Route · MSY → MDW · 2020–2025 BTS data
New Orleans to Chicago
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MSY to MDW (New Orleans to Chicago) ranks #2146 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 82.8%
- On-time
- +3.8 pts
- vs US avg
- 55 min
- Delay when late
- 5,821
- Flights
- #2146 of 4927
- Corpus placement
Cancelled
0.8%
Best Month
Nov 2024 94%
Worst Month
Jun 2025 72%
Distance
825 mi
Carriers
1
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 79 | 19 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Nov 2025 | 79 | 14 | 3 | 1 | WN |
| Oct 2025 | 97 | 14 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Sep 2025 | 81 | 11 | 0 | 1 | WN |
| Aug 2025 | 85 | 13 | 1 | 1 | WN |
| Jul 2025 | 97 | 21 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Jun 2025 | 95 | 27 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| May 2025 | 91 | 15 | 0 | 1 | WN |
| Apr 2025 | 89 | 12 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Mar 2025 | 90 | 15 | 1 | 1 | WN |
| Feb 2025 | 69 | 8 | 0 | 1 | WN |
| Jan 2025 | 64 | 8 | 5 | 0 | WN |
| Dec 2024 | 71 | 9 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Nov 2024 | 79 | 5 | 0 | 2 | WN |
| Oct 2024 | 86 | 12 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Sep 2024 | 82 | 8 | 2 | 0 | WN |
| Aug 2024 | 87 | 18 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Jul 2024 | 96 | 14 | 1 | 0 | WN |
| Jun 2024 | 95 | 17 | 1 | 0 | WN |
| May 2024 | 95 | 22 | 0 | 1 | WN |
| Apr 2024 | 93 | 15 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Mar 2024 | 87 | 18 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Feb 2024 | 58 | 10 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Jan 2024 | 68 | 15 | 3 | 1 | WN |
MSY–MDW seasonal on-time pattern
Best: November (88.4%) · weakest: July (76.6%)
Strongest calendar month
November
88.4% on-time · ~78 flights/mo
Busiest calendar month
July
~98 flights/mo avg
Weakest calendar month
July
76.6% on-time · ~98 flights/mo
Cancellation Rate
0.8%
17 of 2,013 flights
Diversion Rate
0.5%
10 of 2,013 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 profileMDW - Chicago
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Chicago, IL.
MDW on-time profileCompare the two airports
See MSY and MDW side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Compare MSY vs MDWOrigin-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: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #2040 of 4927.
Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to MSY–MDW.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
Routes of a similar trip length
What the Data Says About MSY to MDW
Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show New Orleans to Chicago (MSY to MDW) running a 82.8% on-time rate over 5,821 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 55.3 minutes. The 825-mile corridor is served by 1 carrier, and over the last 24 months 0.8% of 2,013 flights were cancelled, 0.5% diverted.
The monthly split is wide on this route: Nov 2024 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Jun 2025 came in at just 72% - a 22-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
On the multi-year calendar, MSY–MDW peaks in November at 88.4% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~98 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 76.6%, a 11.8-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does MSY to MDW rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
How often are flights delayed from MSY to MDW? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for MSY to MDW? ▼
How far is the flight from MSY to MDW? ▼
When is the best time to fly from MSY to MDW? ▼
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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Using MSY–MDW data
MSY–MDW runs 3.8 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 MDW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MSY airport
- If your dates flex, November (88.4% on-time) beats July (76.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
- 4 other routes post a similar 82.8% 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.
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.