FlightRecord

Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Boston (BOS): On-Time Performance

Data through July 2026

Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Boston (BOS) effectively runs on two schedules. In November 2024, 90% of arrivals were on time; in September 2025 that fell to 66% — a 24-point seasonal swing. Across the full period the route averages 80% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (90% vs 71%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
80%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
17 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.9%
Flights/day
7.7
last 12 months
Duration
2h 3m
scheduled
Distance
612 mi

Best airline from RDU to BOS

4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Republic Airwaysmost reliable86%13 min3.5%230
Delta Air Lines81%19 min1.7%3,029
JetBlue Airways79%17 min2.1%2,532
Frontier Airlines79%12 min0.9%336

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for RDU to BOS flights50%75%100%August 2024: 75% on-time (305 flights)75Aug 2024September 2024: 78% on-time (287 flights)78October 2024: 86% on-time (294 flights)86November 2024: 90% on-time (258 flights)90Nov 2024December 2024: 82% on-time (263 flights)82January 2025: 83% on-time (217 flights)83February 2025: 83% on-time (198 flights)83Feb 2025March 2025: 89% on-time (243 flights)89April 2025: 87% on-time (242 flights)87May 2025: 76% on-time (257 flights)76May 2025June 2025: 76% on-time (238 flights)76July 2025: 71% on-time (230 flights)71August 2025: 86% on-time (230 flights)86Aug 2025September 2025: 66% on-time (256 flights)66October 2025: 72% on-time (291 flights)72November 2025: 83% on-time (249 flights)83Nov 2025December 2025: 76% on-time (249 flights)76January 2026: 83% on-time (171 flights)83February 2026: 84% on-time (167 flights)84Feb 2026March 2026: 84% on-time (225 flights)84April 2026: 83% on-time (245 flights)83May 2026: 83% on-time (260 flights)83May 2026June 2026: 81% on-time (242 flights)81July 2026: 75% on-time (242 flights)75

Best time to fly from RDU to BOS

Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (94% on-time); avoid 3 p.m. departures (62%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, RDU to BOS6 a.m.: 93% on-time (788 flights)67 a.m.: 94% on-time (500 flights)78 a.m.: 83% on-time (304 flights)89 a.m.: 91% on-time (878 flights)910 a.m.: 85% on-time (366 flights)1011 a.m.: 84% on-time (146 flights)1112 p.m.: 74% on-time (299 flights)121 p.m.: 76% on-time (550 flights)132 p.m.: 66% on-time (183 flights)143 p.m.: 62% on-time (110 flights)154 p.m.: 68% on-time (667 flights)165 p.m.: 73% on-time (212 flights)176 p.m.: 71% on-time (185 flights)187 p.m.: 75% on-time (415 flights)198 p.m.: 65% on-time (420 flights)209 p.m.: 74% on-time (93 flights)21scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday79%19 min
Tuesday83%15 min
Wednesday82%13 min
Thursday78%17 min
Friday78%19 min
Saturdaybest83%16 min
Sunday78%21 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft43%
  • Airline operations25%
  • National airspace system31%
  • Weather2%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from RDU to BOS delayed?
20% of RDU–BOS 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 17 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from RDU to BOS?
Republic Airways has the best on-time record on this route at 86%, based on 230 flights. 4 airlines flew RDU–BOS frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from RDU to BOS?
Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (94% on-time), while departures around 3 p.m. have the worst (62%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from RDU to BOS?
The scheduled RDU–BOS flight time averages 2h 3m over 612 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 20% of the time.
How often are RDU to BOS flights cancelled?
1.9% 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 RDU to BOS?
September 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 66% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2024 at 90%. If your dates are flexible, that 24-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 6,127 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.