DCA to PHX flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport · 1,979 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DCA or PHX 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 Phoenix (PHX) arrived on time 83% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 1.5% were cancelled, and 7% arrived an hour or more late.
- American Airlines is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Departures scheduled around 7am did best (91% on time); around 4pm did worst (72%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (89% on time) and Thursday the least (77%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (51%).
Which airline is most on time from DCA to PHX?
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% | 1.5% | 20 min | 6.9% | 1,086 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 7am91%365 flights
- 10am82%358 flights
- 4pm72%69 flights
- 5pm76%259 flights
- 6pm63%29 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday85%1.9% cancelled
- Tuesday89%1.9% cancelled
- Wednesday81%1.3% cancelled
- Thursday77%0.6% cancelled
- Friday82%1.3% cancelled
- Saturday82%1.3% cancelled
- Sunday83%1.9% 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 aircraft51%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)28%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion16%
- Extreme weather4%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather88%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion13%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)0%
- Security0%
DCA to PHX: common questions
- How often are DCA to PHX flights on time?
- 83% 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 Phoenix cancelled?
- 1.5% of scheduled flights were cancelled (16 of 1,086).
- 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 109 min behind schedule on average, and 6.9% 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: PHX to DCA — 83% 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 → PHX, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.