RDU to PHL flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Philadelphia International Airport · 337 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at RDU or PHL 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 Philadelphia (PHL) arrived on time 74% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.4% were cancelled, and 11% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways was the most punctual airline here (84% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (70%).
- Departures scheduled around 7am did best (92% on time); around 6pm did worst (59%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (80% on time) and Thursday the least (69%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (58%).
Which airline is most on time from RDU to PHL?
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. | 84% | 3.6% | 11 min | 7.1% | 220 |
| American Airlines | 75% | 2.0% | 27 min | 10.3% | 1,078 |
| Frontier Airlines | 73% | 4.0% | 25 min | 11.8% | 600 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 70% | 4.8% | 28 min | 13.4% | 706 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am89%283 flights
- 7am92%124 flights
- 8am82%273 flights
- 9am77%79 flights
- 10am90%161 flights
- 11am71%224 flights
- 12pm78%102 flights
- 1pm70%186 flights
- 2pm66%58 flights
- 3pm69%171 flights
- 4pm61%232 flights
- 5pm68%202 flights
- 6pm59%187 flights
- 7pm65%197 flights
- 8pm64%42 flights
- 9pm81%62 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday70%4.4% cancelled
- Tuesday80%2.3% cancelled
- Wednesday75%2.4% cancelled
- Thursday69%2.6% cancelled
- Friday75%1.7% cancelled
- Saturday77%2.3% cancelled
- Sunday74%7.4% 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 aircraft58%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)25%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion12%
- Extreme weather4%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather80%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)16%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion5%
- Security0%
RDU to PHL: common questions
- How often are RDU to PHL flights on time?
- 74% 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 Philadelphia cancelled?
- 3.4% of scheduled flights were cancelled (88 of 2,604).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 25 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 94 min behind schedule on average, and 11.2% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at RDU?
- Flights on this route spent 20 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: PHL to RDU — 75% 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 → PHL, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.