FlightRecord

Boston (BOS) to New Orleans (MSY): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on BOS–MSY. September 2025 flights landed on schedule 92% of the time, but December 2025 dropped to 60% — a gap of 32 points. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (81% vs 65%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
78%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
17 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.5%
Flights/day
2.4
last 12 months
Duration
3h 47m
scheduled
Distance
1,367 mi

Best airline from BOS to MSY

3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Delta Air Linesmost reliable81%14 min1.9%743
Spirit Airlines76%20 min1.7%175
JetBlue Airways76%18 min1.3%1,018

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for BOS to MSY flights50%75%100%June 2024: 88% on-time (72 flights)88Jun 2024July 2024: 80% on-time (62 flights)80August 2024: 80% on-time (62 flights)80September 2024: 75% on-time (60 flights)75Sep 2024October 2024: 77% on-time (86 flights)77November 2024: 91% on-time (108 flights)91December 2024: 70% on-time (117 flights)70Dec 2024January 2025: 77% on-time (82 flights)77February 2025: 60% on-time (100 flights)60March 2025: 89% on-time (122 flights)89Mar 2025April 2025: 83% on-time (112 flights)83May 2025: 76% on-time (98 flights)76June 2025: 76% on-time (66 flights)76Jun 2025July 2025: 69% on-time (62 flights)69August 2025: 72% on-time (54 flights)72September 2025: 92% on-time (60 flights)92Sep 2025October 2025: 84% on-time (97 flights)84November 2025: 81% on-time (80 flights)81December 2025: 60% on-time (74 flights)60Dec 2025January 2026: 62% on-time (64 flights)62February 2026: 71% on-time (70 flights)71March 2026: 78% on-time (79 flights)78Mar 2026April 2026: 85% on-time (78 flights)85May 2026: 81% on-time (77 flights)81

Best time to fly from BOS to MSY

Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (97% on-time); avoid 6 p.m. departures (49%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, BOS to MSY5 a.m.: 97% on-time (38 flights)56 a.m.: 90% on-time (133 flights)67 a.m.: 83% on-time (135 flights)78 a.m.: 86% on-time (189 flights)89 a.m.: 82% on-time (100 flights)910 a.m.: 78% on-time (106 flights)1011 a.m.: 78% on-time (741 flights)1112 p.m.: 75% on-time (76 flights)122 p.m.: 58% on-time (60 flights)143 p.m.: 63% on-time (131 flights)154 p.m.: 74% on-time (80 flights)165 p.m.: 75% on-time (26 flights)176 p.m.: 49% on-time (46 flights)187 p.m.: 76% on-time (53 flights)198 p.m.: 62% on-time (21 flights)20scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday73%24 min
Tuesdaybest85%9 min
Wednesday81%13 min
Thursday73%18 min
Friday78%21 min
Saturday83%13 min
Sunday75%18 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft38%
  • Airline operations33%
  • National airspace system27%
  • Weather3%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from BOS to MSY delayed?
22% of BOS–MSY flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-06 and 2026-05. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 17 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from BOS to MSY?
Delta Air Lines has the best on-time record on this route at 81%, based on 743 flights. 3 airlines flew BOS–MSY frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from BOS to MSY?
Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (97% on-time), while departures around 6 p.m. have the worst (49%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from BOS to MSY?
The scheduled BOS–MSY flight time averages 3h 47m over 1,367 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
How often are BOS to MSY flights cancelled?
1.5% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from BOS to MSY?
December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 60% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2025 at 92%. If your dates are flexible, that 32-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 1,942 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.