Route Reliability

Route reliability

Washington (DCA) to Houston (IAH): which airline is most on time?

On-time arrivals, cancellations and long delays for every airline that reported nonstop flights from Washington, VA (DCA) to Houston, TX (IAH), September 2025 to August 2026.

Historical performance Official DOT data through August 2026 · Not live flight status

Washington, VAHouston, TX

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Three-letter airport codes, nonstop U.S. domestic flights. One direction at a time.

Route at a glance · September 2025 to August 2026

DCA to IAH

Washington, VA to Houston, TX

On time
78.1%vs 75.6% U.S. average Better than average
Cancelled
2.3%vs 1.9% U.S. average Worse than average
60+ min late
8.3%vs 8.1% U.S. average About average
Scheduled flights
3,333in 12 months3 airlines
Most reliable airline
United Airlines82.7% on time · 2,384 flights

On time more often than the U.S. average, with more cancellations.

Compared with all U.S. flights, September 2025 to August 2026. “About average” means within 1.5 points for on time, 0.3 for cancelled and 1 for 60+ minutes late.

Airlines on this route

Ranked by on-time arrival

Airlines from DCA to IAH, September 2025 to August 2026. Rates are shares of all scheduled flights.
Airline On time Cancelled 60+ min late Avg delay when late Diverted Flights
1. United Airlines Most reliable 82.7% 0.8% 7.4% 85 min 0.2% 2,384
2. Republic Airways Operating carrier; sold as American Eagle, Delta Connection, United Express 71.8% 5.1% 7.6% 56 min 0.0% 511
3. PSA Airlines Operating carrier; sold as American Eagle 60.0% 7.3% 14.2% 83 min 2.5% 438

On time = arrived within 15 minutes of schedule. Avg delay when late = average arrival delay of flights 15+ minutes late. "Most reliable" needs at least 300 flights in 12 months. Tap a heading to sort.

What this means

United Airlines has the strongest record on this route.

  • United Airlines had the best on-time record from Washington (DCA) to Houston (IAH): 82.7% of its 2,384 scheduled flights arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, compared with 60.0% for PSA Airlines.
  • 2.3% of flights on this route were cancelled (about 1 in 43), about the same as the U.S. average of 1.9%.
  • 8.3% of flights, about 1 in 12, arrived an hour or more late. When a flight was late (15+ minutes), the average arrival delay was 79 min.
  • Overall, 78.1% of flights on this route arrived on time, 2.5 points higher than the U.S. average of 75.6%.
  • Over the last 3 years, October was the most reliable month on this route (88.4% on time) and July the least reliable (66.1%).
  • Cancellations peaked in January, when 7.0% of flights were cancelled.
  • Flights scheduled to depart noon to 1 pm were the most punctual (88.8% on time); flights scheduled to depart 4 pm to 5 pm were the least (62.7%).
  • In the other direction, Houston (IAH) to Washington (DCA), 73.1% of flights were on time and 2.3% were cancelled. Compare airlines IAH to DCA.

Best and worst months to fly DCA to IAH

Jan 75.7%
Feb 87.2%
Mar 85.5%
Apr 84.1%
May 70.1%
Jun 68.6%
Jul 66.1%
Aug 76.9%
Sep 84.6%
Oct 88.4%
Nov 86.5%
Dec 83.8%
Share of scheduled flights on time 12-month average 78.1%
All airlines combined, by calendar month, September 2023 to August 2026 (3 years pooled). Scale starts at zero.
Show as table
PeriodOn timeFlights
January 75.7% 641
February 87.2% 627
March 85.5% 682
April 84.1% 660
May 70.1% 663
June 68.6% 633
July 66.1% 658
August 76.9% 640
September 84.6% 612
October 88.4% 654
November 86.5% 659
December 83.8% 635
Best and worst calendar month by airline, September 2023 to August 2026.
AirlineBest monthWorst month
United Airlines October (89.3%) July (68.5%)
Republic Airways October (81.7%) February (66.1%)

Month by month, last 12 months

Sep 86.0%
Oct 87.6%
Nov 78.9%
Dec 79.9%
Jan 78.7%
Feb 87.6%
Mar 79.6%
Apr 83.3%
May 70.1%
Jun 67.5%
Jul 67.6%
Aug 70.3%
Share of scheduled flights on time U.S. average 75.6%
All airlines combined, September 2025 to August 2026. Scale starts at zero.
Show as table
PeriodOn timeFlights
Sep 2025 86.0% 272
Oct 2025 87.6% 291
Nov 2025 78.9% 270
Dec 2025 79.9% 274
Jan 2026 78.7% 282
Feb 2026 87.6% 258
Mar 2026 79.6% 289
Apr 2026 83.3% 282
May 2026 70.1% 288
Jun 2026 67.5% 280
Jul 2026 67.6% 284
Aug 2026 70.3% 263

Best and worst departure times

6a 86.9%
7a Insufficient sample
8a 87.9%
9a Insufficient sample
10a 79.8%
11a 87.1%
12p 88.8%
1p 62.8%
2p 76.9%
3p Insufficient sample
4p 62.7%
7p 69.9%
8p 66.1%
Share of scheduled flights on time
By scheduled local departure hour at DCA, September 2025 to August 2026. Hours with no scheduled flights are omitted. Scale starts at zero.
Show as table
PeriodOn timeFlights
Departing 6 am to 7 am 86.9% 558
Departing 7 am to 8 am Insufficient sample 49
Departing 8 am to 9 am 87.9% 390
Departing 9 am to 10 am Insufficient sample 4
Departing 10 am to 11 am 79.8% 99
Departing 11 am to noon 87.1% 263
Departing noon to 1 pm 88.8% 366
Departing 1 pm to 2 pm 62.8% 269
Departing 2 pm to 3 pm 76.9% 346
Departing 3 pm to 4 pm Insufficient sample 16
Departing 4 pm to 5 pm 62.7% 338
Departing 7 pm to 8 pm 69.9% 508
Departing 8 pm to 9 pm 66.1% 127
Woman at an airport window watching a plane take off
Photo: Depositphotos (licensed stock, illustrative only). Credits

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
Nonstop scheduled flights from Washington, VA (DCA) to Houston, TX (IAH), one direction. Airlines that report to the DOT only.
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.

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