New Orleans (MSY) to San Francisco (SFO): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on MSY–SFO. March 2026 flights landed on schedule 94% of the time, but May 2026 dropped to 44% — a gap of 50 points. Across the full period the route averages 79% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (86% vs 71%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 79%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 19 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.8%
- Flights/day
- 1.4
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 4h 50m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,911 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from MSY to SFO
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (92% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (66%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 77% | 20 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 84% | 10 min |
| Wednesday | 83% | 11 min |
| Thursday | 77% | 17 min |
| Friday | 80% | 29 min |
| Saturday | 83% | 18 min |
| Sunday | 71% | 24 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft33%
- Airline operations27%
- National airspace system38%
- Weather3%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from MSY to SFO delayed?
- 21% of MSY–SFO 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 19 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from MSY to SFO?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (92% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (66%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from MSY to SFO?
- The scheduled MSY–SFO flight time averages 4h 50m over 1,911 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 21% of the time.
- How often are MSY to SFO flights cancelled?
- 0.8% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from MSY to SFO?
- May 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 44% of arrivals on time. The best was March 2026 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 50-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,057 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.