Based on data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, The Family Vacation Guide conducted research to identify the US airports and airlines that experience the most frequent flight delays.
We’ve all had a delayed flight while traveling at some point, and while it’s usually out of your control, it doesn’t make it any less frustrating.
However, you’re more likely to experience delays at some airports and on some airlines than others, and to find out which ones, the team’s analysts dug deep into the Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS) ‘Airline On-Time Statistics and Delay Causes’ data from July 2019 to July 2021.
The airports with the most frequent flight delays are listed below:
| Rank | Airport | State | % On Time | % Late or Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark Liberty International | NK | 75.71% | 24.29% |
| 2 | LaGuardia | NY | 77.48% | 22.52% |
| 3 | Dallas/Fort Worth International | TX | 79.23% | 20.77% |
| 4 | Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International | FL | 79.78% | 20.22% |
| 5 | Palm Beach International | FL | 80.34% | 19.66% |
| 6= | Boston Logan International | MA | 80.61% | 19.39% |
| 6= | Louis Armstrong New Orleans International | LA | 80.61% | 19.39% |
| 8 | Orlando International | FL | 80.78% | 19.22% |
| 9 | San Antonio International | TX | 80.97% | 19.03% |
| 10= | John F. Kennedy International | NY | 81.21% | 18.79% |
| 10= | San Francisco International | CA | 81.21% | 18.79% |
The airports with the least amount of flight delays are listed below:
| Rank | Airport | State | % On Time | % Late or Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | Daniel K Inouye International | HI | 88.31% | 11.69% |
| 49 | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International | GA | 87.32% | 12.68% |
| 48 | Minneapolis-St Paul International | MN | 87.27% | 12.73% |
| 47 | Salt Lake City International | UT | 87.22% | 12.78% |
| 46 | Detroit Metro Wayne County | MI | 86.90% | 13.10% |
| 45 | Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International | CA | 85.70% | 14.30% |
| 44 | Portland International | OR | 85.23% | 14.77% |
| 43 | John Wayne Airport-Orange County | CA | 85.12% | 14.88% |
| 42 | Sacramento International | CA | 84.95% | 15.05% |
| 41 | Metropolitan Oakland International | CA | 84.90% | 15.10% |
| 40 | Charlotte Douglas International | NC | 84.66% | 15.34% |
The following airlines have the most frequently delayed flights:
| Rank | Airline | % On Time | % Late or Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Allegiant Air | 72.69% | 27.31% |
| 2 | JetBlue Airways | 76.80% | 23.20% |
| 3 | Frontier Airlines | 78.76% | 21.24% |
| 4 | Envoy Air | 80.48% | 19.52% |
| 5 | United Airlines | 81.40% | 18.60% |
| 6 | American Airlines | 81.45% | 18.55% |
| 7 | Spirit Airlines | 82.04% | 17.96% |
| 8 | Southwest Airlines | 83.03% | 16.97% |
| 9 | Alaska Airlines | 83.18% | 16.82% |
| 10 | SkyWest Airlines | 84.01% | 15.99% |
| 11 | Republic Airline | 84.27% | 15.73% |
| 12 | Delta Airlines | 86.69% | 13.31% |
| 13 | Hawaiian Airlines | 89.00% | 11.00% |