DCA to ALB flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Albany International Airport · 318 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DCA or ALB right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Washington (DCA) to Albany (ALB) arrived on time 67% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 5.1% were cancelled, and 14% arrived an hour or more late.
- American Airlines was the most punctual airline here (74% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (66%).
- Departures scheduled around 12pm did best (78% on time); around 10pm did worst (57%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (78% on time) and Thursday the least (59%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (62%).
Which airline is most on time from DCA to ALB?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 74% | 0.0% | 21 min | 12.9% | 63 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 70% | 3.4% | 11 min | 3.5% | 59 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 66% | 5.6% | 29 min | 15.2% | 1,063 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 9am92%12 flights
- 10am77%331 flights
- 12pm78%132 flights
- 1pm75%32 flights
- 2pm58%119 flights
- 3pm58%222 flights
- 8pm85%15 flights
- 10pm57%308 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday61%4.4% cancelled
- Tuesday71%7.7% cancelled
- Wednesday69%5.0% cancelled
- Thursday59%4.0% cancelled
- Friday69%3.3% cancelled
- Saturday78%4.3% cancelled
- Sunday63%7.3% 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 aircraft62%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)19%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion10%
- Extreme weather8%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather70%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion15%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)11%
- Security3%
DCA to ALB: common questions
- How often are DCA to ALB flights on time?
- 67% 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 Washington to Albany cancelled?
- 5.1% of scheduled flights were cancelled (61 of 1,185).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 28 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 80 min behind schedule on average, and 14.5% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at DCA?
- Flights on this route spent 25 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: ALB to DCA — 67% on time
More flights from Washington
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: DCA → ALB, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.