In an effort to help empower passengers to make more informed decisions when booking flights, InsureMyTrip Research regularly evaluates the on-time performance records for U.S. airports and domestic flights. This resource page provides U.S. airport statistics and travel data on airline delays and cancellation. The data is also used by researchers to make predictions regarding how air travel will likely be impacted during certain times of the year. In addition, the airport statistics are also useful for passengers when researching types of travel insurance plans.
InsureMyTrip analyzed the latest flight cancellation data gathered by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) to gain a closer look at the impact of COVID-19, and other factors, on U.S. Airports.
This ranking shows U.S. airports with the most and least percentage of flights canceled. This updated list is based on newly released data, which now includes January through May of 2020.
Methodology
Rankings were based on the flight cancellation rate per airport. Airports on the list also reported 5,900 or more scheduled flights for 2020. InsureMyTrip and The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). BTS tracks the on-time performance of domestic flights operated by large air carriers.
InsureMyTrip issues its latest airport rankings for flight cancellations
This ranking shows U.S. airports with the most and least percentage of flights canceled. This updated list is based on newly released data, which now includes all of 2019.
Rank (Worst) |
Airport |
City |
% of Cancelled Flights |
1 |
MDW |
Chicago |
3.88% |
2 |
BUR |
Burbank |
3.37% |
3 |
ORD |
Chicago |
3.22% |
4 |
EWR |
Newark |
3.14% |
5 |
BUF |
Buffalo |
3.13% |
6 |
HOU |
Houston |
3.13% |
7 |
DAL |
Dallas |
3.08% |
8 |
LGA |
New York |
2.88% |
9 |
GRR |
Grand Rapids |
2.76% |
10 |
ORF |
Norfolk |
2.58% |
11 |
DFW |
Dallas/Fort Worth |
2.57% |
12 |
DCA |
Washington DC |
2.50% |
13 |
BWI |
Baltimore |
2.48% |
14 |
PHL |
Philadelphia |
2.42% |
15 |
MKE |
Milwaukee |
2.34% |
16 |
PVD |
Providence |
2.31% |
17 |
SFO |
San Francisco |
2.31% |
18 |
CHS |
Charleston |
2.26% |
19 |
STL |
St. Louis |
2.23% |
20 |
CLE |
Cleveland |
2.22% |
21 |
BHM |
Birmingham |
2.21% |
22 |
BOS |
Boston |
2.13% |
23 |
MEM |
Memphis |
2.11% |
24 |
RIC |
Richmond |
2.07% |
25 |
DEN |
Denver |
2.05% |
26 |
MCI |
Kansas City |
2.05% |
27 |
OAK |
Oakland |
1.97% |
28 |
CMH |
Columbus |
1.95% |
29 |
BDL |
Hartford |
1.95% |
30 |
OKC |
Oklahoma City |
1.92% |
31 |
IND |
Indianapolis |
1.88% |
32 |
OMA |
Omaha |
1.87% |
33 |
MSY |
New Orleans |
1.86% |
34 |
PIT |
Pittsburgh |
1.80% |
35 |
JAX |
Jacksonville |
1.79% |
36 |
TYS |
Knoxville |
1.78% |
37 |
SDF |
Louisville |
1.77% |
38 |
SJC |
San Jose |
1.72% |
39 |
CVG |
Cincinnati |
1.68% |
40 |
BNA |
Nashville |
1.67% |
41 |
MCO |
Orlando |
1.66% |
42 |
CLT |
Charlotte |
1.66% |
43 |
RDU |
Raleigh/Durham |
1.64% |
44 |
IAD |
Washington DC |
1.63% |
45 |
JFK |
New York |
1.60% |
46 |
SAN |
San Diego |
1.59% |
47 |
PBI |
West Palm Beach/Palm Beach |
1.55% |
48 |
ELP |
El Paso |
1.49% |
49 |
ONT |
Ontario |
1.47% |
50 |
ANC |
Anchorage |
1.44% |
51 |
RNO |
Reno |
1.43% |
52 |
TUS |
Tucson |
1.40% |
53 |
SAT |
San Antonio |
1.40% |
54 |
IAH |
Houston |
1.39% |
55 |
AUS |
Austin |
1.38% |
56 |
SMF |
Sacremento |
1.37% |
57 |
TPA |
Tampa |
1.35% |
58 |
PHX |
Phoenix |
1.33% |
59 |
ABQ |
Albuquerque |
1.32% |
60 |
SNA |
Santa Ana |
1.26% |
61 |
LAS |
Las Vegas |
1.26% |
62 |
FLL |
Fort Lauderdale |
1.25% |
63 |
LAX |
Los Angeles |
1.20% |
64 |
RSW |
Fort Myers |
1.19% |
65 |
MIA |
Miami |
1.15% |
66 |
SEA |
Seattle |
1.08% |
67 |
DTW |
Detroit |
1.07% |
68 |
MSP |
Minneapolis |
1.04% |
69 |
GEG |
Spokane |
1.00% |
70 |
SJU |
San Juan |
0.87% |
71 |
PDX |
Portland |
0.83% |
72 |
BOI |
Boise |
0.73% |
73 |
ATL |
Atlanta |
0.61% |
74 |
HNL |
Honolulu |
0.44% |
75 |
SLC |
Salt Lake City |
0.42% |
76 |
OGG |
Kahului |
0.41% |
Each airline has its own flight delay policy for passengers waiting at the airport; there are no federal requirements. Travelers concerned about delays should be aware of the following:
Passengers with departing flights at busier airports should consider travel insurance with robust travel delay benefits.
To schedule an interview with an expert or to request specific research data, please contact [email protected].
Methodology
Rankings were based on the flight cancellation rate per airport. Airports on the list also reported 19,000 or more scheduled flights for 2019. Data Source: InsureMyTrip and The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). BTS tracks the on-time performance of domestic flights operated by large air carriers.
In an effort to help empower travelers to make more informed decisions when it comes to holiday travel preparations, InsureMyTrip predicts which U.S. airports will likely be the busiest, and reviews how the latest data trends can aid travelers when comparing travel insurance benefits.
According to InsureMyTrip, this is the list of busiest airports for Christmas week, based on total domestic flights reported for 2019 thus far:
Rank |
Airport |
City |
Number of Domestic Flights |
1 |
ORD |
Chicago |
299,839 |
2 |
ATL |
Atlanta |
298,377 |
3 |
DFW |
Dallas |
227,850 |
4 |
DEN |
Denver |
214,451 |
5 |
CLT |
Charlotte |
190,982 |
6 |
LAX |
Los Angeles |
187,571 |
7 |
SEA |
Seattle |
145,350 |
8 |
IAH |
Houston |
134,480 |
9 |
PHX |
Phoenix |
133,475 |
10 |
SFO |
San Francisco |
133,099 |
11 |
DTW |
Detroit |
132,696 |
12 |
LGA |
New York |
129,909 |
13 |
LAS |
Las Vegas |
126,313 |
14 |
MSP |
Minneapolis |
122,638 |
15 |
EWR |
Newark |
118,254 |
16 |
PHL |
Philadelphia |
117,930 |
17 |
BOS |
Boston |
113,571 |
18 |
DCA |
Washington DC |
107,925 |
19 |
MCO |
Orlando |
106,538 |
20 |
JFK |
New York |
96,310 |
21 |
SLC |
Salt Lake City |
91,400 |
22 |
BWI |
Baltimore |
78,560 |
23 |
SAN |
San Diego |
74,708 |
24 |
FTL |
Fort Lauderdale |
73,019 |
25 |
WDI |
Washington DC |
69,709 |
InsureMyTrip analyzed non-stop domestic flights by major air carriers collected in 2019 thus far by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
According to InsureMyTrip, here’s a general look at the time of the week when security wait times for passengers tend to be the longest:
Code |
Airport |
Busiest Day & Time |
Average Wait Time |
ORD |
Chicago O'Hare International |
Sun. between 8 am - 9 am |
30 - 45 min |
ATL |
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International |
Mon. between 7 am - 9 am |
30 - 45 min |
DFW |
Dallas/Fort Worth International |
Sun. between 6 am - 7 am |
15 - 30 min |
DEN |
Denver International |
Sun. between 9 am - 10 am and Sat. 8 am - 10 am |
30 - 45 min |
CLT |
Charlotte Douglas International |
Sun. 1 pm - 2 pm |
60 min or more |
LAX |
Los Angeles International |
Varies* |
15 - 30 minutes, most of the time |
SEA |
Seattle/Tacoma International |
Sat. 6 am - 8 am |
30 - 45 min |
IAH |
George Bush Intercontinental/Houston |
Wed. 2 pm - 4 pm and Fri. 5 am - 6 am |
30 - 45 min |
PHX |
Phoenix Sky Harbor International |
Tues. 5 am - 6 am |
15 - 30 min |
SFO |
San Francisco International |
Thurs. 8 am - 9 am and Fri |
15 - 30 min |
Methodology
This data was collected by the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) and analyzed by InsureMyTrip. Data only includes standard wait time estimates for the busiest U.S. airports, based off the latest historical data available. Does not include wait times for TSA PreCheck passengers.
*Los Angeles International is listed as varied wait times, due to no clear day and time when extended wait times are more likely to happen.
Both the TSA and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) provide information on wait times at airports and border crossings. While security wait times are dynamic, travelers can check crowd-sourced airport security wait times by using the My TSA app prior to departure.
Based on these data results, travelers can make smarter choices about their travel plans and travel insurance purchases. For example, passengers with departing flights at busier airports are more likely to utilize a travel delay benefit and, therefore, may want to compare travel insurance policies with better delay protection.
Travel delay benefits vary with each travel insurance provider, generally between a 5 and 24-hour window. The benefit is designed to provide reimbursement for reasonable meals and accommodations while unable to travel.
Tip: Travelers must be delayed for a certain number of hours before this benefit can be applied. When comparing travel insurance, look for the minimum delay time (typically, starting at 5 hours) to start qualifying for coverage as soon as possible.
Travelers may also want to ensure baggage delay coverage is included under a selected comprehensive travel insurance plan. Baggage delay coverage generally becomes active after belongings have been delayed for a specified period of time, typically 12 or 24 hours.
Tip: When comparing travel insurance, look for a maximum per-person coverage amount as well as a per-day limit. For example, some policies may offer $500 per person to purchase incidentals, but only allow $200 to be spent per day.
For those concerned about a delayed flight adversely affecting a cruise or tour departure, travelers may also want to ensure a missed connection benefit is included under a selected comprehensive travel insurance plan. This benefit is designed to provide travelers with coverage if a delayed flight (for example, of 3 hours or more) causes a traveler to miss a cruise departure.
Flight cancellation policies vary by airline and circumstance. When an airline cancels a flight due to bad weather, most will try to rebook passengers on the next available flight.
Airlines are not required to reimburse travelers for losses incurred as a result of a canceled flight, including:
Travelers concerned about protecting any pre-paid, non-refundable trip expenses should buy a travel insurance policy that features flight insurance benefits.
In an effort to help empower passengers to make more informed decisions while traveling during the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, InsureMyTrip predicts which U.S. airports are most prone to delays and cancellations and what passengers should know about airline policies.
*U.S. airports were ranked by the InsureMyTrip travel data team. Data combined three years of on-time performance statistics for the 25 busiest airports (based on the volume of flight operations) located in Eastern U.S. On-time performance data included weather delays for airports — including those attributed to extreme weather conditions and delays under the control of the National Airspace System (NAS). The proportion of weather delays to the number of flights was also calculated in addition to the overall number of delays and minutes of delays. Researchers also reviewed the percentage of cancellations (domestic arrivals and departures). Data was obtained by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), the agency that tracks the on-time performance of domestic flights operated by large air carriers.
Researchers evaluated on-time data for selected airports during the 2015, 2016, and 2017 hurricane season. The official hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th (Source: NOAA).
Peak months for hurricane and tropical storm activity also appears to correlate with a higher number of canceled flights nationwide. For example, the highest percentage of all flights canceled in 2017 were reported during August and September. These months also experienced high storm activity along the Atlantic and Gulf Coast.
Top reasons given for a flight cancellation in 2017 by all reportable U.S. airports.
Reason for Cancellation |
Number of Flights Affected |
Weather |
45,008 |
Air Carrier |
16,928 |
National Aviation System |
13,725 |
Security |
290 |
Flight data obtained by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. National Aviation System cancellations can also be due to weather.
Data Source: The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) tracks the on-time performance of domestic flights operated by large air carriers.
Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation
W6390 Challenger Drive, Suite 203
Appleton, WI 54914
Alaska Airlines
P.O. Box 68900
Seattle, WA 98168
Attn.: Customer Relations
Allegiant Air
Customer Relations Department
8360 S. Durango Dr.
Las Vegas, NV 89113
American Airlines
Customer Relations
Mail Drop 2400
P.O. Box 619612
Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport, TX 75261
Customer Care
Delta Air Lines
P.O. Box 20980
Department 980
Atlanta, GA 30320
Endeavor Air
7500 Airline Drive
Minneapolis, MN 55450-1101
ExpressJet
100 Hartsfield Center Pkwy
Suite 700
Atlanta, GA 30354
Frontier Airlines, Inc.
Attn: Customer Relations
7001 Tower Road
Denver, CO 80249-7312
GoJet Airlines, LLC.
11495 Navaid Road Suite 303
Bridgeton, MO 63044
Hawaiian Airlines
P.O. Box 30008
Honolulu, HI 96820
JetBlue Airways
P.O. Box 17435
Salt Lake City, UT 84117
Mesa Air Group, Inc.
410 N. 44th Street, Ste. 700
Phoenix, AZ 85008
Republic Airways Holding
8909 Purdue Road, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46268
SkyWest Airlines
444 South River Road
St. George, Utah 84790
Southwest Airlines
P.O. Box 36647-1CR
Dallas, Texas 75235
Customer Relations
Spirit Air
2800 Executive Way
Miramar, FL 33025
Sun Country Airlines
Customer Service
1300 Mendota Heights Road
Mendota Heights, MN 55120
Customer Relations
United Airlines
P.O. Box 4607, NHCCR
Houston, TX 77210-4607
Customer Relations
US Airways
4000 E. Sky Harbor Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85034
Virgin America Airlines
555 Airport Blvd., Suite 500
Burlingame, CA 94010