PlainFlights

Route · DCA → MSY · 2020–2025 BTS data

Washington to New Orleans

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DCA to MSY (Washington to New Orleans) ranks #1251 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

79.9%
On-time
+0.9 pts
vs US avg
65 min
Delay when late
9,427
Flights
#1251 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.1%

Best Month

Oct 2024 90%

Worst Month

Jul 2024 62%

Distance

969 mi

Carriers

29

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 176 48 2 0 YX,OH,WN,AA
Nov 2025 169 47 3 0 OH,AA,WN,YX
Oct 2025 153 34 0 0 AA,OH,WN,YX
Sep 2025 142 28 0 0 OH,WN,YX,AA
Aug 2025 145 38 3 0 AA,WN,YX,OH
Jul 2025 150 45 11 1 AA,OH,WN,YX
Jun 2025 146 47 2 3 AA,OH,WN,YX
May 2025 154 39 0 0 AA,OH,WN
Apr 2025 154 36 0 0 OH,WN,YX,AA
Mar 2025 190 32 3 0 AA,OH,WN,YX
Feb 2025 172 58 11 0 AA,OH,WN,YX
Jan 2025 176 38 29 0 AA,OH,WN,YX
Dec 2024 148 41 0 0 AA,OH,WN,YX
Nov 2024 141 24 1 0 WN,YX,OH,AA
Oct 2024 155 15 0 0 MQ,WN,YX,AA,OH
Sep 2024 150 28 5 0 WN,YX,OH,MQ
Aug 2024 150 36 2 0 MQ,WN,YX,OH
Jul 2024 155 59 2 0 MQ,OH,WN,YX
Jun 2024 150 30 1 0 AA,MQ,OH,WN,YX
May 2024 155 31 0 0 AA,WN,YX
Apr 2024 150 32 0 1 AA,WN
Mar 2024 154 29 1 2 AA,MQ,OH,WN,YX
Feb 2024 139 17 0 0 AA,MQ,OH,WN,YX
Jan 2024 144 42 3 1 AA,WN,YX,OH

DCA–MSY seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (86.0%) · weakest: July (68.0%)

65%70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 78.2%

Strongest calendar month

October

86.0% on-time · ~144 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

January

~171 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

68.0% on-time · ~124 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.1%

79 of 3,718 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

8 of 3,718 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

MSY - New Orleans

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for New Orleans, LA.

MSY on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare DCA vs MSY

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: New Orleans · fleet on-time rank #3176 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DCA to MSY

9,427 tracked flights put the DCA to MSY pairing (Washington to New Orleans) at a 79.9% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 64.6 minutes on average. Across the 969-mile route and its 29 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 2.1% cancelled and 0.2% diverted (3,718 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 90% on-time, while Jul 2024 came in at just 62% - a 28-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DCA–MSY peaks in October at 86.0% on-time while January carries the heaviest traffic (~171 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 68.0%, a 18.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DCA to MSY rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DCA to MSY ranks #1251 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 MSY? ▼
Flights from Washington to New Orleans have a 79.9% on-time rate based on 9,427 flights. The average delay is 64.6 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 90% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DCA to MSY? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (79 of 3,718 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DCA to MSY? ▼
The flight distance from Washington (DCA) to New Orleans (MSY) is approximately 969 miles. This route is served by 29 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DCA to MSY? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (90% on-time). The worst was Jul 2024 (62% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DCA Airport

Washington
MSY Airport

New Orleans
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–MSY data

DCA–MSY is mid-pack at 79.9% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare DCA and MSY airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DCA airport
  • If your dates flex, October (86.0% on-time) beats July (68.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 79.9% 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.