Airport reliability
Washington (DCA) on-time performance
How reliably flights leave Washington, VA (DCA) and reach their destinations, by airline, departure hour and month, September 2025 to August 2026.
Washington, VA142,229 departures in 12 months
- Departures on time
- 69.1% U.S. average 75.6%
- Cancelled
- 4.0% U.S. average 1.9%
- 60+ minutes late
- 10.9% U.S. average 8.1%
- Scheduled departures
- 142,229 12 months
What this means
DCA departures ran below the U.S. average.
- 69.1% of the 142,229 scheduled departures from Washington (DCA) arrived at their destination on time, 6.5 points lower than the U.S. average of 75.6%.
- 4.0% of departures were cancelled (U.S. average 1.9%), and 10.9% arrived an hour or more late.
- Flights arriving at DCA were on time 67.9% of the time.
- Among airlines with at least 300 departures, Frontier Airlines was the most punctual from DCA (77.1%) and PSA Airlines the least (61.5%).
- Over the last 3 years, October was the most reliable month for departures from DCA (83.6% on time) and July the least reliable (61.7%).
- Cancellations peaked in January, when 8.2% of flights were cancelled.
- Flights scheduled to depart before 6 am were the most punctual (89.5% on time); flights scheduled to depart 10 pm to 11 pm were the least (54.6%).
Airlines at DCA
Ranked by on-time arrival
| Airline | On time | Cancelled | 60+ min late | Avg delay when late | Departures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Airlines | 77.1% | 1.0% | 7.1% | 81 min | 983 |
| United Airlines | 76.0% | 1.6% | 9.2% | 84 min | 6,887 |
| Delta Air Lines | 75.8% | 2.5% | 8.8% | 88 min | 9,579 |
| Envoy AirSold as American Eagle | 74.3% | 3.2% | 8.3% | 69 min | 4,875 |
| American Airlines | 72.5% | 2.6% | 10.1% | 84 min | 27,638 |
| Republic AirwaysSold as American Eagle, Delta Connection, United Express | 71.5% | 4.5% | 9.1% | 69 min | 27,158 |
| Southwest Airlines | 70.9% | 2.2% | 8.9% | 63 min | 16,026 |
| Alaska Airlines | 70.6% | 1.0% | 8.3% | 56 min | 2,182 |
| JetBlue Airways | 64.6% | 4.1% | 14.6% | 83 min | 6,726 |
| PSA AirlinesSold as American Eagle | 61.5% | 6.4% | 14.1% | 82 min | 40,071 |
| SkyWest AirlinesSold as United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle, Alaska | 55.8% | 6.7% | 24.0% | 93 min | 104 |
Tap a heading to sort.
On-time rate by departure hour
Share of scheduled flights on time DCA average 69.1%
Show as table
| Period | On time | Flights |
|---|---|---|
| Departing before 6 am | 89.5% | 1,054 |
| Departing 6 am to 7 am | 87.5% | 11,128 |
| Departing 7 am to 8 am | 84.6% | 7,460 |
| Departing 8 am to 9 am | 78.3% | 13,609 |
| Departing 9 am to 10 am | 75.9% | 6,058 |
| Departing 10 am to 11 am | 78.5% | 9,964 |
| Departing 11 am to noon | 75.9% | 8,494 |
| Departing noon to 1 pm | 73.4% | 7,108 |
| Departing 1 pm to 2 pm | 67.3% | 9,456 |
| Departing 2 pm to 3 pm | 64.4% | 8,769 |
| Departing 3 pm to 4 pm | 61.7% | 9,311 |
| Departing 4 pm to 5 pm | 59.6% | 6,840 |
| Departing 5 pm to 6 pm | 56.4% | 11,641 |
| Departing 6 pm to 7 pm | 56.4% | 6,681 |
| Departing 7 pm to 8 pm | 59.3% | 8,833 |
| Departing 8 pm to 9 pm | 59.2% | 7,197 |
| Departing 9 pm to 10 pm | 62.5% | 1,847 |
| Departing 10 pm to 11 pm | 54.6% | 6,770 |
| Departing 11 pm to midnight | Insufficient sample | 9 |
Best and worst months at DCA
Share of scheduled flights on time 12-month average 69.1%
Show as table
| Period | On time | Flights |
|---|---|---|
| January | 69.8% | 35,078 |
| February | 71.9% | 33,275 |
| March | 74.8% | 36,510 |
| April | 77.5% | 35,382 |
| May | 71.4% | 36,375 |
| June | 68.9% | 35,300 |
| July | 61.7% | 36,255 |
| August | 69.3% | 36,126 |
| September | 80.6% | 34,881 |
| October | 83.6% | 36,418 |
| November | 81.6% | 34,484 |
| December | 75.2% | 33,668 |
Month by month, last 12 months
Share of scheduled flights on time U.S. average 75.6%
Show as table
| Period | On time | Flights |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 77.1% | 11,822 |
| Oct 2025 | 76.4% | 12,273 |
| Nov 2025 | 70.3% | 11,586 |
| Dec 2025 | 65.2% | 11,308 |
| Jan 2026 | 67.8% | 11,858 |
| Feb 2026 | 67.9% | 10,996 |
| Mar 2026 | 66.5% | 12,204 |
| Apr 2026 | 76.1% | 11,802 |
| May 2026 | 73.5% | 12,158 |
| Jun 2026 | 67.7% | 11,953 |
| Jul 2026 | 57.8% | 12,115 |
| Aug 2026 | 62.6% | 12,154 |
Busiest routes from DCA
| To | On time | Cancelled | Airlines | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston (BOS) | 67.0% | 4.3% | 5 | 9,104 |
| Chicago (ORD) | 70.9% | 3.6% | 5 | 7,112 |
| Atlanta (ATL) | 74.1% | 3.6% | 6 | 6,799 |
| New York (LGA) | 61.3% | 6.4% | 3 | 4,843 |
| Orlando (MCO) | 72.9% | 2.6% | 5 | 4,593 |
| Nashville (BNA) | 73.2% | 3.1% | 5 | 4,384 |
| Miami (MIA) | 74.9% | 2.1% | 4 | 3,954 |
| Houston (IAH) | 78.1% | 2.3% | 3 | 3,333 |
| Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) | 75.9% | 2.8% | 1 | 3,304 |
| Detroit (DTW) | 72.2% | 4.0% | 5 | 2,972 |
| Charlotte (CLT) | 76.1% | 2.9% | 2 | 2,677 |
| Minneapolis (MSP) | 73.0% | 3.2% | 5 | 2,632 |
| New York (JFK) | 72.3% | 6.0% | 2 | 2,486 |
| Providence (PVD) | 68.7% | 5.3% | 5 | 2,426 |
| St. Louis (STL) | 69.6% | 3.1% | 5 | 2,415 |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | 65.6% | 2.8% | 3 | 2,320 |
| Tampa (TPA) | 71.8% | 2.6% | 3 | 2,248 |
| Chicago (MDW) | 72.9% | 2.8% | 1 | 2,099 |
| Columbus (CMH) | 74.5% | 3.9% | 4 | 2,051 |
| Indianapolis (IND) | 74.0% | 3.8% | 4 | 2,022 |
Sources & data dates
- Source
- U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Reporting Carrier On-Time Performance (1987-present)
- Period
- September 2025 to August 2026 (12 months); month-of-year patterns September 2023 to August 2026
- Data through
- August 2026
- Processed
- 2026-11-03
- Scope
- Scheduled nonstop domestic departures from Washington, VA (DCA) by airlines that report to the DOT.
- Method
- Rates use all scheduled flights as the denominator; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Figures based on fewer than 50 scheduled flights are suppressed. Full methodology.