PlainFlights

Route · MDW → MSY · 2020–2025 BTS data

Chicago to New Orleans

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MDW to MSY (Chicago to New Orleans) ranks #2118 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

79.5%
On-time
+0.5 pts
vs US avg
58 min
Delay when late
5,904
Flights
#2118 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.1%

Best Month

Oct 2024 97%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 57%

Distance

825 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 79 21 0 0 WN
Nov 2025 79 11 3 0 WN
Oct 2025 97 21 0 0 WN
Sep 2025 81 17 0 0 WN
Aug 2025 86 23 1 0 WN
Jul 2025 97 42 1 0 WN
Jun 2025 95 34 0 2 WN
May 2025 90 17 0 0 WN
Apr 2025 90 19 0 1 WN
Mar 2025 90 18 0 0 WN
Feb 2025 69 11 0 0 WN
Jan 2025 64 12 5 0 WN
Dec 2024 71 9 0 0 WN
Nov 2024 78 8 0 0 WN
Oct 2024 86 3 0 0 WN
Sep 2024 81 5 3 1 WN
Aug 2024 88 22 0 0 WN
Jul 2024 96 38 1 1 WN
Jun 2024 95 30 0 1 WN
May 2024 96 33 1 0 WN
Apr 2024 93 17 0 2 WN
Mar 2024 87 20 0 1 WN
Feb 2024 58 8 0 0 WN
Jan 2024 68 18 7 0 WN

MDW–MSY seasonal on-time pattern

Best: November (87.1%) · weakest: July (68.4%)

65%70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 81%

Strongest calendar month

November

87.1% on-time · ~80 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~100 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

68.4% on-time · ~100 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.1%

22 of 2,014 flights

Diversion Rate

0.4%

9 of 2,014 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among MDW departures

From MDW, this corridor sits with 51 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 69 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (0 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 18 below 75%). Destination: New Orleans · fleet on-time rank #3355 of 4927.

What the Data Says About MDW to MSY

5,904 tracked flights put the MDW to MSY pairing (Chicago to New Orleans) at a 79.5% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 57.7 minutes on average. Across the 825-mile route and its 1 carrier, the trailing 24 months show 1.1% cancelled and 0.4% diverted (2,014 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 97% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 57% - a 40-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, MDW–MSY peaks in November at 87.1% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~100 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 68.4%, a 18.7-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does MDW to MSY rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, MDW to MSY ranks #2118 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 MDW to MSY?
Flights from Chicago to New Orleans have a 79.5% on-time rate based on 5,904 flights. The average delay is 57.7 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 97% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for MDW to MSY?
Over the last 24 months, 1.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (22 of 2,014 flights) and 0.4% were diverted.
How far is the flight from MDW to MSY?
The flight distance from Chicago (MDW) to New Orleans (MSY) is approximately 825 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.
When is the best time to fly from MDW to MSY?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (97% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (57% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

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.

Using MDW–MSY data

MDW–MSY is mid-pack at 79.5% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare MDW and MSY airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MDW airport
  • If your dates flex, November (87.1% on-time) beats July (68.4%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 79.5% 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.