West Palm Beach/Palm Beach (PBI) to Washington (DCA): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly PBI to DCA matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 89% on-time in October 2024 to just 58% in July 2025. Across the full period the route averages 71% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (83% vs 66%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 71%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 26 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.0%
- Flights/day
- 4.9
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 26m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 857 mi
Best airline from PBI to DCA
3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Airwaysmost reliable | 82% | 11 min | 2.6% | 196 |
| American Airlines | 72% | 28 min | 1.9% | 1,889 |
| JetBlue Airways | 69% | 26 min | 2.0% | 1,486 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from PBI to DCA
Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (92% on-time); avoid 3 p.m. departures (59%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 69% | 27 min |
| Tuesday | 78% | 16 min |
| Wednesday | 75% | 26 min |
| Thursday | 66% | 29 min |
| Friday | 64% | 34 min |
| Saturdaybest | 83% | 20 min |
| Sunday | 67% | 30 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft51%
- Airline operations26%
- National airspace system21%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from PBI to DCA delayed?
- 29% of PBI–DCA 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 PBI to DCA?
- Republic Airways has the best on-time record on this route at 82%, based on 196 flights. 3 airlines flew PBI–DCA frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from PBI to DCA?
- Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (92% on-time), while departures around 3 p.m. have the worst (59%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from PBI to DCA?
- The scheduled PBI–DCA flight time averages 2h 26m over 857 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 29% of the time.
- How often are PBI to DCA flights cancelled?
- 2% 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 PBI to DCA?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 58% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 89%. If your dates are flexible, that 30-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 3,604 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.