BHM to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 653 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at BHM or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Birmingham (BHM) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 76% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 4.7% were cancelled, and 11% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways was the most punctual airline here (85% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (75%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (90% on time); around 5pm did worst (61%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (83% on time) and Thursday the least (67%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (40%).
Which airline is most on time from BHM to DCA?
Ranked by on-time arrival rate. Regional airlines fly under their partner's brand (e.g. SkyWest for Delta Connection or United Express).
| Airline | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | 1 hr+ late | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 85% | 2.3% | 9 min | 2.3% | 88 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 75% | 4.9% | 32 min | 11.4% | 955 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am88%65 flights
- 6am90%291 flights
- 10am75%333 flights
- 11am56%29 flights
- 4pm63%38 flights
- 5pm61%228 flights
- 6pm65%54 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday82%5.8% cancelled
- Tuesday78%5.8% cancelled
- Wednesday79%3.3% cancelled
- Thursday67%2.6% cancelled
- Friday71%6.4% cancelled
- Saturday83%3.4% cancelled
- Sunday72%5.1% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft40%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)35%
- Extreme weather13%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion13%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather71%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion20%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)8%
- Security0%
BHM to DCA: common questions
- How often are BHM to DCA flights on time?
- 76% of flights arrived less than 15 minutes late in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, compared with 78% for all US flights.
- How often are flights from Birmingham to Washington cancelled?
- 4.7% of scheduled flights were cancelled (49 of 1,043).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 30 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 122 min behind schedule on average, and 10.6% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at BHM?
- Flights on this route spent 20 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to BHM — 70% on time
More flights from Birmingham
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: BHM → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.