United States Airport Statistics & Travel Data

InsureMyTrip issues its latest airport rankings for flight cancellations

Summary

• New York's LaGuardia reports the highest percentage of canceled flights for the second year in a row. Winter Storm Grayson was a contributing factor in 2018, forcing the airport to temporarily shut down.
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) makes an on-time performance comeback in 2018. A power outage at ATL in 2017 steered higher cancellation numbers last year.
• Roughly one percent of scheduled flights at Fort Lauderdale International called it quits in 2018. That’s an improvement from 2.7 percent in 2017.
• Severe weather was to blame for most cancelation blocks in 2018. Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Michael, and Winter Storm Grayson forced groundings at many Eastern U.S. airports and residual delays nationwide.
• Salt Lake City International maintains a consistent reputation for punctuality. The airport celebrates another year of shocking low cancellations.
• Looking ahead, InsureMyTrip anticipates major hubs for the Boeing 737 Max aircraft will result in a high number of reported flight delays and cancellations for 2019.

This ranking shows the biggest percentages of flights canceled in 2018 at U.S. airports.

Rank/Airport

1. LGA New York, NY: LaGuardia (Worst)
2. ORF Norfolk, VA: Norfolk International
3. CHS Charleston, SC: Charleston AFB/International
4. ROC Rochester, NY: Greater Rochester International
5. PHL Philadelphia, PA: Philadelphia International
6. EWR Newark, NJ: Newark Liberty International
7. PVD Providence, RI: Theodore Francis Green
8. DCA Washington, DC: Ronald Reagan Washington National
9. RIC Richmond, VA: Richmond International
10. RDU Raleigh/Durham, NC: Raleigh-Durham International
11. BUF Buffalo, NY: Buffalo Niagara International
12. CLT Charlotte, NC: Charlotte Douglas International
13. JFK New York, NY: John F. Kennedy International
14. BOS Boston, MA: Logan International
15. BDL Hartford, CT: Bradley International
16. MDW Chicago, IL: Chicago Midway International
17. GRR Grand Rapids, MI: Gerald R. Ford International
18. ORD Chicago, IL: Chicago O'Hare International
19. BWI Baltimore, MD: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall
20. CLE Cleveland, OH: Cleveland-Hopkins International
21. CMH Columbus, OH: John Glenn Columbus International
22. PIT Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh International
23. SDF Louisville, KY: Louisville International-Standiford Field
24. CVG Cincinnati, OH: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
25. DFW Dallas/Fort Worth, TX: Dallas/Fort Worth International
26. BHM Birmingham, AL: Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International
27. JAX Jacksonville, FL: Jacksonville International
28. PBI West Palm Beach/Palm Beach, FL: Palm Beach International
29. MKE Milwaukee, WI: General Mitchell International
30. IND Indianapolis, IN: Indianapolis International
31. MEM Memphis, TN: Memphis International
32. BUR Burbank, CA: Bob Hope
33. IAD Washington, DC: Washington Dulles International
34. BNA Nashville, TN: Nashville International
35. HOU Houston, TX: William P Hobby
36. STL St. Louis, MO: St Louis Lambert International
37. OMA Omaha, NE: Eppley Airfield
38. MCI Kansas City, MO: Kansas City International
39. DAL Dallas, TX: Dallas Love Field
40. SFO San Francisco, CA: San Francisco International
41. RSW Fort Myers, FL: Southwest Florida International
42. OKC Oklahoma City, OK: Will Rogers World
43. MSY New Orleans, LA: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International
44. ANC Anchorage, AK: Ted Stevens Anchorage International
45. OAK Oakland, CA: Metropolitan Oakland International
46. TPA Tampa, FL: Tampa International
47. MCO Orlando, FL: Orlando International
48. MIA Miami, FL: Miami International
49. MSP Minneapolis, MN: Minneapolis-St Paul International
50. FLL Fort Lauderdale, FL: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International
51. DTW Detroit, MI: Detroit Metro Wayne County
52. IAH Houston, TX: George Bush Intercontinental/Houston
53. AUS Austin, TX: Austin - Bergstrom International
54. ABQ Albuquerque, NM: Albuquerque International Sunport
55. SAT San Antonio, TX: San Antonio International
56. SAN San Diego, CA: San Diego International
57. SJU San Juan, PR: Luis Munoz Marin International
58. SJC San Jose, CA: Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International
59. LAX Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles International
60. HNL Honolulu, HI: Daniel K Inouye International
61. TUS Tucson, AZ: Tucson International
62. GEG Spokane, WA: Spokane International
63. DEN Denver, CO: Denver International
64. ONT Ontario, CA: Ontario International
65. PHX Phoenix, AZ: Phoenix Sky Harbor International
66. LAS Las Vegas, NV: McCarran International
67. SNA Santa Ana, CA: John Wayne Airport-Orange County
68. SEA Seattle, WA: Seattle/Tacoma International
69. RNO Reno, NV: Reno/Tahoe International
70. ATL Atlanta, GA: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
71. PDX Portland, OR: Portland International
72. SMF Sacramento, CA: Sacramento International
73. OGG Kahului, HI: Kahului Airport
74. BOI Boise, ID: Boise Air Terminal
75. SLC Salt Lake City, UT: Salt Lake City International

Data Source: InsureMyTrip Research and The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), the entity that tracks the on-time performance of domestic flights operated by large air carriers.

Airline Cancellation Policies

Flight cancellation policies vary by airline and circumstance. When an airline cancels a flight, 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. These losses may include such as a prepaid, non-refundable:

• Hotel room
• All-inclusive vacation or resort
• A cruise
• A tour or safari
• Concert or entertainment tickets

Travelers concerned about protecting any trip expenses should buy travel insurance.

Dealing With Flight Delays

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:

• Generally, early departures are less likely to be delayed.
• Book a non-stop flight (no stops).
• When booking, ask the airline about the on-time performance percentage for an individual flight.
• Closer to departure, check real-time airport data. This will provide timely information on weather concerns or air traffic delays.
• Be aware of "creeping delays." This is when an airline continues to push back a departure time it can sometimes be extended for hours or lead to a cancellation.
• If a flight is delayed, try to learn the reason why to better gauge if the flight is in jeopardy of being canceled. Reasons for delays may include maintenance, fueling, crew issues, weather, previous flight with the same aircraft arrived late, causing the present flight to depart late, or security issues.
• Some flights will be delayed on the tarmac before or after take-off. As a general rule, DOT prohibits flights to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours.

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 news@insuremytrip.com.

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:

• Hotel fees
• All-inclusive vacation or resort fees
• Cruise payment
• A pre-paid tour or safari
• Concert or entertainment tickets

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 US airports are most prone to delays and cancellations and what passengers should know about airline policies.

Airpot Delay Data Summary:

• Researchers ranked the on-time performance for the busiest airports in the Eastern US, the part of the country that is most impacted by tropical storms.*
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is ranked the best overall for handling delays and cancellations during hurricane season. It is also the busiest.
• Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia, and John F. Kennedy International are ranked the worst overall for delays and cancellations during hurricane season. All three airports are twice as likely to report a weather delay than any other airport on the list.
• Passengers should anticipate flight disruptions when a storm develops. Nationwide, flight cancellations soared for major US airports in August and September last year due to storms.

Overall US Airport Data Ranking (Worst to Best)

1. Newark, NJ: Newark Liberty International
2. New York, NY: LaGuardia
3. New York, NY: John F. Kennedy International
4. Houston, TX: George Bush Intercontinental/Houston
5. Washington, DC: Ronald Reagan Washington National
6. Dallas/Fort Worth, TX: Dallas/Fort Worth International
7. Fort Lauderdale, FL: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International
8. Philadelphia, PA: Philadelphia International
9. Boston, MA: Logan International
10. Baltimore, MD: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall
11. Dallas, TX: Dallas Love Field
12. Orlando, FL: Orlando International
13. Houston, TX: William P Hobby
14. Miami, FL: Miami International
15. Washington, DC: Washington Dulles International
16. Fort Myers, FL: Southwest Florida International
17. Raleigh/Durham, NC: Raleigh-Durham International
18. Austin, TX: Austin - Bergstrom International
19. Tampa, FL: Tampa International
20. Charlotte, NC: Charlotte Douglas International
21. Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh International
22. Nashville, TN: Nashville International
23. San Antonio, TX: San Antonio International
24. New Orleans, LA: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International
25. Atlanta, GA: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International

Data Methodology

*US 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 US. 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 US 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 US airports.

Flight data obtained by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. National Aviation System cancellations can also be due to weather.

InsureMyTrip Research predicts these airports will be more stressful for travelers this holiday due to the likelihood of canceled flights based on previously reported data for this year.

This table contains data for non-stop domestic flights by major air carriers collected in 2017 thus far by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

*Data excludes over 1,000 canceled flights due to the power outage of December, 17th 2017 at Hartsfield-Jackson International. Those numbers have not been collected yet.

US Airport Data Summary

• New York's LaGuardia reports the highest percentage of canceled flights in 2017. Winter Storm Stella was a contributing factor, causing the number of grounded flights to soar last March.
• For the first time in five years, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) reports more flight cancellations than Chicago O'Hare International (ORD). December's power outage at ATL contributed to the spike. Data analysts predicted this outcome.
• Despite the rise in canceled flights for Atlanta, the airport was average, in terms of percentages — with 1.49 percent of scheduled departures calling it quits.
• Bad weather is the top reason for flight delays and cancellations.
• Overall, flight delays are far more common than canceled flights.
• The list shows the airports with the biggest percentages of flights canceled in 2017.

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.

US Airport Flight Cancellation Summary

• For the first time in five years, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) is reporting more flight cancellations than Chicago O'Hare International (ORD) and this doesn't even include the power outage cancellations from this week.
• Weather is the top reason for flight cancellations and delays nationwide.
• If a flight is canceled, most airlines will rebook travelers on next available flight at no additional charge. However, airlines are not required to reimburse travelers for losses incurred as a result of a canceled flight.