The 10 U.S. Airports With the Most Delays
The 10 U.S. Airports With the Most Delays
No one likes flight delays, but they happen to some extent every day. According to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, nearly a quarter of flights in the U.S. arrived behind schedule last year. Delays can happen anywhere, of course, but due to factors such as airspace congestion or frequent adverse weather conditions, some airports were more prone to them than others. We dug into the data to find out which airports had the worst on-time arrival rates. Here are the 10 major U.S. airports (out of the 30 busiest airports defined by the BTS) with the most delays in 2025.
10. Tampa International Airport (TPA)
Percentage of on-time arrivals: 74.6%
Florida’s Tampa International notched over 1.3 million total minutes of flight delays in 2025. Though the airport often faces thunderstorms in summer, the top cause of flight delays was aircraft arriving late — which is also the top cause of flight delays in the country overall.
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9. San Diego International Airport (SAN)
Percentage of on-time arrivals: 74.38%
Contrary to popular belief, the weather isn’t always sunny in Southern California — San Diego’s airport can experience 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.
8. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
Percentage of on-time arrivals: 74.3%
The dubious honor of Florida’s most delayed airport goes to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International. Though weather factored into a small percentage of delays, the top causes in Fort Lauderdale were aircraft arriving late, air carrier delays (delays within the control of the airline), and delays due to the National Aviation System — a broad set of circumstances that includes air traffic control restrictions, heavy volume, and weather delays that are not confined to a single airport.
7. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Percentage of on-time arrivals: 74.16%
Philadelphia serves as a major hub for American Airlines, and in 2025 nearly a third of late flights at the airport were due to air carrier delays. American also ranked in the bottom half of on-time performance for U.S. airlines in 2025.
6. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
Percentage of on-time arrivals: 72.95%
O’Hare has eight runways — more than any other airport in the U.S. — which come in handy to handle the 80 million-plus passengers who transit this busy Midwestern hub every year. Unfortunately, many of them arrived late. More than 7.5 million minutes in 2025 were lost to flight delays at O’Hare.
5. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
Percentage of on-time arrivals: 72.75%
In 2025, 10% of the flight delays at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport were due to weather, more than for any other airport in the top 10. DFW, the largest hub for American Airlines, also ranks as the second-busiest airport in the U.S., after Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
4. Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
Percentage of on-time arrivals: 72.58%
Although late arriving aircraft were the No. 1 cause for delays at Boston Logan Airport, congestion issues due to the broader National Aviation System were a close second. 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.
3. New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
Percentage of on-time arrivals: 71.75%
With three major airports located within a close radius, New York airspace is notoriously congested, and when weather rolls in, it can have a ripple effect on delays. This is evident in the delay data for LaGuardia, where National Aviation System issues were the most frequent culprit for late arriving flights in 2025.
2. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Percentage of on-time arrivals: 70%
Newark Liberty Airport shares airspace with nearby LaGuardia, so it’s no surprise to see both airports make the list of the top 10 most delayed airports in the U.S. In Newark, a busy hub for United Airlines, more than half of all delays were due to the National Aviation System.
1. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
Percentage of on-time arrivals: 68.30%
More than 30% of flights at D.C.’s Reagan National Airport arrived late last year. Like other airports in the region, DCA faced issues with congestion, high traffic volume, and weather. But it had the added complication of runway restrictions that were put in place after the tragic crash of American Eagle Flight 5342 on January, 29, 2025, as well as air traffic control staffing shortages due to the prolonged government shutdown earlier this year — a problem that added to the delays at other airports on this list, too.
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