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
Filed traffic dataIn June 2026, PSA Airlines operated the most departures, one of 3 carriers flying nonstop DCA–MSY; the Bombardier CRJ-700 was the most common aircraft at 36% of departures; flights ran 86% full.
Departures
270
June 2026
Seats
29,513
both directions
Passengers
25,234
both directions
Load factor
85.5%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies DCA–MSY?
PSA Airlines operated the most nonstop DCA–MSY departures in June 2026 (112), one of 3 carriers on the route.
- OH
112 departures · 7,434 seats
Share of departures41.5%90.5%
Load
- WN
109 departures · 15,807 seats
Share of departures40.4%81.3%
Load
- AA
49 departures · 6,272 seats
Share of departures18.1%90.1%
Load
What plane flies DCA–MSY?
In June 2026, the Bombardier CRJ-700 flew 36% of DCA–MSY departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Bombardier CRJ-700
98 departures · 90.3% load
36.3% - Boeing 737-700
86 departures · 84.4% load
31.9% - Airbus A319
49 departures · 90.1% load
18.1% - Boeing 737 MAX 8
18 departures · 69.9% load
6.7% - Bombardier CRJ-900
14 departures · 91.3% load
5.2% - Boeing 737-800
5 departures · 81.6% load
1.8%
How has DCA–MSY traffic changed?
Nonstop DCA–MSY departures rose from 268 in July 2025 to 270 in June 2026.
Monthly nonstop DCA–MSY traffic, trailing 12 months through June 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
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
May 2026
332 departures · 26,440 passengers
79.2%
Load
June 2026
270 departures · 25,234 passengers
85.5%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
DCA → MSY
85.6% full
135 departures · 12,643 passengers
MSY → DCA
85.4% full
135 departures · 12,591 passengers
Nonstop DCA–MSY traffic has been filed since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through June 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work).
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 June 2026, the Bombardier CRJ-700 flew the largest share of departures (36.3%), followed by the Boeing 737-700 (31.9%).
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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