No one likes a flight delay, but unfortunately for all of us, they’re more common than you think. According to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, nearly 22% of flights in the U.S. experienced a delay or cancellation in 2024. We dug into the data to find out which airports had the worst on-time arrival rates. Here are the 10 most delayed major U.S. airports (as defined by the BTS).
10. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Percentage of delayed or canceled flights: 23.8%
The airspace around New York City is the most congested in the country, so it’s no surprise to see Newark Airport in neighboring New Jersey make the list of the top 10 most delayed airports in the U.S. Indeed, the No. 1 cause of delays at EWR in 2024 was related to the National Aviation System (NAS), a broad set of disruptions that include airport operations, heavy traffic volume, and air traffic control. Newark Airport also faced delays due to runway construction throughout the year. Another New York City-area airport wasn’t far behind on the list — JFK saw 22.97% of flights arrive late in 2024.
9. Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
Percentage of delayed or canceled flights: 23.94%
Boston Logan faced similar congestion issues, with National Aviation System issues as the top delay cause in 2024. According to the airport’s website, Logan has the second-smallest footprint among the top 20 major American airports, yet it is one of the nation’s busiest hubs, with more than 40 airlines offering services to over 100 destinations. The top carriers at Logan are Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways.
8. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
Percentage of delayed or canceled flights: 23.98%
Austin, Texas, is home to one of the nation’s fastest-growing airports, and 2024 was its second-busiest year on record, with 21.8 million passengers. Unfortunately, there were some growing pains, as nearly a quarter of flights through Austin-Bergstrom were late. JetBlue was the airline with the most delays at the airport in 2024.
7. Miami International Airport (MIA)
Percentage of delayed or canceled flights: 24.98%
Miami International was one of four Florida airports to make the list of U.S. airports with the most delays. Among other factors, the region’s airspace faced restrictions due to a staffing shortage of air traffic controllers throughout the year, leading to frequent ground stop programs and more disruptions for passengers. Miami is the second-busiest airport in Florida, and the airport’s top carrier is American Airlines.
5. Orlando International Airport (MCO) (tie)
Percentage of delayed or canceled flights: 25.44%
Orlando is famous for theme parks like Walt Disney World, which draw millions of visitors each year. So perhaps it’s no surprise to learn that MCO is Florida’s busiest airport (and the ninth-busiest in the nation), handling 57.2 million passengers in 2024. But with all that traffic volume there were significant delays — more than a quarter of flights arrived at their destinations late during the year, according to the BTS data.
5. San Diego International Airport (SAN) (tie)
Percentage of delayed or canceled flights: 25.44%
Contrary to popular belief, the weather isn’t always sunny in Southern California. Recently, San Diego’s airport made headlines for major flight disruptions due to fog and low visibility. The airport also has only one runway, which makes it more prone to delays when traffic volume is high. There were more than 95,000 flights at the airport in 2024, and San Diego’s top carrier is Southwest Airlines.
4. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
Percentage of delayed or canceled flights: 26%
American Airlines is the world’s biggest airline in terms of passenger numbers, and Dallas/Fort Worth is the airline’s largest hub — and it continues to grow, offering flights to 240 destinations worldwide. If you’re connecting through DFW, however, be prepared to be patient, as it ranks No. 4 in the nation for flight delays.
3. Tampa International Airport (TPA)
Percentage of delayed or canceled flights: 26.06%
Florida’s Tampa International notched 1,281,745 total minutes of flight delays in 2024, according to the BTS. Though the airport often faces adverse weather conditions, particularly frequent thunderstorms in summer, the top cause of flight delays was aircraft arriving late — which is also the top cause of all flight delays in the country.
2. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
Percentage of delayed or canceled flights: 26.14%
The dubious honor of Florida’s most delayed airport goes to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International. One factor in the number of flight disruptions is the number of low-cost airlines that operate out of the airport. According to an airport spokesperson, those airlines tended to have more delayed flights, with Spirit Airlines topping the list with a 31% delay rate.
1. San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Percentage of delayed or canceled flights: 31.11%
SFO is the most delayed U.S. airport by a considerable margin. The airport’s runway layout has a big impact on operations. Its parallel runways are only 750 feet apart, and during periods of low visibility (which can occur frequently in the Bay Area), the FAA mandates that only one runway be used, which reduces the amount of traffic the airport can accommodate and leads to frequent delays.
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