What Is The Most Delayed Airport In The United States?

What Is The Most Delayed Airport In The United States: When it comes to bad weather and travel delays, they seem to have a special bond, especially during holiday periods. Wondering which airports are more susceptible to weather-related holdups? Our extensive analysis of 10 years’ worth of data has revealed some intriguing insights, and there’s one airport that might catch you off guard.

With an in-depth analysis of data sourced from the Bureau of Transportation Services, this report offers a comprehensive overview of nearly 2 million flights conducted between January 2023 and February 2024. The utilization of this extensive dataset ensures the utmost accuracy and reliability of the findings. Rather than simply ranking airports based on the total number of delayed flights, the study focused on the airports with the longest average delay times, resulting in the emergence of several smaller regional airports at the forefront of the list. So what is the most delayed airport in the United States? Let’s find out.

What Is The Most Delayed Airport In The United States

Provo Airport (PVU)

Hold on to your seats because I have some jaw-dropping information for you! The study has officially declared Provo Airport (PVU) in Utah as the worst airport in the entire country. Can you imagine? This airport has an average delay time of 1 hour, 42 minutes, and 31 seconds. Despite being a smaller airport, it managed to rack up a staggering 872 delayed flights out of the 2,194 flights that landed there over a period of 13 months. That’s nearly 40 percent of all flights! It’s safe to say that Provo Airport needs to step up its game when it comes to punctuality.

Regrettably, Utah’s Provo Airport has been crowned as the nation’s most problematic airport when it comes to flight delays, with an average waiting time exceeding 100 minutes.

Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)

If your flight to Newark Liberty International Airport is delayed, it’s highly likely that the weather is to blame. Our extensive research spanning 10 years showed that almost 2 out of 3 delays at Newark were weather-related, surpassing all other major U.S. airports. That’s precisely why we’ve given Newark Liberty a slightly higher ranking than San Francisco.

Newark airport has an interesting challenge that sets it apart from the other two New York City Tri-State airport hubs. While snowstorms and summer thunderstorms can cause problems everywhere, it’s the wind that poses the most frequent issues at Newark. The airport’s two runways are positioned southwest to northeast, making it susceptible to troublesome crosswinds from the west to northwest. As a result, pilots often find themselves circling Newark-Liberty even on an otherwise perfect afternoon.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

If you’re not a regular visitor to this place, you’ll be in for a surprise when you see this ranking. It’s quite unusual to find a city where snow is a rare occurrence and thunderstorms are limited to just two days a year, yet it ranks near the top. However, the airport’s challenges don’t arise from extreme weather conditions; it’s primarily due to fog and low clouds. When the marine layer persists, flight delays accumulate rapidly.

As the temperature rises in the summer, a pressure difference between the hot Central Valley and the cool coast causes moist air from the Pacific Ocean to be pulled into the Bay Area in the afternoon. This moist air then condenses into low clouds overnight, lingering until the morning sun warms them enough to dissipate. During the winter months, fog tends to be thicker as cold air moves westward from the Central Valley and settles in.

The configuration of the airport’s runways is also a factor in causing weather delays, as reported by KQED. At SFO, there is only a distance of 750 feet between two sets of parallel runways. When visibility is poor, the FAA prohibits planes from landing side-by-side unless the runways are at least 4,300 feet apart. This dilemma results in staggered arrivals, reducing the number of arrivals per hour to only 60 to 65% compared to a clear day at one of the busiest airports in the country.

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

When it comes to weather delays, no other U.S. major airport can compete with O’Hare, as revealed by our extensive 10-year study. With an average of more than 28,000 weather delays per year, O’Hare takes the lead. Therefore, if your incoming flight experiences a delay at O’Hare, there’s an almost equal chance that it’s due to adverse weather conditions. However, it’s worth mentioning that weather-related delays contributed to a lower percentage of overall delays, resulting in O’Hare slipping down a couple of positions on the list.

The wind is another factor to consider. During the months of June through November, the prevailing direction is from the south or southwest. Even on clear days, these winds can cause delays. Additionally, Chicago experiences dense fog approximately 13 days a year, which can occur at any time. One such instance was the day before Thanksgiving in 2012 when O’Hare was covered in thick fog. This led to the cancellation of over 100 flights and the delay of at least 300 more until the fog gradually cleared.

New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA)

Despite only representing 28% of the total flights among the three major New York City metro airports, LaGuardia Airport is not exempt from experiencing its fair share of delays. While snowstorms are the primary culprits behind significant flight disruptions at the city’s major airports, they are not the sole weather-related nuisance.

Nestled on the shores of Flushing Bay, LaGuardia Airport faced the wrath of Superstorm Sandy on October 29, 2012. The storm surge inundated the runways, causing water to breach the terminal buildings and jetways. Fast forward to September 29, 2023, when another flood struck, this time flooding several inches of water into LaGuardia’s Terminal A. The airport had no choice but to temporarily close its doors for several hours.

Denver International Airport (DEN)

Denver faces its main weather challenge with snow, as Colorado Front Range snowstorms are well-known and can happen from October to April. Strong winds are also a common issue, especially when crosswinds affect certain runways, causing arriving planes to divert to other runways or remain at their departure airport. According to The Weather Company meteorologist Tim Burke, a strong westerly wind often forces planes to land in a north or south direction due to Denver’s runway orientation. Even without delays, the windy conditions in Denver can lead to a turbulent takeoff or landing at the airport.

During late spring and summer, it’s common to see afternoon and evening thunderstorms almost every day. As the mountains to the west of the city warm up, moist winds come together and rise near the peaks, leading to thunderstorms that eventually move towards the city and nearby Plains.

Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)

Boston Logan International Airport is no stranger to wintry weather, with a 50% chance of experiencing a significant snowfall of 10 inches or more each season. Despite this, the airport rarely shuts down due to weather events, although delays can still occur due to snow removal and issues at other nearby airports in the Northeast.

Fun fact: Boston Logan is known as the windiest major airport in the country. When a typical Northeast cold front rolls in, the wind gusts can exceed 30 mph. It’s no wonder that even the most prepared airport would have its fair share of weather-related challenges with all that chaos swirling around.

 John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

The city that never sleeps, New York City, is no stranger to weather-related flight delays, averaging nearly 10,000 delays per year. Despite receiving an average of 26 inches of snow each season and experiencing 14 days with measurable snow, the Big Apple can still face major disruptions in air travel due to snowstorms.

Accompanied by low clouds, even regular frontal systems can lead to delays. It was in late September 2023 when JFK experienced its wettest day since 1948, with a staggering 8.05 inches of rainfall. This heavy downpour triggered flash flooding across the city, leaving motorists stranded and causing significant delays at the airport.

This was our article on what is the most delayed airport in the United States. To read more travel related articles like this, Click Here!

About The Author

Tipu Khan

Meet Tipu Khan, an experienced Cargo Agent who has dedicated his career to serving at Abu Dhabi International Airport in the UAE. With a deep love for the Aviation Industry, he takes great pleasure in sharing his valuable insights and experiences.

See author's posts