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The Airlines & Airports Most Likely To Disrupt Your Travel Plans

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According to the latest data from the US Bureau of Transportation Studies (BTS), 21.9% of the 7.5 million flights on US-based airlines in 2024 were delayed. A flight is classified as delayed if it departs more than 15 minutes after its scheduled departure time. In addition to causing significant operational disruptions, delays and cancellations can severely impact the passenger experience and reduce journey satisfaction.

In this article, we will use data from the US Bureau of Transportation Studies, published by AirAdvisor, to analyze the US airports and airlines that experience the most disruption due to delays and cancellations. We will also take a broader look at disruption across the US and examine the reasons behind it.

Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)

37% delayed

According to the data published by the US Bureau of Transportation Studies, the US airport that experienced the most delays in 2024 was Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), with 37% of its flights departing more than 15 minutes behind schedule.

Chicago Midway International Airport processed more than 21 million passengers in 2024, making the airport one of the busiest in the region. This heavy flow of passenger traffic could have been one of the contributing factors to the above-average incidence of delays. The airport dates back to 1927, and several modernization projects have helped to bring its outdated infrastructure up to standard. However, such construction work inevitably increases the risk of disruption around the airport and on the airfield.

The facility is a major hub for Southwest Airlines, with the low-cost carrier commanding a 91% market share, significantly ahead of second-placed Frontier Airlines with 6%. Meanwhile, Chicago’s primary international airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), performed slightly better in the delay statistics, with around 27% of its flights departing late last year. Chicago O’Hare International Airport is recognized as one of the best-connected airports in the world, with direct links to more than 240 destinations worldwide. The airport’s busiest international routes last year were:

  1. London Heathrow Airport (LHR) – 1,008,000 passengers
  2. Cancún International Airport (CUN) – 862,000 passengers
  3. Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) – 704,000 passengers
  4. Mexico City International Airport (MEX) – 667,000 passengers
  5. Frankfurt Airport (FRA) – 586,000 passengers.

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Orlando International Airport (MCO)

33% delayed

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

The US airport that experienced the second-highest proportion of delays over 15 minutes in 2024 was Orlando International Airport (MCO), with 33% of flights departing late. Located in Florida and acting as the gateway to the immensely popular tourist hotspot of Orlando, the airport sees an exceptionally high proportion of tourist traffic. This occurs particularly during peak periods, such as Spring Break and over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Such peaks can overwhelm airport facilities and infrastructure.

In order to make flight operations at Orlando International Airport more resilient, the facility is currently undergoing extensive renovations. Plans are currently in place to build an additional terminal at the current airport site, which will be known as Terminal D. Once completed, the airport’s capacity will increase to a staggering 100 million passengers.

Orlando International Airport’s location in Florida makes it prone to inclement weather, particularly during hurricane season, when strong winds and rain can disrupt the airport’s flight operations, leading to delays and cancellations.

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Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)

32% delayed

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

Just like its fellow Florida airport further north, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is also affected by the region’s sometimes unpredictable climate. In 2024, 32% of all flights departing the airport were delayed by at least 15 minutes, making it the third-worst affected airport in the country by delays.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the third-busiest airport in Florida, after Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Miami International Airport (MIA). With a 27% market share at the airport, ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines is most likely to be most affected by the high probability of delays. JetBlue is the second-largest airline at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, with a market share of 19%, followed by Southwest Airlines (15%) and Delta Air Lines (14%).

Last year, the busiest routes from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport were:

  1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) – 1,257,000 passengers
  2. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) – 784,000 passengers
  3. LaGuardia Airport (LGA) – 728,000 passengers
  4. New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) – 578,000 passengers
  5. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) – 558,000 passengers.

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Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)

31% delayed

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

The fourth most affected airport by delays and cancellations in the US last year was Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), where 31% of departing flights were delayed by at least 15 minutes. One of the primary causal factors of this phenomenon at the Texas airport is the airport’s sheer size, which somewhat complicates navigating the facility for both aircraft and passengers. The region is also prone to severe weather events, which, as we have already noted, can significantly disrupt airport operations.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is one of American Airlines’ largest hubs, with the oneworld carrier commanding a 66% market share. The airport’s busiest international route last year was Cancún International Airport (CUN) in Mexico, while its busiest domestic routes are listed below:

  1. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – 1,131,000 passengers
  2. Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) – 980,000 passengers
  3. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) – 968,000 passengers
  4. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) – 936,000 passengers
  5. Denver International Airport (DEN) – 911,000 passengers.

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Denver International Airport (DEN)

31% delayed

Denver International Airport (DEN) is the US airport with the fifth-highest proportion of delays, with 31% of departing flights leaving more than 15 minutes behind schedule. The Colorado airport is often hit by severe snowstorms in the winter, which can bring flight operations to a standstill. Although the airport is accustomed to such events and is well-equipped to handle them as best as possible, they still have a significant adverse effect on flight operations.

As the largest airport in the Western Hemisphere by land area, Denver International Airport presents its own challenges for carriers flying to and from the facility. The sheer size of the airport is difficult to appreciate from ground level, but it can add minutes (and sometimes longer) to schedules that are already tightly packed.

Denver International Airport is one of the country’s largest airports and serves as a major hub for United Airlines. The Star Alliance carrier boasts a 47% market share, ahead of Southwest Airlines (31%) and Frontier Airlines (10%). The five busiest international routes from Denver International Airport in 2024 were:

  1. Cancún International Airport (CUN) – 617,000 passengers
  2. London Heathrow Airport (LHR) – 421,000 passengers
  3. Vancouver International Airport (YVR) – 413,000 passengers
  4. Frankfurt Airport (FRA) – 337,000 passengers
  5. Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) – 322,000 passengers.

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What Is Causing The Increase In Disruption?

Photo: eakkarat rangram | Shutterstock

Several factors have led to an increase in delays and cancellations across US airports in recent years. Firstly, passenger numbers have significantly increased, aided by a post-pandemic boom in both domestic and international air travel. With more flights, more aircraft, and more passengers using the country’s air infrastructure, there is more room for something to go wrong. Flight schedules are often so tightly packed that even a small delay in the morning can have a snowball effect throughout the day.

Since the pandemic, the aviation industry country-wide has struggled to recruit and train the number of staff required to ensure a smooth and efficient operation. This has affected all parts of the industry, from pilots to air traffic controllers. The situation has improved somewhat since the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, but shortages are still a problem, leading to operational disruptions, and, at times, delays and cancellations.

Lastly, as we have seen, airport operations can be greatly affected by inclement weather conditions. As climate change brings more severe weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and snowstorms, we can only expect the resulting operational disruptions to increase as well. Future advances in technology may help better predict and manage such events, but will ultimately not stop them from occurring.

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Some Airlines Are More Affected Than Others

Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock

When it comes to which airlines are most impacted, this is largely determined by the presence of each carrier at the affected airports. For example, American Airlines has one of its largest hubs at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), and it therefore stands to reason that the oneworld carrier is proportionally more affected than other carriers at the airport. The same could be said for Southwest Airlines at Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW).

The US airports that experienced the highest proportion of disruption due to delays and cancellations in 2024, according to statistics from the US Bureau of Transportation Studies, are outlined in the table below:

Airport

Flights delayed >15 minutes

Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)

37%

Orlando International Airport (MCO)

33%

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)

32%

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)

31%

Denver International Airport (DEN)

31%

Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)

31%

New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

30%

San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

30%

Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)

29%

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

28%



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Turkish Airlines trims planned operations on select EX-YU markets

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In Ljubljana, Turkish Airlines increased its frequencies from fourteen to eighteen weekly flights in mid-June. However, services will be temporarily reduced to sixteen weekly for the week starting August 4, before increasing to seventeen weekly until October. The schedule is then set to return to eighteen weekly flights, although the airline has yet to finalise its October timetable. In Sarajevo, one weekly rotation will be cut in August, reducing operations from 24 to 23 weekly flights, and from a planned 21 to 20 weekly in September. Similarly, in Pristina, frequencies will be reduced from fourteen to thirteen weekly flights in both August and September.

This week, Turkish Airlines cancelled more than 100 flights for both August and September, cutting over 22.000 seats in each month. The airline has not provided an official explanation for the cancellations. Turkish Airlines continues to be affected by the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G GTF engine issues on its Airbus A320neos, though the ratio of grounded aircraft has improved as more spares have become available on the market. It is unclear whether these cancellations are in relation to engine inspections, although almost all the cancelled flights are on short and medium-haul services. The carrier’s Chairman, Ahmet Bolat, said recently, “I expect that [engine] issue will be solved completely in three to four years”. Around thirty A320neo aircraft will remain grounded by the end of 2025, a noticeable drop from a previous peak of 45 grounded aircraft.



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Regulatory fog clouds Indonesia Airlines’ launch timeline – Companies

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ew carrier Indonesia Airlines’ operational launch remains uncertain due to an incomplete verification process, as the airline has yet to submit its business plan, the Transportation Ministry said.   

The ministry’s civil aviation director general Lukman F. Laisa said the verification process was a crucial part of the licensing system.

“Unverified status means the process has not been completed. There is no operational certainty until all stages are completed in accordance with the regulations,” he said in a press release on Friday.

Lukman emphasized that the ministry had yet to receive applications of the necessary permits related to the establishment of Indonesia Airlines.  

However, he expressed readiness to support new carrier establishments and initiatives, as long as all processes were transparent and comply with the regulations. 

In response, Indonesia Airlines said the licensing process would proceed gradually and that the company was committed to following all procedures.

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“So, it is still in progress until the final [verification] later,” Indonesia Airlines deputy chief corporate officer Hadi Surya told The Jakarta Post on Friday.



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Delta Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Engine Fire, 294 Passengers’ Lives at Risk | Latest News

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According to a report by Aviation a2z, Delta Airlines flight DL446 was carrying 282 passengers, 10 flight attendants, and two pilots. Shortly after takeoff, the pilots confirmed an engine fire and declared an emergency landing. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated. The Delta Airlines aircraft (a Boeing 767-400), approximately 25 years old, is equipped with two General Electric CF6 engines.



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