ILM to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Wilmington International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 320 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at ILM or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Wilmington (ILM) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 68% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 6.6% were cancelled, and 14% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways was the most punctual airline here (80% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (67%).
- Departures scheduled around 10am did best (86% on time); around 3pm did worst (44%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (84% on time) and Sunday the least (62%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (57%).
Which airline is most on time from ILM to DCA?
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 | 100% | 0.0% | 1 min | 0.0% | 4 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 80% | 4.3% | 16 min | 7.6% | 69 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 67% | 6.8% | 29 min | 14.5% | 807 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am91%11 flights
- 9am85%91 flights
- 10am86%272 flights
- 1pm82%33 flights
- 2pm49%48 flights
- 3pm44%72 flights
- 4pm62%15 flights
- 5pm94%18 flights
- 6pm67%74 flights
- 7pm47%244 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday64%5.5% cancelled
- Tuesday73%7.8% cancelled
- Wednesday67%7.2% cancelled
- Thursday63%5.5% cancelled
- Friday66%6.8% cancelled
- Saturday84%7.2% cancelled
- Sunday62%6.3% 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 aircraft57%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion22%
- Extreme weather15%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)6%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather67%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion19%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)10%
- Security3%
ILM to DCA: common questions
- How often are ILM to DCA 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 Wilmington to Washington cancelled?
- 6.6% of scheduled flights were cancelled (58 of 880).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 28 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 85 min behind schedule on average, and 13.9% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at ILM?
- Flights on this route spent 25 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to ILM — 73% on time
More flights from Wilmington
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: ILM → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.