Washington (IAD) to New Orleans (MSY): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly IAD to MSY matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 100% on-time in April 2026 to just 66% in July 2024. Across the full period the route averages 83% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (92% vs 77%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 83%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 14 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.3%
- Flights/day
- 1.7
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 49m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 955 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from IAD to MSY
Aim for departures around 9 a.m. (93% on-time); avoid 6 p.m. departures (70%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Mondaybest | 86% | 13 min |
| Tuesday | 86% | 12 min |
| Wednesday | 85% | 12 min |
| Thursday | 83% | 11 min |
| Friday | 82% | 14 min |
| Saturday | 84% | 14 min |
| Sunday | 78% | 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 aircraft44%
- Airline operations22%
- National airspace system20%
- Weather13%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from IAD to MSY delayed?
- 17% of IAD–MSY flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 14 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from IAD to MSY?
- Departures around 9 a.m. have the best record (93% on-time), while departures around 6 p.m. have the worst (70%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from IAD to MSY?
- The scheduled IAD–MSY flight time averages 2h 49m over 955 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 17% of the time.
- How often are IAD to MSY flights cancelled?
- 1.3% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from IAD to MSY?
- July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 66% of arrivals on time. The best was April 2026 at 100%. If your dates are flexible, that 34-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Related guides
Based on 1,343 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.