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Route · MSY → PHL · 2020–2025 BTS data

New Orleans to Philadelphia

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MSY to PHL (New Orleans to Philadelphia) ranks #2292 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

80.2%
On-time
+1.2 pts
vs US avg
102 min
Delay when late
5,446
Flights
#2292 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.1%

Best Month

Feb 2024 87%

Worst Month

Feb 2025 58%

Distance

1,089 mi

Carriers

35

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 84 25 4 0 OH,F9,AA
Nov 2025 76 14 0 0 F9,AA
Oct 2025 97 22 1 0 AA,OH,F9
Sep 2025 88 13 0 0 OH,YX,F9,AA
Aug 2025 96 16 2 0 AA,YX,F9,OH
Jul 2025 86 22 5 1 AA,OH,YX,F9
Jun 2025 91 22 5 2 AA,OH,YX,F9
May 2025 130 29 3 0 AA,OH,F9
Apr 2025 126 25 0 0 F9,OH,AA
Mar 2025 79 12 0 0 AA,OH,YX,F9
Feb 2025 97 41 2 1 AA,OH,UA,WN,YX,DL,F9
Jan 2025 70 16 4 1 AA,OH,YX,F9
Dec 2024 78 11 0 0 AA,F9,OH,YX
Nov 2024 86 16 0 0 YX,F9,AA
Oct 2024 102 18 0 0 F9,AA,OH
Sep 2024 73 13 2 0 OH,F9
Aug 2024 73 17 6 0 AA,F9,OH
Jul 2024 89 36 0 1 AA,F9,OH
Jun 2024 87 17 4 0 AA,F9,OH,YX
May 2024 113 27 2 0 AA,F9,OH,YX
Apr 2024 112 20 1 0 AA,F9,OH,YX
Mar 2024 93 15 1 0 AA,F9,YX
Feb 2024 77 10 1 0 AA,F9,OH,YX
Jan 2024 70 26 2 0 AA,F9,YX,OH

MSY–PHL seasonal on-time pattern

Best: March (86.7%) · weakest: July (67.9%)

65%70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79.5%

Strongest calendar month

March

86.7% on-time · ~77 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

May

~99 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

67.9% on-time · ~82 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.1%

45 of 2,173 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

6 of 2,173 flights

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: Philadelphia · fleet on-time rank #3072 of 4927.

What the Data Says About MSY to PHL

5,446 tracked flights put the MSY to PHL pairing (New Orleans to Philadelphia) at a 80.2% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 102.0 minutes on average. Across the 1,089-mile route and its 35 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 2.1% cancelled and 0.3% diverted (2,173 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 87% on-time, while Feb 2025 came in at just 58% - a 29-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, MSY–PHL peaks in March at 86.7% on-time while May carries the heaviest traffic (~99 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 67.9%, a 18.8-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does MSY to PHL rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, MSY to PHL ranks #2292 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 PHL?
Flights from New Orleans to Philadelphia have a 80.2% on-time rate based on 5,446 flights. The average delay is 102.0 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 87% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for MSY to PHL?
Over the last 24 months, 2.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (45 of 2,173 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from MSY to PHL?
The flight distance from New Orleans (MSY) to Philadelphia (PHL) is approximately 1,089 miles. This route is served by 35 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from MSY to PHL?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (87% on-time). The worst was Feb 2025 (58% 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 MSY–PHL data

MSY–PHL is mid-pack at 80.2% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare MSY and PHL airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MSY airport
  • If your dates flex, March (86.7% on-time) beats July (67.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 80.2% 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.