
New York Area Airports Make List of Most Unreliable In U.S.
If you want a stress-free travel experience this summer, you'll want to avoid these airports.
Traveling on vacation can be an exciting experience but it can also be very stressful at times. A new study has revealed the most unreliable airports in the US, with two New York area airports making the top 10.
Also See: New York Park Ranked Among Most Dangerous in America
Personal injury lawyers at Whitley Law Firm analyzed Google reviews, the number of cancellations per 100 departures and the average flight delay time in all US airports that have 1,000 or more departures per year. These factors were indexed to determine the most unreliable airports in the US, with a lower score indicating a more unreliable airport.
The study was based on US airports with at least 1,000 flights departing between January 2023 and 2024. A total of 5 factors were used to compile the index. The raw data for each factor was cleaned, checked, and standardized on the same scale from 0 to 10, where 0 and 10 represent the worst and best values present in the data, to allow for accurate comparison between factors. Factors for which a high score would be negative were subtracted from 10 to invert their scoring.
Which New York Area Airports Made the List?
Ithaca Tompkins International Airport in New York ranks ninth in the US, with an index score of 38.83/100.
Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey ranks ninth. It has a score of 36.89/100. For every 100 Google reviews, 1.2 mention that the airport is stressful or unsafe. Each flight from EWR is delayed by an average of 15.2 minutes.
Also on the list ranked Tenth is Martha's Vineyard Airport, located in Massachusetts. It has a score of 39.75/100. On average, departures here are delayed by 28 minutes, while 4.4 out of every 100 departures are cancelled.
A spokesperson from Whitley Law Firm has commented: “It is fascinating to see which airports are the most unreliable, especially with the surprising inclusion of some of America’s smaller airports.
“While there are many factors that we can’t control in an airport, there are steps we can take to make navigating through them slightly easier. For example, it goes without saying that you need to arrive at the airport early when flying. Generally, you should arrive at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights, but this may vary for busier airports.

“Regularly checking your flight status for any changes or delays is also an important step, as well as familiarizing yourself with your terminal and gate beforehand. If possible, packing lightly and sticking to just carry-on luggage can also save you a lot of time before and after your flight.”
*Fun Fact: The most reliable airport in the U.S. is Newport News/Williamsburg International in Virginia, with a score of 78.92/100.
The most unreliable airports in the U.S.
Rank | Airport name | Location | Score /100 |
1 | Aspen/Pitkin County Airport | Colorado | 30.32 |
2 | Santa Fe Municipal Airport | New Mexico | 36.16 |
3 | Newark Liberty International Airport | New Jersey | 36.89 |
4 | Tyler Pounds Regional Airport | Texas | 37.77 |
5 | Chicago Midway International Airport | Illinois | 37.79 |
6 | Casper/Natrona County International Airport | Wyoming | 37.92 |
7 | Williston Basin International Airport | North Dakota | 38.19 |
8 | Texarkana Regional Airport | Arkansas | 38.43 |
9 | Ithaca Tompkins International Airport | New York | 38.83 |
10 | Martha's Vineyard Airport | Massachusetts | 39.75 |
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Gallery Credit: Dave Wheeler