Worst US airports for flight cancellations and how to avoid disruptions

As flight cancellations continue to throw a wrench in Americans' summer travel plans, new data reveals which airports have been hit the hardest.

German claims-management firm AirHelp analyzed a total of 37,000 cancellations across 400 U.S. airports from May 27 to July 15. About 2.6% of all flights across the U.S. were canceled during the period.

The 10 worst airports for cancellations

New York's LaGuardia Airport and New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport are the worst when it comes to cancellations, accounting for 7.7% and 7.6%, respectively, of flights canceled during the period analyzed by AirHelp.

Travelers at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in the Queens borough of New York, US, on Friday, July 2, 2022.

Travelers arrive on an air train at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) on July 1, 2022 in Newark, New Jersey.

"Cancellations can happen for a variety of reasons, but in general we often see a higher concentration of cancellations and flight disruptions at airports that are higher in traffic, which is true for airports in the New York area," an AirHelp spokesperson told FOX Business.

Travelers wait in line at an American Airlines counter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on July 2, 2022.

Rounding out the remainder of the top five were Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport and Boston Logan International Airport with 5.9%, 4.1% and 4%, respectively, of flights canceled.

Passengers stand in line to go through security at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 2, 2022.

Travelers walk through Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Friday, Aug. 6, 2021.

Travelers at the departures concourse of Miami International Airport (MIA) in Miami, Florida, U.S., on Monday, April 18, 2022.

Following closely behind were Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport (3.8%), Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Miami International Airport (3.7%) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (3.6%).

The worst time to fly

When it comes to avoiding flight cancellations, when you fly is just as important as where you fly.

According to AirHelp's data, the largest concentration of cancellations happens from 4 p.m. to around 10 p.m.

Thursday marked the worst time to fly with 3.61% of flights between May 27 and July 15 canceled. Other days that were more likely to experience more cancellations included Friday (3.19%), Wednesday (2.69%), Saturday (2.67%) and Sunday (2.54%).

As for flight disruptions, Friday was the worst day, with 30.51% of flights impacted during the period. Other days more likely to face flight disruptions included Thursday (28.42%), Sunday (27.32%), Saturday (26.69%) and Wednesday (25.04%).

The best day to fly was Tuesday with 78.24% of flights coming in on time during the period. Other days with the most on-time flights included Monday (76.75%), Wednesday (74.96%), Saturday (73.31%) and Sunday (72.68%).