PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – With spring break underway across the United States, and a surge in travel after the COVID-19 pandemic, AirHelp released a list of airports with the most frequent flight disruptions.
“Airports are kind of a complicated ecosystem where you have ground handlers, you have the airports, you have airlines, you have the big effect of weather and then when something goes wrong, you have kind of the chain effect,” said Eric Napoli with AirHelp, an air passenger rights company.
In February 2023, Kahului Airport was at the top of the list for flight disruptions at 30%, followed by Reno/Tahoe International Airport at 29%, Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas at 28.52% and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport at 28.51%, according to AirHelp.
Napoli recommends taking flights earlier in the day, if possible, to avoid flight disruptions. He added, “if you don’t have the first flight in the day, you have a later flight or you have a connecting flight, and there’s lots of air traffic, there’s bad weather, you’re a hub, then you’re likely to see the disruptions continue throughout the day.”
While the United States does not have the best passenger protection laws, Napoli says, the Department of Transportation developed an online dashboard for passengers to see airline offerings for cancelled flights and delays.
As far as best airports for on-time flights, Napoli recommends Tennessee’s McGhee Tyson Airport along with LAX, Palm Springs and Tampa. For those looking for a ski getaway, Napoli suggests flying with Salt Lake City’s airport over Denver.