CHICAGO, United States — If you felt as though every other flight out of Chicago last year left late, you were not imagining it. Fresh numbers released by the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and analyzed by consumer advocacy firm AirAdvisor confirm that the Windy City’s secondary gateway, Chicago Midway International Airport, experienced the nation’s worst on-time record in 2024. Chicago reappears elsewhere in the rankings, too, as O’Hare sits just outside the top five. For travelers mapping their spring and summer itineraries, understanding where delays concentrate—and why—can help shave hours of frustration from the journey.
Nationwide snapshot: more flights, more late departures
The BTS database shows that 21.9% of the 7.5 million flights operated by U.S. carriers in 2024 left the gate at least 15 minutes behind schedule—the threshold the agency uses to label a flight “delayed.” According to AirAdvisor’s analysis of that data, disruption arose from a combination of factors: post-pandemic passenger surges, lingering staffing gaps across airlines and air traffic control, and increasingly volatile weather.
#1 Chicago Midway International Airport — 37% of flights delayed
A stunning 37% of Midway’s departures in 2024 missed their scheduled pushback. The airport, which opened in 1927 and is still undergoing modernization, handled more than 21 million passengers last year. Southwest Airlines dominates the field with a 91% market share; Frontier trails at 6%. Construction, congestion, and Midwest thunderstorms combined to disrupt the day-to-day flow. While O’Hare fared better, it still logged a 27% delay rate despite serving more than 240 nonstop destinations.
What it means for travelers
- Build longer layovers if you are connecting through Midway, especially during late-afternoon “bank” periods when morning delays snowball.
- Consider O’Hare for greater airline choice; though not perfect, its on-time numbers are 10 percentage points stronger.
- Use Midway’s smaller footprint to your advantage: security lines can move quickly before 6 a.m., making the first flights of the day your best bet.
#2 Orlando International Airport — 33% of flights delayed
Florida’s tourism workhorse saw 33% of departures leave late, seasonal crowds—Spring Break, Thanksgiving, Christmas—and a hurricane-prone climate hampered operations. A major expansion is underway; Terminal D will eventually lift capacity to 100 million passengers, but construction zones currently squeeze gate availability.
Traveler tips for Orlando
- Schedule flights outside peak school-holiday windows if possible.
- Keep tabs on storm forecasts from June through November.
- Budget extra time for gate changes while the airport builds Terminal D.
#3 Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport — 32% of flights delayed
Just up Florida’s Atlantic coast, Fort Lauderdale suffered a 32% delay rate. Spirit Airlines, with its 27% share, felt the pinch hardest, followed by JetBlue (19%), Southwest (15%), and Delta (14%). Five of the airport’s domestic links—Atlanta, Newark, LaGuardia, Kennedy, and Charlotte—each carried more than half a million passengers, compounding queuing pressure when weather rolls in off the ocean.
On the ground in Fort Lauderdale
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common; morning departures decrease your odds of a delay spell.
- The Brightline train now connects Fort Lauderdale to Miami and Orlando, offering a backup option if flights cancel outright.
- Spirit and JetBlue operate from separate terminals; double-check which rideshare zone you need before arriving.
#4 Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport — 31% of flights delayed
The fourth spot goes to Texas, where 31% of DFW flights were delayed in 2024. Size is part of the story: the airport’s five terminals span 17,000 acres, making taxi-out times lengthy even on blue-sky days. Severe thunderstorms and winter ice compound matters. American Airlines commands a 66% market share here, so its customers bear the brunt when systems clog up. The airport’s busiest domestic legs—Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Chicago, and Denver—each topped 900,000 passengers last year, meaning backup seats vanish quickly during irregular operations.
Navigating DFW delays
- If you must connect through Dallas, pick flights with at least a 90-minute buffer.
- Skylink, the air-side train, runs every two minutes; familiarize yourself with the loop in advance to avoid missed connections.
- During spring storm season, keep an eye on American’s travel waivers; rebooking early can save an overnight stay.
#5 Denver International Airport — 31% of flights delayed
Also, at a 31% delay rate, Denver International Airport rounds out the top five. Spanning 33,531 acres, the country’s largest airport by land area presents a challenge to crews to keep operations efficient. Winter snowstorms often snarl schedules despite the airport’s robust de-icing playbook. United Airlines holds a 47% share, followed by Southwest at 31% and Frontier at 10%. International demand continues to rise—Cancún, London, Vancouver, Frankfurt and Toronto all exceeded 300,000 passengers in 2024—stretching gate resources during peak bank times.
How to outsmart Denver’s disruptions
- Morning flights escape the bulk of the afternoon snow squalls that sweep the Rockies.
- The airport rail to downtown runs every 15 minutes; if you’re stuck, consider a quick city break rather than waiting at the gate.
- Altitude can affect aircraft performance; lightweight packing helps airlines meet weight restrictions during hot and high summer days.
Other airports flirting with the 30 percent mark
Three more major hubs—Newark Liberty (31%), New York Kennedy (30%), and San Francisco (30%)—hover just outside the podium, while Boston Logan (29%) and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (28%) close out the top ten. For coastal travelers, this cluster highlights how weather disruptions on the East and West Coasts ripple through the national network.
Why delays spiraled in 2024
Industry analysts cite three broad reasons:
- Sustained passenger rebound. Domestic and international demand roared back faster than many carriers could scale staff or fleets.
- Labor shortfalls. Airlines, airports, and the FAA are still rebuilding their workforces, which were thinned during the pandemic shutdown. Training pipelines—especially for pilots and air-traffic controllers—take years to replenish.
- Climate volatility. More severe hurricanes, thunderstorms, and winter storms pushed airports beyond their weather-planning norms. “Delays snowball through the timetable,” AirAdvisor analysts wrote in their report.
Tips for travelers: minimizing the misery
- Book the first wave. Flights departing before 8 a.m. statistically run on time more often because aircraft and crew are already on site.
- Pad connections. At delay-prone hubs, target layovers of at least 90 minutes domestic, two hours international.
- Track aircraft swaps. Use apps that display the inbound tail number; if the previous leg is late, you’ll know hours in advance.
- Know your rights. U.S. airlines must refund—not just voucher—tickets when they cancel a flight. Some carriers now publish meal-and-hotel commitments for delays that are within their control.
- Leverage neighboring airports. Chicago travelers, for example, can toggle between Midway and O’Hare, while Florida flyers might pit Orlando against Tampa or Miami when searching itineraries.
Late departures are no longer an occasional nuisance but a predictable pattern at several U.S. mega-hubs. Armed with the BTS data—and a few strategic booking moves—travelers can still take control of their schedules, choosing routes, flight times, and backup plans that sidestep the worst chokepoints. — as AirAdvisor analysts wrote in their report.
