DCA to CHA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field) · 523 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DCA or CHA 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 Chattanooga (CHA) arrived on time 65% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 6% were cancelled, and 20% arrived an hour or more late.
- PSA Airlines was the most punctual airline here (67% on time); Republic Airways was the least (56%).
- Departures scheduled around 7pm did best (74% on time); around 8pm did worst (55%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (71% on time) and Thursday the least (56%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (64%).
Which airline is most on time from DCA to CHA?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 67% | 4.8% | 33 min | 18.6% | 249 |
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 62% | 7.1% | 34 min | 15.4% | 14 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 56% | 13.5% | 31 min | 28.1% | 37 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 7pm74%140 flights
- 8pm55%114 flights
- 9pm70%34 flights
- 10pm50%12 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday68%6.0% cancelled
- Tuesday71%4.0% cancelled
- Wednesday69%10.0% cancelled
- Thursday56%2.0% cancelled
- Friday64%7.8% cancelled
- Sunday63%6.0% 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 aircraft64%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)27%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion5%
- Extreme weather4%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather78%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion22%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)0%
- Security0%
DCA to CHA: common questions
- How often are DCA to CHA flights on time?
- 65% 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 Chattanooga cancelled?
- 6.0% of scheduled flights were cancelled (18 of 300).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 33 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 92 min behind schedule on average, and 19.6% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at DCA?
- Flights on this route spent 24 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: CHA to DCA — 85% on time
More flights from Washington
More flights to Chattanooga
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: DCA → CHA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.