A peek at an airport’s delays and cancellations over the Christmas season might offer travelers an idea of whether they’ll need to pack their patience throughout the winter months.
The American Automobile Association anticipates that winter traffic will approach pre-pandemic levels and notes that airlines have taken efforts to avoid lengthy delays.
“Airlines have eliminated less popular/profitable routes in order to reduce flight delays and cancellations. The average round-trip cost between the most popular destinations would increase by 22 percent to $166, according to a AAA press release.
Despite airlines’ best efforts, a FOX Weather examination of FlightAware data revealed which airports tend to see the greatest issues from December to February.
During the previous six winter months, Newark Liberty International has the greatest proportion of delayed and canceled flights among the biggest airports in the United States. According to scheduled flight schedules, an average of 29 percent of flights were either delayed or canceled.
A FOX Weather examination of FlightAware data reveals that December through February are the most problematic months for flights.
Andrew Wulfeck
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates Newark, did not respond to a request for comment for this story. However, climatological data indicates that the northern parts of the state receive an average of more than 20 inches of snow, which is enough to cause havoc with arriving and departing planes.
“Northern New Jersey is close enough to the storm tracks that traverse the Great Lakes region and the St. Lawrence Valley to receive a portion of its precipitation from that source,” according to climatologists from the Garden State.
Other airports with high cancellation and delay rates include Denver International, O’Hare International, and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
Nine of the top ten airports on FOX Weather’s list of those with the most delays and cancellations often receive some type of winter precipitation, which can hinder or stop airline service.
Which airport has the most cancellations on average?
A winter storm affecting a major airport hub in the I-95 corridor can result in the cancellation of thousands of flights.
Depending on the number of planned flights, airports may have a greater cancellation rate than cities with more cancelled planes.
Not all delays or cancellations are created equal, thus a location with a large number of scheduled flights may actually have a lower percentage of delays or cancellations.
During the winter of 2019-2020, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport had over 108,000 scheduled flights, while Boston’s Logan International Airport had slightly over 48,000. Boston had a greater proportion of cancelled flights than Chicago, placing it higher on the list of cities with the most cancellations.
According to a study of available data by FOX Weather, a passenger was more likely to meet a flight cancellation in Boston than in Chicago.
Boston topped a chart of average flight cancellations during the previous two winters, followed by Newark, O’Hare, LaGuardia, and Denver. Newark ranked second, followed by O’Hare, LaGuardia, and Denver.
Rank Airport
Average number of flights canceled each season
Boston Logan International Airport 1,792 2 Newark Liberty International Airport 1,753 3 O’Hare International Airport 4,054 4 Boston Logan International Airport 1,792
LaGuardia Airport 1,565; Denver International Airport 1,930; LaGuardia Airport 1,565.
Which cities have the longest wait times?
The airport that ranked second on our list for the most flight cancellations also topped the list for the most flight delays.
Newark has had an average of nearly 12,000 delays every winter season during the past six months. The remaining four airports in the top five are Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, and Orlando.
Again, the quantity of scheduled flights influenced the ranking of each airport.
Orlando handled more scheduled flights than Minneapolis, thus a delay in the Twin Cities elevated it above the home of Mickey Mouse.
Rank Airport Average seasonal flight delays
12 213 passengers 1 Newark Liberty International Airport
18,910 O’Hare International Airport
3 Denver International Airport 16,148
However, Orlando is not known for its winter storms, and the region hasn’t seen snow in nearly 45 years, when an arctic front produced a minuscule dusting.
So why did Orlando score so highly on the list of airports with the most delays? According to travel experts, there is more to the aviation sector than the effects of mother nature.
Despite the absence of winter, Florida’s airports score highly.
Florida is renowned as the Sunshine State, where snowfall is uncommon and temperatures are often above freezing, yet airports such as Orlando and Miami have more delays and cancellations than many other southern cities.
According to travel experts, congestion in the skies over Florida has produced persistent problems for major airlines over the past several years, attracting the attention of the Federal Aviation Administration.
“Florida is still under construction. During the epidemic, not only did airline service to Florida airports increase, but so did private aviation – notably to airports like Palm Beach. Therefore, private planes compete with airlines for the same airspace. Kathleen Bangs, a former commercial airline pilot and current FlightAware spokesman, noted that nobody foresaw the massive increase in private aviation during the epidemic. “We’re still approximately 20% higher than in 2019,” she added.
Bangs stated that establishing routes over the water might help reduce system strain, but could also lead to other problems.
“One of the challenges with establishing and using those routes is that so many airplanes do not have readily available life rafts, life jackets, etc.,” Bangs said. “If you have to switch planes due to a technical issue or late arrival, you may not have the needed equipment.”