PlainFlights

Route · MSY → LAX · 2020–2025 BTS data

New Orleans to Los Angeles

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MSY to LAX (New Orleans to Los Angeles) ranks #1429 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.2%
On-time
+4.2 pts
vs US avg
74 min
Delay when late
8,483
Flights
#1429 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.1%

Best Month

Oct 2024 94%

Worst Month

Jul 2024 68%

Distance

1,670 mi

Carriers

12

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 145 31 1 0 DL,WN,NK
Nov 2025 141 22 1 0 DL,NK,WN
Oct 2025 175 34 0 2 DL,WN,NK
Sep 2025 121 17 0 0 WN,DL,NK
Aug 2025 118 14 0 1 WN,NK,DL
Jul 2025 145 29 0 0 NK,WN,DL
Jun 2025 142 38 1 0 WN,DL,NK
May 2025 150 44 0 0 DL,NK,WN
Apr 2025 164 28 0 0 DL,NK,WN
Mar 2025 180 30 2 1 DL,NK,WN
Feb 2025 163 37 0 0 AA,DL,UA,WN,NK
Jan 2025 133 23 13 0 DL,WN,NK
Dec 2024 144 23 1 0 DL,NK,WN
Nov 2024 135 14 0 0 NK,WN,DL
Oct 2024 147 9 0 0 WN,DL,NK
Sep 2024 128 25 3 0 WN,DL,NK
Aug 2024 131 16 1 0 DL,NK,WN
Jul 2024 138 44 11 0 DL,NK,WN
Jun 2024 141 29 1 1 DL,NK,WN
May 2024 152 29 0 0 DL,NK,WN
Apr 2024 137 22 0 0 DL,NK,WN
Mar 2024 141 27 2 2 DL,NK,WN
Feb 2024 124 24 0 1 DL,NK,WN
Jan 2024 128 23 0 0 DL,WN,NK

MSY–LAX seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (87.5%) · weakest: June (75.0%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 80.5%

Strongest calendar month

September

87.5% on-time · ~102 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~152 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

75.0% on-time · ~127 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.1%

37 of 3,423 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

8 of 3,423 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

LAX - Los Angeles

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Los Angeles, CA.

LAX on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare MSY vs LAX

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among MSY departures

From MSY, this corridor sits with 28 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 34 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (5 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Los Angeles · fleet on-time rank #1882 of 4927.

What the Data Says About MSY to LAX

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show New Orleans to Los Angeles (MSY to LAX) running a 83.2% on-time rate over 8,483 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 74.0 minutes. The 1,670-mile corridor is served by 12 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.1% of 3,423 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Jul 2024 came in at just 68% - a 26-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, MSY–LAX peaks in September at 87.5% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~152 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 75.0%, a 12.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does MSY to LAX rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, MSY to LAX ranks #1429 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 LAX? ▼
Flights from New Orleans to Los Angeles have a 83.2% on-time rate based on 8,483 flights. The average delay is 74.0 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for MSY to LAX? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (37 of 3,423 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from MSY to LAX? ▼
The flight distance from New Orleans (MSY) to Los Angeles (LAX) is approximately 1,670 miles. This route is served by 12 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from MSY to LAX? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (94% on-time). The worst was Jul 2024 (68% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

MSY Airport

New Orleans
LAX Airport

Los Angeles
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–LAX data

MSY–LAX runs 4.2 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 LAX airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MSY airport
  • If your dates flex, September (87.5% on-time) beats June (75.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.2% 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.