U.S. travelers owed $451 million from U.S. flight delays

In 2017, more than 2,200 departing flights to the EU were disrupted at the 10 largest United States airports. But which U.S. airport had the most flight delays and cancellations? AirHelp analyzed air traffic for the 10 biggest United States airports in 2017, and found that most flight disruptions occurred at Newark Liberty International Airport, and the least occurred at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Many flights have also been delayed or canceled at John F. Kennedy International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and Los Angeles International Airport.

Newark Liberty International Airport: 29.7% of all flights departed irregularly

Out of all flights departing from Newark Liberty International Airport in 2017, more than 29% were disrupted. According to this result, the airport presented the worst on-time performance of the 10 biggest United States airports. Also, at John F. Kennedy International Airport and San Francisco International Airport, more than 27% of all flights showed flight problems.

Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport: Best performing airport

George Bush Intercontinental Airport showed the best on-time performance of the 10 biggest airports, with over 81% of all flights departing as scheduled. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Denver International Airport also presented good results in terms of on-time performance in 2017, as more than 80% of all flights departed without any disruptions.

Compensation for flight disruptions under EC 261: $451 million for United States passengers

Canceled or delayed flights may entitle each passenger to receive compensation of up to $700 under European law EC 261, which covers U.S. travelers on flights to the EU on EU airlines, and flights departing from the EU. Under EC 261, United States air travelers are owed approximately $451 million for flight disruptions experienced at U.S. airports in 2017. When a flight is delayed, eligibility for compensation depends on the distance of the flight, the actual arrival time at the destination airport, and the reason for the disruption, as flights disrupted due to extraordinary circumstances, like severe weather or political unrest, are not eligible. Affected passengers may claim their compensation up to three years ago from their disrupted flights.

Henrik Zillmer, CEO of AirHelp, comments on the findings:

“All in all, the analyzed airports showed poor results in terms of on-time-performance for the whole year of 2017. There might be unforeseeable factors like bad weather, especially in Autumn and Winter when airports are struggling more with tougher weather conditions than in Spring or Summer. Nevertheless, if you are affected by flight delays or cancellations, we strongly encourage you to check whether you are entitled to compensation from the responsible airline. Overall, passengers in the United States have been entitled to receive compensation of $451 million in 2017.”

Below are the rankings of the top 10 airports from best to worst on-time performance:

1. Houston: George Bush Intercontintal Airport (IAH) – 81.77% On Time
2. Atlanta: Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) – 81.65% On Time
3. Denver: Denver International Airport (DEN) – 80.31% On Time
4. Dallas: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) – 78.41% On Time
5. Charlotte: Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CTL) – 78.40% On Time
6. Chicago: O’Hare International Airport (ORD) – 77.80% On Time
7. Los Angeles: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – 75.63% On Time
8. San Francisco: San Francisco International Airport (SFO) – 72.78% On Time
9. New York: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) – 72.24% On Time
10. New Jersey: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) – 70.29% On Time