DCA to ILM flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Wilmington International Airport · 320 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DCA or ILM 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 Wilmington (ILM) arrived on time 73% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 5.8% were cancelled, and 10% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways was the most punctual airline here (82% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (72%).
- Departures scheduled around 11am did best (92% on time); around 5pm did worst (57%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (78% on time) and Sunday the least (66%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (63%).
Which airline is most on time from DCA to ILM?
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. | 82% | 4.3% | 13 min | 7.6% | 69 |
| American Airlines | 75% | 0.0% | 7 min | 0.0% | 4 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 72% | 5.9% | 21 min | 10.0% | 807 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 7am90%91 flights
- 8am82%273 flights
- 11am92%36 flights
- 12pm71%70 flights
- 1pm70%58 flights
- 3pm71%23 flights
- 4pm67%55 flights
- 5pm57%259 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday69%4.7% cancelled
- Tuesday75%7.8% cancelled
- Wednesday75%6.3% cancelled
- Thursday70%3.9% cancelled
- Friday78%5.3% cancelled
- Saturday78%7.3% cancelled
- Sunday66%5.4% 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 aircraft63%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)19%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion14%
- Extreme weather5%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather61%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion24%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)12%
- Security4%
DCA to ILM: common questions
- How often are DCA to ILM flights on time?
- 73% 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 Wilmington cancelled?
- 5.8% of scheduled flights were cancelled (51 of 880).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 20 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 71 min behind schedule on average, and 9.8% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at DCA?
- Flights on this route spent 26 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: ILM to DCA — 68% 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 → ILM, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.