FlightRecord

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

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on MSY–EWR. May 2026 flights landed on schedule 96% of the time, but May 2025 dropped to 46% — a gap of 51 points. Across the full period the route averages 80% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (87% vs 69%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
80%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
20 min
completed flights
Cancelled
2.6%
Flights/day
3.3
last 12 months
Duration
2h 59m
scheduled
Distance
1,167 mi

Best airline from MSY to EWR

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

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Republic Airwaysmost reliable84%19 min4.2%264
United Airlines80%20 min2.2%2,098
Spirit Airlines77%20 min3.5%347

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for MSY to EWR flights50%75%100%June 2024: 86% on-time (107 flights)86Jun 2024July 2024: 66% on-time (110 flights)66August 2024: 73% on-time (119 flights)73September 2024: 88% on-time (125 flights)88Sep 2024October 2024: 92% on-time (155 flights)92November 2024: 76% on-time (142 flights)76December 2024: 86% on-time (139 flights)86Dec 2024January 2025: 87% on-time (124 flights)87February 2025: 76% on-time (134 flights)76March 2025: 76% on-time (136 flights)76Mar 2025April 2025: 67% on-time (117 flights)67May 2025: 46% on-time (96 flights)46June 2025: 75% on-time (85 flights)75Jun 2025July 2025: 62% on-time (65 flights)62August 2025: 66% on-time (68 flights)66September 2025: 85% on-time (74 flights)85Sep 2025October 2025: 71% on-time (115 flights)71November 2025: 71% on-time (115 flights)71December 2025: 87% on-time (120 flights)87Dec 2025January 2026: 93% on-time (109 flights)93February 2026: 95% on-time (107 flights)95March 2026: 84% on-time (124 flights)84Mar 2026April 2026: 95% on-time (119 flights)95May 2026: 96% on-time (111 flights)96

Best time to fly from MSY to EWR

Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (94% on-time); avoid 6 p.m. departures (56%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, MSY to EWR5 a.m.: 89% on-time (20 flights)56 a.m.: 91% on-time (681 flights)67 a.m.: 83% on-time (139 flights)78 a.m.: 94% on-time (35 flights)89 a.m.: 81% on-time (146 flights)910 a.m.: 88% on-time (306 flights)1011 a.m.: 78% on-time (194 flights)1112 p.m.: 77% on-time (249 flights)121 p.m.: 78% on-time (90 flights)134 p.m.: 32% on-time (28 flights)165 p.m.: 68% on-time (92 flights)176 p.m.: 56% on-time (340 flights)187 p.m.: 83% on-time (340 flights)198 p.m.: 70% on-time (50 flights)20scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday80%17 min
Tuesdaybest87%15 min
Wednesday84%14 min
Thursday74%24 min
Friday81%18 min
Saturday80%24 min
Sunday75%25 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft29%
  • Airline operations24%
  • National airspace system45%
  • Weather2%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from MSY to EWR delayed?
20% of MSY–EWR 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 20 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from MSY to EWR?
Republic Airways has the best on-time record on this route at 84%, based on 264 flights. 3 airlines flew MSY–EWR frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from MSY to EWR?
Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (94% on-time), while departures around 6 p.m. have the worst (56%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from MSY to EWR?
The scheduled MSY–EWR flight time averages 2h 59m over 1,167 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 20% of the time.
How often are MSY to EWR flights cancelled?
2.6% 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 MSY to EWR?
May 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 46% of arrivals on time. The best was May 2026 at 96%. If your dates are flexible, that 51-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.