The Ranking: A Data-Driven Look at the 10 Worst Airports
The following ranking is derived from analysis of on-time performance data, primarily sourced from the Department of Transportation. On-time performance is generally defined as a flight that arrives at or departs from the gate within 15 minutes of its scheduled time. The airports listed below consistently appear at the bottom of these rankings, demonstrating persistent challenges that impact millions of travelers annually. The list proceeds from the tenth-worst to the single most delayed airport in the United States based on recent full-year data.
10. LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
Long notorious for its outdated facilities, LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York, has undergone a remarkable transformation with a multi-billion-dollar redevelopment. While the passenger terminals are now world-class, the airport’s fundamental operational constraints remain. LGA is “slot-controlled,” meaning the FAA limits the number of takeoffs and landings per hour to manage congestion. Its two short, intersecting runways and limited physical footprint leave little room for error. The airport is also embedded within the most congested airspace in the world, the New York TRACON, meaning delays at nearby Newark or JFK airports almost always have a ripple effect on LaGuardia. Its on-time arrival rate often hovers around 74-76%.
9. San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
San Francisco’s primary operational challenge is a meteorological one: marine layer fog. The airport’s two main runways are spaced only 750 feet apart. Under visual flight rules (VFR) in clear weather, this allows for simultaneous, independent landings. However, when fog reduces visibility, FAA safety regulations require greater separation between aircraft, mandating that only one runway be used for arrivals. This single action can cut the airport’s arrival capacity by nearly 50%, triggering extensive ground delay programs for inbound flights. This weather pattern is so common, especially during summer mornings, that SFO’s on-time performance frequently sits below 75%.
8. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
As one of the world’s premier international gateways, JFK in New York City handles a high volume of large, wide-body aircraft on long-haul routes. This complex mix of traffic, combined with its location in the congested New York airspace, creates chronic delays. Surface congestion on taxiways and at gates is a frequent problem. Like its neighbors LGA and EWR, JFK is highly susceptible to disruptions from summer thunderstorms and winter snowstorms, which can snarl operations for days. Its on-tme performance is often comparable to LaGuardia’s, in the 74-76% range.
7. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
For decades, O’Hare was one of the busiest airports in the world, and it remains a critical hub for both United and American Airlines. Its immense traffic volume alone makes it prone to delays. However, its primary challenge is its location in the American Midwest, where it is exposed to a wide range of severe weather, from brutal winter blizzards and ice storms to intense summer thunderstorms and tornado watches. These weather events can paralyze the airport, and because of its central role in the national aviation network, disruptions at ORD quickly cascade across the entire country. Its on-time arrival percentage typically falls in the 73-75% range.
6. Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
Las Vegas is a unique case. While it enjoys generally good weather, it has become one of the nation’s most popular leisure destinations, leading to immense traffic volume that strains its infrastructure. The airport faces challenges with gate availability and tarmac congestion. Furthermore, its operations can be significantly impacted by high winds and intense summer heat, which can affect aircraft performance on takeoff. As a major destination for many airlines, it also feels the ripple effects of delays originating from hub airports across the country, with on-time performance often near 72-74%.
5. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
BWI serves a dense, high-traffic region and competes with two other major airports (Dulles and Reagan National). It is a major base for low-cost carriers, which often operate with tight turnaround schedules that are more susceptible to cascading delays. BWI is vulnerable to the same East Coast weather patterns, including summer thunderstorms and winter storms, that affect the entire Northeast corridor. Its location means it also shares congested airspace with traffic heading to and from New York and Washington, D.C., leading to an on-time arrival rate that frequently dips to around 71-73%.
4. Denver International Airport (DEN)
Denver is a massive airport geographically, but its operations are at the mercy of its high-altitude location and volatile Rocky Mountain weather. The airport is subject to heavy snow in the winter and severe thunderstorms in the summer, which can develop with little warning. High winds are also a common issue. As a primary hub for both United and Southwest Airlines, a massive number of flights connect through DEN, so any weather disruption has an outsized national impact. Its on-time performance is frequently challenged, often falling into the 70-72% range.
3. Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Orlando’s travel woes are a direct result of its geography and its status as a top tourist destination. Located in central Florida, MCO is subject to near-daily thunderstorms during the long summer season. These storms, which bring lightning and heavy rain, frequently force ground stops where all ramp activity ceases for safety, halting departures and arrivals. The sheer volume of leisure travelers, combined with this relentless weather pattern, overwhelms the airport’s capacity on a regular basis. This leads to an on-time arrival rate that is often below 70%, landing it consistently among the worst performers.
2. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
When travelers ask, “why is Newark airport so bad?”, the answer is a combination of almost every negative factor. It suffers from the same airspace congestion as JFK and LGA but has less resilient infrastructure. Its runways are aging and often subject to closure for maintenance. It serves as a major hub for United Airlines, meaning a huge volume of traffic is funneled through an already constrained space. EWR is highly susceptible to weather delays, and due to its packed schedule, recovery from any disruption is slow and painful. For years, it has battled for the unenviable title of the most delayed airport, with on-time arrival percentages frequently struggling at 68-70%.
1. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
In recent analyses, Fort Lauderdale has emerged as what is the most delayed airport in the US. Like Orlando, it is plagued by Florida’s intense and frequent thunderstorms. However, FLL has less robust infrastructure than MCO and has seen explosive growth from ultra-low-cost carriers. This has pushed traffic volumes beyond what the airport can comfortably handle. A single runway closure or a prolonged thunderstorm can bring its operations to a standstill. The combination of extreme weather, high traffic volume, and infrastructure that has not kept pace with demand has pushed its on-time performance to the bottom of national rankings, with on-time arrival rates sometimes falling as low as 66-68%.
