Houston (IAH) to New Orleans (MSY): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly IAH to MSY matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 94% on-time in October 2024 to just 49% in July 2024. Across the full period the route averages 81% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (87% vs 77%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 81%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 14 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.4%
- Flights/day
- 8.0
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 15m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 305 mi
Best airline from IAH to MSY
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit Airlinesmost reliable | 82% | 16 min | 2.4% | 458 |
| United Airlines | 81% | 13 min | 1.3% | 5,661 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from IAH to MSY
Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (94% on-time); avoid 6 p.m. departures (72%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 82% | 12 min |
| Tuesday | 84% | 11 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 84% | 13 min |
| Thursday | 80% | 13 min |
| Friday | 78% | 17 min |
| Saturday | 82% | 14 min |
| Sunday | 79% | 15 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 operations35%
- National airspace system13%
- Weather8%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from IAH to MSY delayed?
- 19% of IAH–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.
- Which airline is most reliable from IAH to MSY?
- Spirit Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 82%, based on 458 flights. 2 airlines flew IAH–MSY frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from IAH to MSY?
- Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (94% on-time), while departures around 6 p.m. have the worst (72%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from IAH to MSY?
- The scheduled IAH–MSY flight time averages 1h 15m over 305 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 19% of the time.
- How often are IAH to MSY flights cancelled?
- 1.4% 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 IAH to MSY?
- July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 49% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 45-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Related guides
Based on 6,198 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.