The Most Delay-Prone Airports in the U.S.—And How to Outsmart Them

The Most Delay-Prone Airports in America

According to a new analysis of U.S. Department of Transportation data by Daily Passport, travelers flying through Newark (EWR), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), and Chicago Midway (MDW) experience the highest rates of flight delays in the country. The report crunched numbers from 2024 to determine which airports had the lowest percentage of on-time departures, and the results are… not surprising, but still frustrating.

Here are the ten worst offenders for departure delays:

1. Newark Liberty International (EWR) – 30.4% delayed

2. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL) – 28.3% delayed

3. Chicago Midway (MDW) – 27.1% delayed

4. Orlando International (MCO) – 26.5% delayed

5. Dallas Love Field (DAL) – 26.2% delayed

6. Las Vegas Harry Reid International (LAS) – 26.1% delayed

7. Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW) – 25.8% delayed

8. New York LaGuardia (LGA) – 25.5% delayed

9. Houston Hobby (HOU) – 25.5% delayed

10. Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) – 25.3% delayed

Some of the delay-prone usual suspects are here—hello, EWR and LGA—but Florida’s presence is especially notable, with both Orlando and Fort Lauderdale ranking near the top. Weather, congestion, and sheer volume are all at play.

Why These Airports Struggle

The common denominator? Congestion, complex airspace, and weather vulnerabilities. Northeast hubs like Newark and LaGuardia have long struggled with air traffic saturation and seasonal storms, while airports in Florida and Texas suffer from frequent thunderstorms, especially in the summer months.

Midway’s inclusion is a reminder that even smaller airports aren't immune—particularly when they’re dominated by a single carrier (hello, Southwest) with tightly scheduled turns and little margin for error.

What This Means for Passriders

For airline employees traveling on standby, airport reliability matters more than most people realize. A delay in one leg can ripple through your whole trip, triggering missed connections and tighter loads later in the day. Worse, flights into or out of delay-prone airports tend to get overbooked more often to compensate for cancellations or rollovers.

Here are a few nonrev-savvy tips to navigate these tricky hubs:

• Avoid connecting through high-delay airports late in the day. Try to fly earlier when possible, when loads are looser and delays haven’t snowballed yet.

• Build in long layovers at risky hubs. A 45-minute connection at EWR? Bold. Three hours? Smart.

• Keep alternate airports in mind. If FLL is a mess, can you fly into PBI or MIA instead?

• Use tools like FlightStats and the FAA Delay Map to monitor live airport conditions and reroute yourself if things start to snarl.

• Track delay trends by season. Summer thunderstorms in Florida? Pack patience. Winter in the Northeast? Watch for snow-driven mayhem.

The Bottom Line

For nonrevs, knowing which airports are delay magnets can make or break your trip. While you can’t control the weather or ATC, you can make smarter decisions about where you connect, when you fly, and how tightly you schedule your standby adventure.

So… is there an airport you’ve personally blacklisted for nonrev trips?

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