DCA to BUF flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Buffalo Niagara International Airport · 296 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DCA or BUF 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 Buffalo (BUF) arrived on time 64% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 4.9% were cancelled, and 14% arrived an hour or more late.
- Envoy Air was the most punctual airline here (65% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (64%).
- Departures scheduled around 12pm did best (86% on time); around 2pm did worst (41%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (72% on time) and Friday the least (52%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (55%).
Which airline is most on time from DCA to BUF?
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 | 83% | 0.0% | 9 min | 0.0% | 6 |
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 65% | 5.8% | 23 min | 12.4% | 189 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 64% | 2.9% | 22 min | 10.6% | 243 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 64% | 5.3% | 33 min | 15.3% | 696 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 9am82%67 flights
- 10am73%290 flights
- 12pm86%65 flights
- 2pm41%43 flights
- 3pm61%308 flights
- 7pm85%15 flights
- 8pm88%25 flights
- 10pm49%308 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday69%7.3% cancelled
- Tuesday60%5.5% cancelled
- Wednesday69%4.3% cancelled
- Thursday64%2.5% cancelled
- Friday52%5.4% cancelled
- Saturday72%4.1% cancelled
- Sunday65%4.8% 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 aircraft55%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)21%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion13%
- Extreme weather11%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather71%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion25%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)4%
- Security0%
DCA to BUF: common questions
- How often are DCA to BUF flights on time?
- 64% 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 Buffalo cancelled?
- 4.9% of scheduled flights were cancelled (55 of 1,134).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 29 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 77 min behind schedule on average, and 13.7% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at DCA?
- Flights on this route spent 23 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: BUF to DCA — 66% 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 → BUF, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.