New Orleans (MSY) to Baltimore (BWI): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly MSY to BWI matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 89% on-time in December 2024 to just 65% in June 2025. Across the full period the route averages 80% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (91% vs 63%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 80%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 12 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.5%
- Flights/day
- 3.2
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 29m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 998 mi
Best airline from MSY to BWI
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlinesmost reliable | 81% | 12 min | 1.5% | 2,123 |
| Spirit Airlines | 78% | 16 min | 1.7% | 402 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from MSY to BWI
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (95% on-time); avoid 6 p.m. departures (54%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 77% | 15 min |
| Tuesday | 85% | 10 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 86% | 7 min |
| Thursday | 78% | 14 min |
| Friday | 81% | 13 min |
| Saturday | 83% | 12 min |
| Sunday | 77% | 14 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft51%
- Airline operations24%
- National airspace system21%
- Weather3%
- Security1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from MSY to BWI delayed?
- 20% of MSY–BWI 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 12 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from MSY to BWI?
- Southwest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 81%, based on 2,123 flights. 2 airlines flew MSY–BWI frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from MSY to BWI?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (95% on-time), while departures around 6 p.m. have the worst (54%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from MSY to BWI?
- The scheduled MSY–BWI flight time averages 2h 29m over 998 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 20% of the time.
- How often are MSY to BWI flights cancelled?
- 1.5% 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 MSY to BWI?
- June 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 65% of arrivals on time. The best was December 2024 at 89%. If your dates are flexible, that 24-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 2,543 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.