DCA to TYS flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to McGhee Tyson Airport · 437 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DCA or TYS 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 Knoxville (TYS) arrived on time 68% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.7% were cancelled, and 17% arrived an hour or more late.
- Departures scheduled around 8am did best (88% on time); around 4pm did worst (38%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (78% on time) and Thursday the least (61%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (62%).
Which airline is most on time from DCA to TYS?
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. | 100% | 11.1% | 1 min | 0.0% | 9 |
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 100% | 0.0% | 0 min | 0.0% | 1 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 67% | 3.7% | 33 min | 17.0% | 1,011 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 8am88%157 flights
- 9am80%187 flights
- 1pm62%161 flights
- 2pm60%85 flights
- 3pm65%84 flights
- 4pm38%33 flights
- 7pm59%262 flights
- 8pm60%51 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday67%5.3% cancelled
- Tuesday69%3.3% cancelled
- Wednesday64%2.0% cancelled
- Thursday61%3.4% cancelled
- Friday68%4.6% cancelled
- Saturday78%3.4% cancelled
- Sunday70%4.0% 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 aircraft62%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)20%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion12%
- Extreme weather6%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather71%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion16%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)11%
- Security3%
DCA to TYS: common questions
- How often are DCA to TYS flights on time?
- 68% 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 Knoxville cancelled?
- 3.7% of scheduled flights were cancelled (38 of 1,021).
- 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 100 min behind schedule on average, and 16.8% 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: TYS to DCA — 71% 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 → TYS, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.