Philadelphia (PHL) to Raleigh/Durham (RDU): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on PHL–RDU. May 2026 flights landed on schedule 86% of the time, but July 2024 dropped to 60% — a gap of 26 points. Across the full period the route averages 74% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (82% vs 66%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 74%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 21 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.6%
- Flights/day
- 7.1
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 32m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 337 mi
Best airline from PHL to RDU
4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Airwaysmost reliable | 83% | 13 min | 2.7% | 259 |
| Frontier Airlines | 78% | 17 min | 2.3% | 1,275 |
| American Airlines | 73% | 23 min | 2.4% | 2,912 |
| PSA Airlines | 72% | 24 min | 4.0% | 897 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from PHL to RDU
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (92% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (60%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 72% | 28 min |
| Tuesday | 78% | 17 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 79% | 16 min |
| Thursday | 73% | 24 min |
| Friday | 72% | 21 min |
| Saturday | 75% | 18 min |
| Sunday | 73% | 22 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft54%
- Airline operations28%
- National airspace system14%
- Weather4%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from PHL to RDU delayed?
- 26% of PHL–RDU 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 21 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from PHL to RDU?
- Republic Airways has the best on-time record on this route at 83%, based on 259 flights. 4 airlines flew PHL–RDU frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from PHL to RDU?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (92% on-time), while departures around 8 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 PHL to RDU?
- The scheduled PHL–RDU flight time averages 1h 32m over 337 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 26% of the time.
- How often are PHL to RDU flights cancelled?
- 2.6% 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 PHL to RDU?
- July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 60% of arrivals on time. The best was May 2026 at 86%. If your dates are flexible, that 26-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 5,343 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.