FlightRecord

Norfolk (ORF) to Philadelphia (PHL): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on ORF–PHL. September 2025 flights landed on schedule 89% of the time, but May 2025 dropped to 52% — a gap of 37 points. Across the full period the route averages 75% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (78% vs 69%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
75%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
26 min
completed flights
Cancelled
2.3%
Flights/day
2.3
last 12 months
Duration
1h 11m
scheduled
Distance
212 mi

Best airline from ORF to PHL

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

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
PSA Airlinesmost reliable76%26 min2.3%1,543
Republic Airways67%16 min2.3%132

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for ORF to PHL flights50%75%100%June 2024: 89% on-time (71 flights)89Jun 2024July 2024: 69% on-time (73 flights)69August 2024: 84% on-time (90 flights)84September 2024: 76% on-time (89 flights)76Sep 2024October 2024: 84% on-time (93 flights)84November 2024: 86% on-time (35 flights)86December 2024: 70% on-time (30 flights)70Dec 2024January 2025: 69% on-time (54 flights)69February 2025: 81% on-time (70 flights)81March 2025: 77% on-time (81 flights)77Mar 2025April 2025: 63% on-time (87 flights)63May 2025: 52% on-time (108 flights)52June 2025: 64% on-time (86 flights)64Jun 2025July 2025: 64% on-time (89 flights)64August 2025: 74% on-time (66 flights)74September 2025: 89% on-time (102 flights)89Sep 2025October 2025: 83% on-time (95 flights)83November 2025: 82% on-time (78 flights)82December 2025: 71% on-time (52 flights)71Dec 2025January 2026: 82% on-time (52 flights)82February 2026: 65% on-time (39 flights)65March 2026: 68% on-time (36 flights)68Mar 2026April 2026: 83% on-time (54 flights)83May 2026: 81% on-time (73 flights)81

Best time to fly from ORF to PHL

Aim for departures around 9 a.m. (91% on-time); avoid 4 p.m. departures (46%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, ORF to PHL6 a.m.: 83% on-time (382 flights)67 a.m.: 90% on-time (104 flights)78 a.m.: 73% on-time (647 flights)89 a.m.: 91% on-time (37 flights)910 a.m.: 76% on-time (85 flights)1011 a.m.: 66% on-time (33 flights)1112 p.m.: 89% on-time (99 flights)121 p.m.: 72% on-time (30 flights)133 p.m.: 77% on-time (48 flights)154 p.m.: 46% on-time (135 flights)165 p.m.: 69% on-time (70 flights)176 p.m.: 72% on-time (32 flights)18scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday65%42 min
Tuesday76%34 min
Wednesdaybest79%17 min
Thursday78%18 min
Friday77%18 min
Saturday75%20 min
Sunday78%29 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft36%
  • Airline operations47%
  • National airspace system16%
  • Weather1%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from ORF to PHL delayed?
25% of ORF–PHL 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 26 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from ORF to PHL?
PSA Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 76%, based on 1,543 flights. 2 airlines flew ORF–PHL frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from ORF to PHL?
Departures around 9 a.m. have the best record (91% on-time), while departures around 4 p.m. have the worst (46%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from ORF to PHL?
The scheduled ORF–PHL flight time averages 1h 11m over 212 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 25% of the time.
How often are ORF to PHL flights cancelled?
2.3% 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 ORF to PHL?
May 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 52% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2025 at 89%. If your dates are flexible, that 37-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 1,703 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.