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Route · JFK → MSY · 2020–2025 BTS data

New York to New Orleans

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), JFK to MSY (New York to New Orleans) ranks #1939 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

78.7%
On-time
-0.3 pts
vs US avg
78 min
Delay when late
6,445
Flights
#1939 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.1%

Best Month

Nov 2024 91%

Worst Month

Aug 2024 68%

Distance

1,182 mi

Carriers

10

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 105 31 8 0 DL,B6
Nov 2025 107 16 4 0 B6,DL
Oct 2025 117 15 2 0 B6,DL
Sep 2025 82 10 0 0 DL,B6
Aug 2025 93 11 4 0 B6,DL
Jul 2025 92 20 6 0 B6,DL
Jun 2025 93 20 2 1 B6,DL
May 2025 104 25 1 0 B6,DL
Apr 2025 90 12 0 0 DL,B6
Mar 2025 93 11 2 0 B6,DL
Feb 2025 91 29 0 0 B6,DL,YX
Jan 2025 87 17 6 0 B6,DL
Dec 2024 118 28 0 0 B6,DL
Nov 2024 116 10 0 0 B6,DL
Oct 2024 121 13 0 0 DL,B6
Sep 2024 106 18 2 0 B6,DL
Aug 2024 93 30 3 0 B6,DL
Jul 2024 93 27 4 0 B6,DL
Jun 2024 102 20 0 1 B6,DL
May 2024 124 35 1 0 B6,DL
Apr 2024 90 12 1 2 B6,DL
Mar 2024 93 14 0 0 B6,DL
Feb 2024 87 8 2 0 B6,DL
Jan 2024 89 27 1 0 B6,DL

JFK–MSY seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (85.2%) · weakest: July (65.3%)

60%65%70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 78.5%

Strongest calendar month

October

85.2% on-time · ~105 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

May

~116 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

65.3% on-time · ~94 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.1%

49 of 2,386 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

4 of 2,386 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

JFK - New York

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for New York, NY.

JFK 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 JFK and MSY side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare JFK vs MSY

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among JFK departures

From JFK, this corridor sits with 50 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 66 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (3 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 13 below 75%). Destination: New Orleans · fleet on-time rank #3606 of 4927.

What the Data Says About JFK to MSY

6,445 tracked flights put the JFK to MSY pairing (New York to New Orleans) at a 78.7% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 77.5 minutes on average. Across the 1,182-mile route and its 10 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 2.1% cancelled and 0.2% diverted (2,386 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Nov 2024 posted the strongest performance at 91% on-time, while Aug 2024 came in at just 68% - a 24-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, JFK–MSY peaks in October at 85.2% on-time while May carries the heaviest traffic (~116 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 65.3%, a 19.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does JFK to MSY rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, JFK to MSY ranks #1939 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 JFK to MSY? ▼
Flights from New York to New Orleans have a 78.7% on-time rate based on 6,445 flights. The average delay is 77.5 minutes. The best recent month was Nov 2024 with 91% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for JFK to MSY? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (49 of 2,386 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from JFK to MSY? ▼
The flight distance from New York (JFK) to New Orleans (MSY) is approximately 1,182 miles. This route is served by 10 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from JFK to MSY? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Nov 2024 (91% on-time). The worst was Aug 2024 (68% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

JFK Airport

New York
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 JFK–MSY data

JFK–MSY is mid-pack at 78.7% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare JFK and MSY airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. JFK airport
  • If your dates flex, October (85.2% on-time) beats July (65.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 78.7% 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.