Best Time to Fly MSY to LAX: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International → Los Angeles International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 79.2% of New Orleans (MSY) to Los Angeles (LAX) flights arrived on time (1,457 scheduled flights). That is 1.5 points above the national average of 77.6%.
Among 3 airlines, Delta Air Lines led with 83.8% on time and Southwest Airlines was last with 66.0%.
Over 24 months, Tuesday was the most reliable day (85% on time) and May the worst month (70%).
The cancellation rate was 0.5% (US average 1.8%).
MSY to LAX on-time performance by airline
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 completed flights are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On time | Avg delay when late | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 83.8% | 79 min | 0.5% | 950 |
| Spirit Airlines | 81.6% | 98 min | 1.3% | 150 |
| Southwest Airlines | 66.0% | 54 min | 0.0% | 357 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly MSY to LAX
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 3,219 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2am–3am | Limited data | 1 | |
| 5am–6am | Limited data | 28 | |
| 6am–7am | 93.4% | 1.5% | 521 |
| 7am–8am | 93.0% | 0.4% | 261 |
| 8am–9am | 88.4% | 0.8% | 122 |
| 9am–10am | Limited data | 5 | |
| 10am–11am | Limited data | 1 | |
| 11am–12pm | 89.1% | 0.0% | 46 |
| 12pm–1pm | 76.9% | 4.9% | 41 |
| 1pm–2pm | 80.0% | 3.0% | 99 |
| 2pm–3pm | 72.0% | 0.5% | 432 |
| 3pm–4pm | 76.3% | 0.6% | 533 |
| 4pm–5pm | 83.3% | 0.0% | 156 |
| 5pm–6pm | 70.9% | 0.7% | 136 |
| 6pm–7pm | 71.9% | 0.6% | 333 |
| 7pm–8pm | 69.2% | 0.6% | 157 |
| 8pm–9pm | 83.6% | 1.2% | 253 |
| 9pm–10pm | 74.2% | 1.1% | 94 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on MSY to LAX
On-time arrivals during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On time | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | 83.9% | +2.0 pts | 0.0% | 62 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 71.0% | -10.9 pts | 2.1% | 141 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 76.6% | -5.3 pts | 0.6% | 504 |
| All other days | 81.9% | — | 0.9% | 2,512 |
Monthly on-time trend
On-time arrival % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
What causes delays on this route
Share of reported delay minutes, last 12 months (BTS cause categories).