BNA to DCA flight delays

BNA DCA Nashville to Ronald Reagan Washington · 562 miles

12,472 flights were scheduled from BNA to DCA over July 2023 through June 2026. Of the 12,088 that made the trip, 77.3% reached the gate less than 15 minutes behind schedule. These are arrival figures: “on time” means the flight reached the gate less than 15 minutes behind schedule. Arrivals are what decide whether you make the connection, so route and airline pages are scored on them rather than on pushback.

Data through June 2026 · Bureau of Transportation Statistics

The route in brief

Flights in the window
12,472
Arrived on time
77.3%
Cancelled
2.6%
Scheduled distance
562 miles

Cancellations are counted against everything scheduled. Diverted flights are counted with them rather than as very late arrivals, which is why the on-time share and the cancellation rate do not add up to everything that happened.

Airline by airline

Airlines with at least 100 flights on BNA–DCA, busiest first. Same route, same weather, same air traffic — which makes this the fairest comparison on the site.

Airline Arrived on time Typical delay Cancelled Flights
Republic Airways 80.9% 65 min 2.1% 4,904
Southwest Airlines 76.5% 53 min 1.3% 4,453
PSA Airlines 70.9% 98 min 5.8% 2,348
American Airlines 77.1% 69 min 4.4% 545
Envoy Air 78.4% 51 min 5.4% 221

Month by month

February was the month to avoid on BNA–DCA: 68.5% of flights arrived on time, against 84.1% in October. Each bar pools three years of that calendar month.

Share of flights that arrived on time, by calendar month. Best month in green, worst in amber. The hairline sits at the overall rate, 77.3%.
Arrival on-time share, BNA to DCA, by calendar month
Month Share flights that arrived on time Flights
January 77.3% 1,044
February 68.5% 1,009
March 74.3% 1,116
April 80.6% 1,084
May 72.4% 1,119
June 72.7% 1,052
July 72% 973
August 83.1% 969
September 82.1% 983
October 84.1% 1,104
November 83.2% 1,030
December 76.4% 989

Both ends of the route

A route’s record is built out of two airports’ habits. The hour-by-hour grid for each is on its own page.

BNA to DCA in one number

BNA → DCA

When a flight on this route was late, it was late by about 68 min.

July 2023–June 2026 · 12,472 flights

77.3% of flights arrived on time

Questions about BNA to DCA

Which airline is most reliable from BNA to DCA?
Republic Airways — its flights on this pairing arrived on time 80.9% of the time, with 4,904 scheduled. PSA Airlines came in at 70.9% over 2,348 scheduled. Airlines with fewer than 100 flights on the route are not rated.
What is the worst month to fly BNA to DCA?
February, at 68.5% of arrivals on time, with 1,009 flights scheduled. October was the best of the year at 84.1%.
How late are BNA–DCA flights when they are late?
68 min on average, counting only the flights that arrived 15 minutes or more behind schedule. The on-time flights are left out of that average on purpose — mixing them in would flatter it.
How often is the BNA to DCA flight cancelled?
2.6% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled, July 2023 through June 2026. Diverted flights are counted with the cancellations rather than as late arrivals.
Are these departure or arrival numbers?
Arrival. A flight counts as on time here if it reached the gate at DCA less than 15 minutes behind schedule. Airport pages score departures instead, because that is the number you can act on when you pick a booking time.