Washington (DCA) to New Orleans (MSY)
Flight time
≈ 2h 44m
Bearing
235° SW
Washington (DCA) to New Orleans (MSY) is 969 miles (1,560 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
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What actually flies DCA–MSY
US DOT T-100 · filed dataIn April 2026, PSA Airlines operated the most departures, one of 4 carriers flying nonstop DCA–MSY; the Boeing 737-700 was the most common aircraft at 30% of departures; flights ran 75% full.
Departures
354
April 2026
Seats
35,060
both directions
Passengers
26,392
both directions
Load factor
75.3%
passengers ÷ seats
Who flies DCA–MSY?
PSA Airlines operated the most nonstop DCA–MSY departures in April 2026 (123), one of 4 carriers on the route.
- OH
PSA Airlines
123 departures · 8,346 seats
Share of departures34.7%80.0%
Load
- WN
Southwest Airlines
122 departures · 17,360 seats
Share of departures34.5%71.1%
Load
- YX
Republic Airways
88 departures · 6,666 seats
Share of departures24.9%81.5%
Load
- AA
American Airlines
21 departures · 2,688 seats
Share of departures5.9%72.4%
Load
What plane flies DCA–MSY?
In April 2026, the Boeing 737-700 flew 30% of DCA–MSY departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Boeing 737-700
105 departures · 73.4% load
29.7% - Bombardier CRJ-700
91 departures · 78.5% load
25.7% - Embraer E175
88 departures · 81.5% load
24.9% - Bombardier CRJ-900
32 departures · 83.5% load
9.0% - Airbus A319
21 departures · 72.4% load
5.9% - Boeing 737 MAX 8
11 departures · 48.1% load
3.1% - Boeing 737-800
6 departures · 81.0% load
1.7%
How has DCA–MSY traffic changed?
Nonstop DCA–MSY departures rose from 307 in May 2025 to 354 in April 2026.
Monthly nonstop DCA–MSY traffic, trailing 12 months through April 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
May 2025
307 departures · 29,839 passengers
75.4%
Load
June 2025
279 departures · 25,205 passengers
77.2%
Load
July 2025
268 departures · 23,613 passengers
76.6%
Load
August 2025
286 departures · 23,663 passengers
71.8%
Load
September 2025
284 departures · 22,078 passengers
66.3%
Load
October 2025
306 departures · 30,908 passengers
73.9%
Load
November 2025
332 departures · 25,044 passengers
67.6%
Load
December 2025
348 departures · 27,056 passengers
68.8%
Load
January 2026
322 departures · 23,669 passengers
58.7%
Load
February 2026
322 departures · 25,708 passengers
64.8%
Load
March 2026
361 departures · 31,197 passengers
74.4%
Load
April 2026
354 departures · 26,392 passengers
75.3%
Load
By direction
The DOT files each direction separately — they rarely match.
DCA → MSY
73.1% full
177 departures · 13,035 passengers
MSY → DCA
77.5% full
177 departures · 13,357 passengers
Nonstop DCA–MSY traffic has been filed with the US DOT since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through April 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work). The DOT publishes roughly three months in arrears.
The airports
New Orleans
US
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Coordinates
29.99°N, 90.26°W
Hemisphere
N · W
Frequently asked
How far is Washington (DCA) from New Orleans (MSY)?
DCA to MSY is 969 miles (1,560 km / 842 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from DCA to MSY?
A nonstop covers the 969-mile great-circle distance in roughly 2h 44m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies DCA–MSY?
In April 2026, the Boeing 737-700 flew the largest share of departures (29.7%), followed by the Bombardier CRJ-700 (25.7%).
What mileage do I earn flying DCA–MSY?
Distance-based programs credit off the 969-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
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