New Orleans (MSY) to Tampa (TPA): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly MSY to TPA matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 89% on-time in November 2024 to just 67% in June 2025. Across the full period the route averages 79% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (95% vs 68%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 79%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 16 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.1%
- Flights/day
- 2.9
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 32m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 487 mi
Best airline from MSY to TPA
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlinesmost reliable | 79% | 14 min | 1.5% | 1,709 |
| Spirit Airlines | 77% | 20 min | 4.0% | 570 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from MSY to TPA
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (97% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (57%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 78% | 15 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 86% | 12 min |
| Wednesday | 85% | 11 min |
| Thursday | 76% | 16 min |
| Friday | 78% | 17 min |
| Saturday | 86% | 9 min |
| Sunday | 69% | 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 aircraft59%
- Airline operations25%
- National airspace system13%
- Weather3%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from MSY to TPA delayed?
- 21% of MSY–TPA 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 16 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from MSY to TPA?
- Southwest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 79%, based on 1,709 flights. 2 airlines flew MSY–TPA frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from MSY to TPA?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (97% on-time), while departures around 9 p.m. have the worst (57%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from MSY to TPA?
- The scheduled MSY–TPA flight time averages 1h 32m over 487 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 21% of the time.
- How often are MSY to TPA flights cancelled?
- 2.1% 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 TPA?
- June 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 67% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2024 at 89%. If your dates are flexible, that 23-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 2,282 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.