ON TIMEBOARD

IAD → AUS on time

Washington Dulles (Washington, DC) to Austin-Bergstrom (Austin, TX). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
83%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
0.7%
1,104 flights
Typical arrival
−10 min
median vs schedule
When late
+72 min
average delay
Flights / day
3
2 airlines

83% of flights from Washington to Austin arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is better than the typical U.S. route. The 8 a.m. departures ran on time 92% of the time; the 6 p.m. ones 66%. 7% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.

How late?

The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for IAD → AUS: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 51% of the time. About 1 in 16 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 85 three hours or more; 0.7% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 1,104 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
United Airlines1,08484%0.7%−10 min6.2%+73 minUnited Airlines 91%, Mesa Airlines 8%, Republic Airways 1%
Allegiant Air20—————Allegiant Air

Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.

Best time of day to fly

On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at IAD). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%8 a.m. departures: 92% on time (341 flights)928a9 a.m. departures: too few flights9a10 a.m. departures: too few flights10a11 a.m. departures: too few flights11anoon departures: 86% on time (105 flights)8612p1 p.m. departures: 83% on time (254 flights)831p2 p.m. departures: too few flights2p3 p.m. departures: too few flights (23 flights)3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights (20 flights)4p5 p.m. departures: 81% on time (255 flights)815p6 p.m. departures: 66% on time (103 flights)666p
IAD → AUS, share of flights arriving on time, by departure hour. Hours with under 100 flights are greyed out.
82%+ on time76–82%68–76%under 68%too few flights

By airline and hour

DepartsUnited Airlines
8 a.m.92%
noon86%
1 p.m.83%
5 p.m.81%
6 p.m.66%

Last flight of the day

On IAD → AUS, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 1.1% of the time, against 0.6% for its earlier flights (2.0× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 2.5% of the time (earlier flights: 0.6%). It matters more than the numbers suggest. Miss an earlier flight and there's another one that evening; miss the last one and you're usually waiting until morning.

AirlineLast departureLast: cancelledLast: 3h+ lateEarlier: cancelledNext morning
United Airlines6:00 p.m.1.1%2.5%0.6%first flight 8:30 a.m.

Last flight = the airline's last scheduled departure on this route that day, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Times are typical scheduled times over the latest three months.

If you need to be in AUS tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: October (89%). Worst: January (71%).

40%70%100%Jan: 71% on time (272 flights)71JanFeb: 86% on time (243 flights)86FebMar: 84% on time (290 flights)84MarApr: 84% on time (307 flights)84AprMay: 76% on time (318 flights)76MayJun: 72% on time (317 flights)72JunJul: 71% on time (301 flights)71JulAug: 77% on time (288 flights)77AugSep: 85% on time (310 flights)85SepOct: 89% on time (311 flights)89OctNov: 89% on time (287 flights)89NovDec: 83% on time (298 flights)83Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday17281%0.6%
Tuesday14890%0.0%
Wednesday15183%0.0%
Thursday15886%0.6%
Friday16980%0.0%
Saturday14884%0.7%
Sunday15880%3.2%

Why flights were late

Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.

Late inbound plane 38%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 30%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 27%Severe weather 5%

Cancellations: weather 7 · air traffic/airport 1

Month by month

50%75%100%Sep 2023Jan 2024Jan 2025Jan 2026Sep 2023: 75% on time, 0.9% cancelledOct 2023: 82% on time, 0.0% cancelledNov 2023: 90% on time, 0.0% cancelledDec 2023: 87% on time, 0.0% cancelledJan 2024: 68% on time, 4.7% cancelledMar 2024: 80% on time, 0.0% cancelledMay 2024: 80% on time, 0.0% cancelledJul 2024: 68% on time, 1.0% cancelledApr 2025: 81% on time, 0.0% cancelledMay 2025: 67% on time, 0.0% cancelledJun 2025: 63% on time, 1.7% cancelledJul 2025: 69% on time, 0.0% cancelledAug 2025: 83% on time, 1.8% cancelledSep 2025: 93% on time, 0.0% cancelledJul 2026: 77% on time, 2.0% cancelled
Share of flights on time, by month (hover a point for cancellations)
IAD → AUS, monthly on-time and cancellation rate.

Flight numbers on this route

Regular flights with at least 120 scheduled trips in the past year. Sorted by departure time.

FlightDepartsFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrivalOperated by
UA 6378:25 a.m.25492%0.8%−17 minUnited Airlines
UA 27461:10 p.m.16483%0.0%−8 minUnited Airlines
UA 23375:55 p.m.33476%1.2%−7 minUnited Airlines

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Mar 11, 202630%0
Aug 16, 202630%0
Mar 16, 202630%0
Jan 26, 202630%1
Dec 5, 202530%0

Nearby airport alternatives

Other ways to make the same trip, using airports within 60 miles of Washington or Austin. None has been clearly more reliable than IAD → AUS.

RouteFlightsOn timeCancelled
IAD → AUS (this route)1,10483%0.7%
BWI → AUS Baltimore/Washington to Austin-Bergstrom1,25476%1.7%

Questions

How often are flights from IAD to AUS on time?

83% of 1,104 scheduled flights from Washington, DC to Austin, TX arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 0.7% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly IAD to AUS?

Flights scheduled to leave at 8 a.m. were the most reliable (92% on time). The 6 p.m. departures were the least (66%).

What month has the most delays from IAD to AUS?

January (71% on time). The best month is October (89%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from IAD to AUS more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last IAD–AUS flight of the day was cancelled 1.1% of the time over the past year, against 0.6% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.

Related

Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.