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Route · ORF → PHL · 2020–2025 BTS data

Norfolk to Philadelphia

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ORF to PHL (Norfolk to Philadelphia) ranks #2358 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

81.7%
On-time
+2.7 pts
vs US avg
92 min
Delay when late
5,345
Flights
#2358 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.6%

Best Month

Feb 2024 98%

Worst Month

May 2025 54%

Distance

212 mi

Carriers

6

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 52 15 0 0 OH
Nov 2025 78 14 2 0 OH
Oct 2025 95 16 0 0 OH,YX
Sep 2025 102 11 0 0 OH
Aug 2025 66 17 0 0 YX,OH
Jul 2025 89 31 2 0 OH,YX
Jun 2025 86 30 3 0 OH,YX
May 2025 108 50 3 0 OH,YX
Apr 2025 87 31 0 1 OH
Mar 2025 81 18 3 0 OH
Feb 2025 70 12 6 0 OH,YX
Jan 2025 54 16 2 0 OH,YX
Dec 2024 30 9 0 0 OH,YX
Nov 2024 35 5 0 0 OH
Oct 2024 93 14 1 1 OH
Sep 2024 89 21 0 0 YX,OH
Aug 2024 90 14 1 0 F9,YX,OH
Jul 2024 73 22 3 0 F9,OH
Jun 2024 71 8 1 0 F9,OH,YX
May 2024 37 6 0 0 OH
Apr 2024 60 8 0 0 OH
Mar 2024 62 2 0 0 OH
Feb 2024 52 1 0 0 OH,YX
Jan 2024 51 7 1 0 YX,OH

ORF–PHL seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (86.7%) · weakest: July (74.6%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 81.5%

Strongest calendar month

September

86.7% on-time · ~88 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~91 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

74.6% on-time · ~79 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.6%

28 of 1,711 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

2 of 1,711 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

ORF - Norfolk

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Norfolk, VA.

ORF on-time profile

PHL - Philadelphia

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Philadelphia, PA.

PHL on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See ORF and PHL side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare ORF vs PHL

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among ORF departures

From ORF, this corridor sits with 14 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 20 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (5 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Philadelphia · fleet on-time rank #2482 of 4927.

What the Data Says About ORF to PHL

5,345 tracked flights put the ORF to PHL pairing (Norfolk to Philadelphia) at a 81.7% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 92.3 minutes on average. Across the 212-mile route and its 6 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.6% cancelled and 0.1% diverted (1,711 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 98% on-time, while May 2025 came in at just 54% - a 44-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ORF–PHL peaks in September at 86.7% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~91 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 74.6%, a 12.1-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ORF to PHL rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ORF to PHL ranks #2358 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 ORF to PHL? ▼
Flights from Norfolk to Philadelphia have a 81.7% on-time rate based on 5,345 flights. The average delay is 92.3 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 98% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ORF to PHL? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.6% of flights on this route were cancelled (28 of 1,711 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ORF to PHL? ▼
The flight distance from Norfolk (ORF) to Philadelphia (PHL) is approximately 212 miles. This route is served by 6 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from ORF to PHL? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (98% on-time). The worst was May 2025 (54% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

ORF Airport

Norfolk
PHL Airport

Philadelphia
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 ORF–PHL data

ORF–PHL is mid-pack at 81.7% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare ORF and PHL airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ORF airport
  • If your dates flex, September (86.7% on-time) beats July (74.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 81.7% 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.