Route Reliability

Route reliability

Washington (DCA) to New York (LGA): 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 New York, NY (LGA), September 2025 to August 2026.

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

Washington, VANew York, NY

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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 LGA

Washington, VA to New York, NY

On time
61.3%vs 75.6% U.S. average Worse than average
Cancelled
6.4%vs 1.9% U.S. average Worse than average
60+ min late
13.6%vs 8.1% U.S. average Worse than average
Scheduled flights
4,843in 12 months3 airlines
Most reliable airline
Delta Air Lines86.2% on time · 116 flights

On time less 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 LGA, 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. Delta Air Lines Most reliable 86.2% 3.4% 5.2% 130 min 0.0% 116
2. Republic Airways Operating carrier; sold as American Eagle, Delta Connection, United Express 60.7% 6.5% 13.8% 78 min 0.1% 4,703
American Airlines Insufficient sample (fewer than 50 flights) 24

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

Delta Air Lines has the strongest record on this route.

  • Delta Air Lines had the best on-time record from Washington (DCA) to New York (LGA): 86.2% of its 116 scheduled flights arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, compared with 60.7% for Republic Airways.
  • American Airlines also flew this route but with fewer than 50 reported flights, too few to rate.
  • 6.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (about 1 in 16), 4.5 points higher than the U.S. average of 1.9%.
  • 13.6% of flights, about 1 in 7, arrived an hour or more late. When a flight was late (15+ minutes), the average arrival delay was 78 min.
  • Overall, 61.3% of flights on this route arrived on time, 14.3 points lower than the U.S. average of 75.6%.
  • Over the last 3 years, October was the most reliable month on this route (80.5% on time) and July the least reliable (59.9%).
  • Cancellations peaked in July, when 12.0% of flights were cancelled.
  • Flights scheduled to depart 7 am to 8 am were the most punctual (82.4% on time); flights scheduled to depart 7 pm to 8 pm were the least (40.7%).
  • In the other direction, New York (LGA) to Washington (DCA), 61.7% of flights were on time and 5.8% were cancelled. Compare airlines LGA to DCA.

Best and worst months to fly DCA to LGA

Jan 72.5%
Feb 66.6%
Mar 67.6%
Apr 71.3%
May 65.7%
Jun 67.7%
Jul 59.9%
Aug 69.0%
Sep 79.0%
Oct 80.5%
Nov 73.8%
Dec 68.6%
Share of scheduled flights on time 12-month average 61.3%
All airlines combined, by calendar month, September 2023 to August 2026 (3 years pooled). Scale starts at zero.
Show as table
PeriodOn timeFlights
January 72.5% 1,125
February 66.6% 1,116
March 67.6% 1,209
April 71.3% 1,171
May 65.7% 1,185
June 67.7% 1,158
July 59.9% 1,207
August 69.0% 1,188
September 79.0% 1,148
October 80.5% 1,195
November 73.8% 1,142
December 68.6% 985

Month by month, last 12 months

Sep 76.6%
Oct 63.8%
Nov 54.3%
Dec 55.0%
Jan 71.0%
Feb 54.6%
Mar 47.2%
Apr 64.2%
May 65.9%
Jun 68.0%
Jul 52.2%
Aug 62.8%
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 76.6% 385
Oct 2025 63.8% 398
Nov 2025 54.3% 394
Dec 2025 55.0% 342
Jan 2026 71.0% 404
Feb 2026 54.6% 390
Mar 2026 47.2% 436
Apr 2026 64.2% 422
May 2026 65.9% 425
Jun 2026 68.0% 412
Jul 2026 52.2% 418
Aug 2026 62.8% 417

Best and worst departure times

<6a Insufficient sample
6a 82.2%
7a 82.4%
8a 75.1%
9a 81.3%
10a 74.9%
11a 77.2%
12p 58.1%
1p 55.7%
2p 55.4%
3p Insufficient sample
4p Insufficient sample
5p 44.7%
6p 41.5%
7p 40.7%
8p 48.0%
9p Insufficient sample
10p 58.5%
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 before 6 am Insufficient sample 6
Departing 6 am to 7 am 82.2% 490
Departing 7 am to 8 am 82.4% 131
Departing 8 am to 9 am 75.1% 519
Departing 9 am to 10 am 81.3% 91
Departing 10 am to 11 am 74.9% 259
Departing 11 am to noon 77.2% 447
Departing noon to 1 pm 58.1% 186
Departing 1 pm to 2 pm 55.7% 470
Departing 2 pm to 3 pm 55.4% 354
Departing 3 pm to 4 pm Insufficient sample 39
Departing 4 pm to 5 pm Insufficient sample 5
Departing 5 pm to 6 pm 44.7% 577
Departing 6 pm to 7 pm 41.5% 195
Departing 7 pm to 8 pm 40.7% 472
Departing 8 pm to 9 pm 48.0% 300
Departing 9 pm to 10 pm Insufficient sample 8
Departing 10 pm to 11 pm 58.5% 294
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 New York, NY (LGA), 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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