New Orleans (MSY) to Philadelphia (PHL): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly MSY to PHL matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 88% on-time in April 2026 to just 56% in February 2025. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (84% vs 65%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 78%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 26 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.6%
- Flights/day
- 3.1
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 50m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,089 mi
Best airline from MSY to PHL
4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Airwaysmost reliable | 90% | 9 min | 2.4% | 84 |
| PSA Airlines | 80% | 23 min | 3.8% | 662 |
| American Airlines | 79% | 26 min | 1.6% | 1,178 |
| Frontier Airlines | 67% | 34 min | 3.5% | 373 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from MSY to PHL
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (90% on-time); avoid 3 p.m. departures (55%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 74% | 27 min |
| Tuesday | 80% | 25 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 87% | 31 min |
| Thursday | 77% | 31 min |
| Friday | 75% | 21 min |
| Saturday | 81% | 24 min |
| Sunday | 74% | 22 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft49%
- Airline operations38%
- National airspace system9%
- Weather5%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from MSY to PHL delayed?
- 22% of MSY–PHL 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 26 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from MSY to PHL?
- Republic Airways has the best on-time record on this route at 90%, based on 84 flights. 4 airlines flew MSY–PHL frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from MSY to PHL?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (90% on-time), while departures around 3 p.m. have the worst (55%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from MSY to PHL?
- The scheduled MSY–PHL flight time averages 2h 50m over 1,089 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
- How often are MSY to PHL flights cancelled?
- 2.6% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from MSY to PHL?
- February 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 56% of arrivals on time. The best was April 2026 at 88%. If your dates are flexible, that 32-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 2,311 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.