RDU to EWR flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport · 416 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at RDU or EWR right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Newark (EWR) arrived on time 76% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.1% were cancelled, and 11% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways was the most punctual airline here (86% on time); Spirit Airlines was the least (56%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (93% on time); around 5pm did worst (50%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (80% on time) and Thursday the least (71%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was air traffic control & airport congestion (52%).
Which airline is most on time from RDU to EWR?
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. | 86% | 4.5% | 9 min | 3.9% | 266 |
| United Airlines | 77% | 2.0% | 25 min | 11.2% | 1,520 |
| Spirit Airlines | 56% | 9.5% | 37 min | 23.3% | 199 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am93%207 flights
- 7am91%216 flights
- 8am90%58 flights
- 9am91%115 flights
- 10am100%21 flights
- 11am83%268 flights
- 12pm89%93 flights
- 1pm97%34 flights
- 2pm60%91 flights
- 3pm73%284 flights
- 5pm50%78 flights
- 6pm62%308 flights
- 7pm52%162 flights
- 9pm57%23 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday77%4.0% cancelled
- Tuesday80%2.2% cancelled
- Wednesday78%1.1% cancelled
- Thursday71%2.0% cancelled
- Friday76%1.3% cancelled
- Saturday76%3.6% cancelled
- Sunday74%7.0% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Air traffic control & airport congestion52%
- Late-arriving aircraft24%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)19%
- Extreme weather5%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather77%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)11%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion11%
- Security0%
RDU to EWR: common questions
- How often are RDU to EWR flights on time?
- 76% 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 Raleigh/Durham to Newark cancelled?
- 3.1% of scheduled flights were cancelled (61 of 1,985).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 24 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 96 min behind schedule on average, and 11.4% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at RDU?
- Flights on this route spent 22 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: EWR to RDU — 76% on time
More flights from Raleigh/Durham
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: RDU → EWR, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.