- Flights
- #2511 of 4927
- Corpus placement
Cancelled
4.9%
Best Month
Oct 2024 86%
Worst Month
Dec 2024 53%
Distance
408 mi
Carriers
8
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 85 | 30 | 1 | 0 | OH |
| Nov 2025 | 84 | 23 | 5 | 2 | OH |
| Oct 2025 | 116 | 32 | 0 | 0 | OH,YX |
| Sep 2025 | 110 | 18 | 2 | 2 | OH,YX |
| Aug 2025 | 87 | 22 | 2 | 0 | YX,OH |
| Jul 2025 | 88 | 23 | 19 | 1 | OH,YX |
| Jun 2025 | 85 | 20 | 15 | 0 | OH,YX,MQ |
| May 2025 | 88 | 19 | 6 | 0 | OH,YX,MQ |
| Apr 2025 | 86 | 25 | 3 | 0 | OH,YX |
| Mar 2025 | 88 | 23 | 5 | 0 | OH |
| Feb 2025 | 80 | 35 | 9 | 0 | OH |
| Jan 2025 | 88 | 27 | 13 | 1 | OH |
| Dec 2024 | 87 | 41 | 1 | 1 | OH |
| Nov 2024 | 104 | 34 | 0 | 0 | YX,OH |
| Oct 2024 | 88 | 12 | 0 | 0 | OH |
| Sep 2024 | 86 | 19 | 2 | 0 | OH,MQ |
| Aug 2024 | 87 | 25 | 7 | 1 | MQ,OH,YX |
| Jul 2024 | 84 | 24 | 5 | 2 | MQ,OH,YX |
| Jun 2024 | 80 | 16 | 1 | 1 | MQ,OH |
| May 2024 | 85 | 20 | 1 | 0 | OH |
| Apr 2024 | 82 | 17 | 0 | 0 | OH |
| Mar 2024 | 82 | 15 | 0 | 0 | OH |
| Feb 2024 | 79 | 14 | 0 | 0 | OH,YX |
| Jan 2024 | 82 | 19 | 7 | 0 | YX,OH |
CAE–DCA seasonal on-time pattern
Best: September (83.7%) · weakest: December (71.0%)
Strongest calendar month
September
83.7% on-time · ~89 flights/mo
Busiest calendar month
September
~89 flights/mo avg
Weakest calendar month
December
71.0% on-time · ~85 flights/mo
Cancellation Rate
4.9%
104 of 2,111 flights
Diversion Rate
0.5%
11 of 2,111 flights
Explore origin & destination
On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.
CAE - Columbia
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Columbia, SC.
CAE on-time profileDCA - Washington
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Washington, DC.
DCA on-time profileCompare the two airports
See CAE and DCA side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Compare CAE vs DCAOrigin-hub reliability standing
Mid-pack among CAE departures
From CAE, this corridor sits with 4 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 6 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (2 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 0 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #3883 of 4927.
Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to CAE–DCA.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About CAE to DCA
The Columbia to Washington corridor (CAE to DCA) posts a 77.8% on-time rate on the lower edge of the average band, based on 4,909 tracked flights. Late flights run 83.7 minutes behind on average. 8 carriers cover the 408-mile route; over the last 24 months, 104 of 2,111 flights were cancelled (4.9%) and 0.5% diverted.
The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 86% on-time, while Dec 2024 came in at just 53% - a 34-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
On the multi-year calendar, CAE–DCA peaks in September at 83.7% on-time ; the softest month is December at 71.0%, a 12.7-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does CAE to DCA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
How often are flights delayed from CAE to DCA? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for CAE to DCA? ▼
How far is the flight from CAE to DCA? ▼
When is the best time to fly from CAE to DCA? ▼
Airports on this route
Data source
Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Using CAE–DCA data
CAE–DCA is mid-pack at 77.8% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.
- Compare CAE and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. CAE airport
- If your dates flex, September (83.7% on-time) beats December (71.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
- 4 other routes post a similar 77.8% on-time rate; compare before you commit to this pairing. Similar routes
On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers on this origin–destination pair, not any single flight or booking recommendation.
Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates this specific route's on-time performance and monthly trend, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.