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Route · MSY → ATL · 2020–2025 BTS data

New Orleans to Atlanta

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MSY to ATL (New Orleans to Atlanta) ranks #214 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.3%
On-time
+6.3 pts
vs US avg
72 min
Delay when late
24,869
Flights
#214 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.5%

Best Month

Sep 2025 94%

Worst Month

Jul 2024 71%

Distance

425 mi

Carriers

20

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 354 69 10 0 DL,WN,F9,NK,AA
Nov 2025 373 59 9 1 DL,F9,NK,WN
Oct 2025 393 60 0 2 DL,WN,F9,NK
Sep 2025 304 18 0 0 WN,DL,NK,F9
Aug 2025 333 57 4 3 WN,F9,NK,DL
Jul 2025 340 68 4 0 DL,NK,WN,F9
Jun 2025 345 98 8 2 DL,NK,WN,F9
May 2025 383 80 0 0 DL,NK,WN,F9
Apr 2025 370 62 4 1 DL,NK,WN
Mar 2025 421 90 0 0 DL,WN,NK
Feb 2025 386 90 1 0 DL,WN,NK
Jan 2025 357 45 48 0 DL,WN,NK
Dec 2024 389 76 0 0 DL,NK,WN
Nov 2024 409 71 0 0 NK,WN,DL
Oct 2024 414 54 1 0 WN,DL,NK
Sep 2024 328 47 8 0 WN,DL,F9,NK
Aug 2024 346 46 1 0 DL,F9,NK,WN
Jul 2024 373 110 24 4 DL,F9,NK,WN
Jun 2024 371 64 2 0 DL,F9,NK,WN
May 2024 389 100 5 0 DL,F9,NK,WN
Apr 2024 397 64 0 0 DL,F9,NK,WN
Mar 2024 413 77 1 0 DL,F9,NK,WN
Feb 2024 393 50 0 0 DL,F9,NK,WN
Jan 2024 382 64 1 1 DL,NK,WN

MSY–ATL seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (91.2%) · weakest: July (78.9%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 85.1%

Strongest calendar month

September

91.2% on-time · ~312 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~394 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

78.9% on-time · ~331 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.5%

131 of 8,963 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

14 of 8,963 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

MSY - New Orleans

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

MSY on-time profile

ATL - Atlanta

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Atlanta, GA.

ATL on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare MSY vs ATL

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among MSY's stronger departures

MSY → ATL posts a 85.3% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 5 of 34 BTS-tracked routes leaving New Orleans. The same hub also shows 28 mid-band and 1 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #1124 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About MSY to ATL

New Orleans to Atlanta (MSY to ATL) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.3% on-time rate across 24,869 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 72.4 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 425 miles and is served by 20 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 131 of 8,963 flights were cancelled (1.5%) and 14 diverted (0.2%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Sep 2025 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Jul 2024 came in at just 71% - a 24-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, MSY–ATL peaks in September at 91.2% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~394 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 78.9%, a 12.3-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does MSY to ATL rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, MSY to ATL ranks #214 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 MSY to ATL? ▼
Flights from New Orleans to Atlanta have a 85.3% on-time rate based on 24,869 flights. The average delay is 72.4 minutes. The best recent month was Sep 2025 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for MSY to ATL? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.5% of flights on this route were cancelled (131 of 8,963 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from MSY to ATL? ▼
The flight distance from New Orleans (MSY) to Atlanta (ATL) is approximately 425 miles. This route is served by 20 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from MSY to ATL? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Sep 2025 (94% on-time). The worst was Jul 2024 (71% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

MSY Airport

New Orleans
ATL Airport

Atlanta
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 MSY–ATL data

MSY–ATL runs 6.3 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare MSY and ATL airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MSY airport
  • If your dates flex, September (91.2% on-time) beats July (78.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85.3% 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.