RDU to LAX flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport · 2,239 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at RDU or LAX 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 Los Angeles (LAX) arrived on time 82% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 0.8% were cancelled, and 7% arrived an hour or more late.
- American Airlines was the most punctual airline here (83% on time); Delta Air Lines was the least (81%).
- Departures scheduled around 7am did best (92% on time); around 6pm did worst (75%).
- Thursday was the most reliable day to fly (86% on time) and Saturday the least (78%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling) (40%).
Which airline is most on time from RDU to LAX?
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% | 0.7% | 18 min | 7.7% | 423 |
| Delta Air Lines | 81% | 0.8% | 14 min | 5.2% | 368 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am90%22 flights
- 7am92%259 flights
- 4pm87%24 flights
- 5pm77%211 flights
- 6pm75%231 flights
- 7pm78%40 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday79%0.8% cancelled
- Tuesday79%0.0% cancelled
- Wednesday86%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday86%0.0% cancelled
- Friday84%1.6% cancelled
- Saturday78%1.0% cancelled
- Sunday82%1.6% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)40%
- Late-arriving aircraft38%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion14%
- Extreme weather9%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather67%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)33%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion0%
- Security0%
RDU to LAX: common questions
- How often are RDU to LAX flights on time?
- 82% 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 Los Angeles cancelled?
- 0.8% of scheduled flights were cancelled (6 of 791).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 16 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 87 min behind schedule on average, and 6.5% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at RDU?
- Flights on this route spent 15 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: LAX to RDU — 78% 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 → LAX, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.