FlightRecord

Newark (EWR) to New Orleans (MSY): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

When you fly EWR to MSY matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 91% on-time in October 2024 to just 57% in May 2025. Across the full period the route averages 79% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (86% vs 68%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
79%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
17 min
completed flights
Cancelled
2.4%
Flights/day
3.3
last 12 months
Duration
3h 21m
scheduled
Distance
1,167 mi

Best airline from EWR to MSY

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

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Republic Airwaysmost reliable88%7 min3.8%264
United Airlines80%16 min1.9%2,098
Spirit Airlines70%28 min4.6%347

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for EWR to MSY flights50%75%100%June 2024: 84% on-time (107 flights)84Jun 2024July 2024: 78% on-time (110 flights)78August 2024: 74% on-time (119 flights)74September 2024: 90% on-time (125 flights)90Sep 2024October 2024: 91% on-time (155 flights)91November 2024: 76% on-time (141 flights)76December 2024: 76% on-time (139 flights)76Dec 2024January 2025: 80% on-time (125 flights)80February 2025: 79% on-time (134 flights)79March 2025: 87% on-time (137 flights)87Mar 2025April 2025: 75% on-time (117 flights)75May 2025: 57% on-time (96 flights)57June 2025: 72% on-time (85 flights)72Jun 2025July 2025: 73% on-time (65 flights)73August 2025: 75% on-time (68 flights)75September 2025: 81% on-time (74 flights)81Sep 2025October 2025: 67% on-time (115 flights)67November 2025: 74% on-time (115 flights)74December 2025: 69% on-time (119 flights)69Dec 2025January 2026: 88% on-time (109 flights)88February 2026: 83% on-time (107 flights)83March 2026: 80% on-time (124 flights)80Mar 2026April 2026: 90% on-time (119 flights)90May 2026: 86% on-time (111 flights)86

Best time to fly from EWR to MSY

Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (94% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (59%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, EWR to MSY5 a.m.: 91% on-time (22 flights)56 a.m.: 94% on-time (70 flights)67 a.m.: 86% on-time (271 flights)78 a.m.: 87% on-time (49 flights)89 a.m.: 85% on-time (180 flights)910 a.m.: 74% on-time (65 flights)1011 a.m.: 88% on-time (122 flights)1112 p.m.: 83% on-time (411 flights)121 p.m.: 83% on-time (205 flights)132 p.m.: 79% on-time (146 flights)143 p.m.: 77% on-time (139 flights)154 p.m.: 78% on-time (423 flights)165 p.m.: 64% on-time (34 flights)176 p.m.: 59% on-time (59 flights)188 p.m.: 59% on-time (61 flights)209 p.m.: 73% on-time (347 flights)2110 p.m.: 61% on-time (96 flights)22scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday79%15 min
Tuesdaybest87%8 min
Wednesday84%13 min
Thursday71%25 min
Friday78%16 min
Saturday82%15 min
Sunday74%23 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft43%
  • Airline operations25%
  • National airspace system29%
  • Weather4%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from EWR to MSY delayed?
21% of EWR–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 EWR to MSY?
Republic Airways has the best on-time record on this route at 88%, based on 264 flights. 3 airlines flew EWR–MSY frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from EWR to MSY?
Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (94% on-time), while departures around 8 p.m. have the worst (59%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from EWR to MSY?
The scheduled EWR–MSY flight time averages 3h 21m over 1,167 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 21% of the time.
How often are EWR to MSY flights cancelled?
2.4% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from EWR to MSY?
May 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 57% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 91%. If your dates are flexible, that 34-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 2,716 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.