Best Time to Fly MSY to ORD: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International → Chicago O'Hare International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 78.5% of New Orleans (MSY) to Chicago (ORD) flights arrived on time (2,401 scheduled flights). That is 0.8 points above the national average of 77.6%.
Among 6 airlines, United Airlines led with 82.7% on time and American Airlines was last with 70.3%.
Over 24 months, Tuesday was the most reliable day (87% on time) and March the worst month (76%).
The cancellation rate was 2.5% (US average 1.8%).
MSY to ORD 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 82.7% | 76 min | 1.4% | 843 |
| Envoy Air | 81.8% | 67 min | 1.8% | 445 |
| Republic Airways | 79.5% | 72 min | 3.4% | 388 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 72.0% | 66 min | 1.8% | 109 |
| Spirit Airlines | 71.6% | 69 min | 6.8% | 205 |
| American Airlines | 70.3% | 133 min | 3.0% | 400 |
| Frontier Airlines | Limited data | 11 | ||
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly MSY to ORD
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 4,291 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12am–1am | Limited data | 1 | |
| 5am–6am | 93.5% | 3.1% | 32 |
| 6am–7am | 84.0% | 2.1% | 527 |
| 7am–8am | 90.3% | 1.3% | 525 |
| 8am–9am | 82.9% | 0.0% | 41 |
| 9am–10am | 80.5% | 5.1% | 275 |
| 10am–11am | 86.6% | 0.8% | 602 |
| 11am–12pm | 79.5% | 0.9% | 322 |
| 12pm–1pm | 84.1% | 1.4% | 209 |
| 1pm–2pm | 81.1% | 1.3% | 372 |
| 2pm–3pm | 75.4% | 2.2% | 588 |
| 3pm–4pm | 75.5% | 1.0% | 104 |
| 4pm–5pm | 73.2% | 1.3% | 306 |
| 5pm–6pm | 67.9% | 4.6% | 261 |
| 6pm–7pm | 59.4% | 5.5% | 109 |
| 7pm–8pm | Limited data | 5 | |
| 8pm–9pm | Limited data | 12 | |
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 ORD
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) | 65.3% | -16.5 pts | 6.2% | 81 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 84.9% | +3.0 pts | 0.6% | 173 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 75.7% | -6.2 pts | 1.5% | 732 |
| All other days | 81.9% | — | 2.1% | 3,305 |
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).