The worst airports in the country expect to see tens of thousands more canceled flights this summer, maybe hundreds of thousands.
So far in 2022, U.S. airlines have canceled over 100,000 scheduled flights, according to data from FlightAware, a flight-tracking site. Almost a third of them have been since Memorial Day weekend. Disruptions are getting larger, as airports struggle to keep pilots and flight crew on staff, picket lines are drawn, and the FAA lags in hiring new air traffic controllers.
Rerouted passengers then clog other flights, some of which are then also canceled, and the problem snowballs. It has begun to be a major deterrent to travel, according to some.
New York appears to be the city to avoid, for those hopeful of an uncomplicated trip. Newark and LaGuardia are the top two worst airports in the country with over 7% of all flights canceled, and JFK is in the top ten.
Airports ranked by percentages of flights canceled:
1. Newark Liberty International Airport (New Jersey): 7.9%
2. LaGuardia Airport (New York): 7.4%
3. Reagan National Airport (Virginia): 5.4%
4. Raleigh-Durham International Airport (Louisiana): 4.3%
5. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (Ohio): 3.7%
6. Pittsburgh International Airport (Pennsylvania): 3.7%
7. Philadelphia International Airport (Pennsylvania): 3.6%
8. Boston Logan International Airport (Massachusetts): 3.6%
9. John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York): 3.5%
10. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (North Carolina): 3.4%
Delays are also extremely high, with over a third of all flights delayed at some of the worst airports.
Airports ranked by percentages of flights delayed:
1. Chicago Midway International Airport: 36%
2. Orlando International Airport: 33%
3. John F. Kennedy International Airport: 31.1%
4. Newark Liberty International Airport: 30%
5. Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport: 30%
6. Miami International Airport: 28.3%
7. Charlotte Douglas International Airport: 27.8%
8. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport: 27.2%
9. Denver International Airport: 27.2%
10. Harry Reid International Airport: 26.7%
Anyone planning to fly through these airports should make sure their plans are flexible, as interference appears likely. And there’s not yet any indication that fall will be the end of this.
Photo: Shutterstock