PlainFlights

Route · DCA → CAE · 2020–2025 BTS data

Washington to Columbia

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DCA to CAE (Washington to Columbia) ranks #2520 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

76.4%
On-time
-2.6 pts
vs US avg
70 min
Delay when late
4,903
Flights
#2520 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

4.9%

Best Month

Oct 2024 88%

Worst Month

Feb 2025 53%

Distance

408 mi

Carriers

7

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 85 38 2 0 OH
Nov 2025 84 28 4 0 OH
Oct 2025 115 27 0 0 OH,YX
Sep 2025 110 23 1 0 OH,YX
Aug 2025 87 24 3 0 YX,OH
Jul 2025 88 26 18 0 OH,YX
Jun 2025 86 28 16 2 OH,YX,MQ
May 2025 87 41 4 1 OH,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 86 22 3 0 OH,YX
Mar 2025 88 31 5 0 OH
Feb 2025 80 38 12 0 OH
Jan 2025 87 28 16 0 OH
Dec 2024 87 30 0 0 OH
Nov 2024 103 19 0 0 YX,OH
Oct 2024 88 11 0 0 OH
Sep 2024 86 17 1 0 OH
Aug 2024 87 30 3 0 MQ,OH,YX
Jul 2024 84 30 5 2 MQ,OH,YX
Jun 2024 80 17 2 0 MQ,OH
May 2024 85 30 2 0 OH
Apr 2024 82 18 0 0 OH
Mar 2024 82 12 0 0 OH
Feb 2024 79 13 1 0 OH,YX
Jan 2024 83 19 6 0 YX,OH

DCA–CAE seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (82.6%) · weakest: May (69.5%)

65%70%75%80%85% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 74.4%

Strongest calendar month

September

82.6% on-time · ~89 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

September

~89 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

May

69.5% on-time · ~74 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

4.9%

104 of 2,109 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

5 of 2,109 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

DCA - Washington

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Washington, DC.

DCA on-time profile

CAE - Columbia

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Columbia, SC.

CAE on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See DCA and CAE side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare DCA vs CAE

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among DCA departures

From DCA, this corridor sits with 77 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 91 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (4 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 10 below 75%). Destination: Columbia · fleet on-time rank #4222 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DCA to CAE

The Washington to Columbia corridor (DCA to CAE) posts a 76.4% on-time rate on the lower edge of the average band, based on 4,903 tracked flights. Late flights run 69.7 minutes behind on average. 7 carriers cover the 408-mile route; over the last 24 months, 104 of 2,109 flights were cancelled (4.9%) and 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 88% on-time, while Feb 2025 came in at just 53% - a 35-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DCA–CAE peaks in September at 82.6% on-time ; the softest month is May at 69.5%, a 13.1-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DCA to CAE rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DCA to CAE ranks #2520 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1). That ordinal matches our busiest-routes listing (total_flights DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement for the exact sort basis.
How often are flights delayed from DCA to CAE? ▼
Flights from Washington to Columbia have a 76.4% on-time rate based on 4,903 flights. The average delay is 69.7 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 88% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DCA to CAE? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 4.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (104 of 2,109 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DCA to CAE? ▼
The flight distance from Washington (DCA) to Columbia (CAE) is approximately 408 miles. This route is served by 7 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DCA to CAE? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (88% on-time). The worst was Feb 2025 (53% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DCA Airport

Washington
CAE Airport

Columbia
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 DCA–CAE data

DCA–CAE is mid-pack at 76.4% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare DCA and CAE airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DCA airport
  • If your dates flex, September (82.6% on-time) beats May (69.5%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 76.4% 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.

Data sourced from U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFlights

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.