SDF to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 474 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at SDF or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Louisville (SDF) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 79% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 4.2% were cancelled, and 8% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways was the most punctual airline here (85% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (74%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (91% on time); around 2pm did worst (52%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (87% on time) and Friday the least (76%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (39%).
Which airline is most on time from SDF 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 92% | 7.7% | 3 min | 0.0% | 13 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 85% | 2.0% | 9 min | 4.4% | 460 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 74% | 6.0% | 30 min | 11.6% | 551 |
| American Airlines | 60% | 0.0% | 27 min | 20.0% | 5 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am91%344 flights
- 7am100%13 flights
- 9am86%31 flights
- 10am88%112 flights
- 11am76%199 flights
- 2pm52%64 flights
- 4pm62%158 flights
- 5pm87%26 flights
- 6pm70%23 flights
- 7pm63%56 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday79%5.3% cancelled
- Tuesday77%2.6% cancelled
- Wednesday78%2.6% cancelled
- Thursday79%4.1% cancelled
- Friday76%3.3% cancelled
- Saturday87%5.4% cancelled
- Sunday77%6.1% 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 aircraft39%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)34%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion26%
- Extreme weather0%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather77%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion12%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)9%
- Security2%
SDF to DCA: common questions
- How often are SDF to DCA flights on time?
- 79% 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 Louisville to Washington cancelled?
- 4.2% of scheduled flights were cancelled (43 of 1,029).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 20 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 90 min behind schedule on average, and 8.2% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at SDF?
- Flights on this route spent 22 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to SDF — 75% on time
More flights from Louisville
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: SDF → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.