PlainFlights

Route · RDU → PHL · 2020–2025 BTS data

Raleigh/Durham to Philadelphia

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), RDU to PHL (Raleigh/Durham to Philadelphia) ranks #946 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

78%
On-time
-1 pts
vs US avg
98 min
Delay when late
11,684
Flights
#946 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.3%

Best Month

Feb 2024 87%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 61%

Distance

337 mi

Carriers

32

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 197 69 7 0 YX,OH,F9,AA
Nov 2025 193 55 2 0 F9,OH,AA
Oct 2025 245 63 2 2 AA,OH,YX,F9
Sep 2025 207 45 1 0 F9,AA
Aug 2025 201 75 4 0 AA,F9
Jul 2025 219 85 19 0 AA,OH,F9
Jun 2025 211 74 2 2 AA,OH,F9
May 2025 232 77 4 0 AA,OH,F9
Apr 2025 219 60 1 0 F9,OH,AA
Mar 2025 196 47 2 1 AA,OH,F9
Feb 2025 165 43 9 0 AA,OH,F9
Jan 2025 171 37 6 0 AA,OH,YX,F9
Dec 2024 190 47 0 0 AA,F9,OH,YX
Nov 2024 207 38 0 0 YX,OH,F9,AA
Oct 2024 245 54 2 0 F9,AA,OH
Sep 2024 226 56 5 0 OH,AA,F9
Aug 2024 241 78 13 0 AA,F9
Jul 2024 220 74 11 0 AA,F9
Jun 2024 226 68 8 0 AA,F9,OH,YX
May 2024 208 46 4 0 AA,F9,OH,YX
Apr 2024 170 37 2 0 AA,F9,OH,YX
Mar 2024 190 43 1 0 AA,F9,OH,YX
Feb 2024 159 20 1 0 AA,F9,OH,YX
Jan 2024 166 26 7 0 AA,F9,YX

RDU–PHL seasonal on-time pattern

Best: March (83.1%) · weakest: July (69.4%)

65%70%75%80%85% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 77.9%

Strongest calendar month

March

83.1% on-time · ~162 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~192 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

69.4% on-time · ~184 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.3%

113 of 4,904 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

5 of 4,904 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

RDU - Raleigh/Durham

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Raleigh/Durham, NC.

RDU 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 RDU and PHL side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare RDU vs PHL

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among RDU departures

From RDU, this corridor sits with 25 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 35 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (9 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Philadelphia · fleet on-time rank #3849 of 4927.

What the Data Says About RDU to PHL

The Raleigh/Durham to Philadelphia corridor (RDU to PHL) posts a 78% on-time rate on the lower edge of the average band, based on 11,684 tracked flights. Late flights run 98.4 minutes behind on average. 32 carriers cover the 337-mile route; over the last 24 months, 113 of 4,904 flights were cancelled (2.3%) and 0.1% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 87% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 61% - a 26-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, RDU–PHL peaks in March at 83.1% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~192 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 69.4%, a 13.7-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does RDU to PHL rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, RDU to PHL ranks #946 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 RDU to PHL? ▼
Flights from Raleigh/Durham to Philadelphia have a 78% on-time rate based on 11,684 flights. The average delay is 98.4 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 87% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for RDU to PHL? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.3% of flights on this route were cancelled (113 of 4,904 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from RDU to PHL? ▼
The flight distance from Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Philadelphia (PHL) is approximately 337 miles. This route is served by 32 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from RDU to PHL? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (87% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (61% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

RDU Airport

Raleigh/Durham
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 RDU–PHL data

RDU–PHL is mid-pack at 78% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare RDU and PHL airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. RDU airport
  • If your dates flex, March (83.1% on-time) beats July (69.4%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 78% 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.