West Palm Beach/Palm Beach (PBI) to Washington (DCA): On-Time Performance
Data through May 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 72% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (84% vs 66%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 72%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 26 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.8%
- Flights/day
- 4.9
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 25m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 857 mi
Best airline from PBI to DCA
3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Airwaysmost reliable | 85% | 10 min | 2.9% | 139 |
| American Airlines | 73% | 28 min | 1.8% | 1,889 |
| JetBlue Airways | 68% | 26 min | 1.6% | 1,418 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from PBI to DCA
Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (95% on-time); avoid 3 p.m. departures (60%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 69% | 28 min |
| Tuesday | 78% | 16 min |
| Wednesday | 75% | 26 min |
| Thursday | 67% | 29 min |
| Friday | 64% | 33 min |
| Saturdaybest | 84% | 19 min |
| Sunday | 67% | 33 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 operations28%
- National airspace system19%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from PBI to DCA delayed?
- 28% of PBI–DCA 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 PBI to DCA?
- Republic Airways has the best on-time record on this route at 85%, based on 139 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 (95% on-time), while departures around 3 p.m. have the worst (60%). 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 25m over 857 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 28% of the time.
- How often are PBI to DCA flights cancelled?
- 1.8% 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 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 3,475 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.