DCA to CAE flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Columbia Metropolitan Airport · 408 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DCA or CAE 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 Columbia (CAE) arrived on time 67% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 5.2% were cancelled, and 13% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways was the most punctual airline here (83% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (64%).
- Departures scheduled around 7am did best (93% on time); around 3pm did worst (45%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (73% on time) and Friday the least (63%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (62%).
Which airline is most on time from DCA to CAE?
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. | 83% | 3.6% | 10 min | 5.3% | 138 |
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 79% | 6.7% | 13 min | 7.1% | 30 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 64% | 5.4% | 28 min | 14.3% | 923 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 7am93%43 flights
- 8am76%245 flights
- 9am88%73 flights
- 11am86%35 flights
- 12pm71%38 flights
- 3pm45%41 flights
- 4pm51%85 flights
- 5pm56%210 flights
- 7pm63%39 flights
- 8pm63%61 flights
- 9pm59%40 flights
- 10pm62%169 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday65%8.5% cancelled
- Tuesday69%4.3% cancelled
- Wednesday68%2.5% cancelled
- Thursday70%5.6% cancelled
- Friday63%5.4% cancelled
- Saturday73%3.6% cancelled
- Sunday64%6.1% 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 aircraft62%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)22%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion10%
- Extreme weather5%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather77%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion16%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)5%
- Security2%
DCA to CAE: common questions
- How often are DCA to CAE 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 Columbia cancelled?
- 5.2% of scheduled flights were cancelled (57 of 1,091).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 25 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 73 min behind schedule on average, and 13.0% 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: CAE to DCA — 72% 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 → CAE, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.