Last Updated on August 22, 2025
A new study by airport transfer experts Transfeero used the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics to reveal which airports are the biggest offenders when it comes to late departures. The ranking looked at 30 of the nation’s busiest airports and identified the 10 with the highest percentage of delayed flights in 2025 and some of the names topping the list might not surprise frequent flyers.
1. Dallas/Fort Worth International (25.42% of flights delayed)
Dallas/Fort Worth International takes the unenviable crown as the most delay-prone airport in the U.S. this year. With more than one in four flights arriving late, it’s not hard to see why travelers are frustrated. As one of the nation’s busiest hubs, the airport serves as a crucial connection point for both domestic and international flights. But frequent thunderstorms, especially in spring and summer, wreak havoc on schedules, contributing to its sky-high delay rate.
2. Denver International (23.86%)
Denver’s position in the heart of the country makes it a key player in cross-country travel, but its weather is its Achilles’ heel. Heavy snow and ice in winter, along with booming thunderstorms in summer, regularly disrupt operations. Add in the fact that Denver is often the domino that topples others in the nationwide flight network, and it’s easy to see why nearly a quarter of flights are delayed.
3. Ronald Reagan Washington National (23.29%)
Coming in third, Reagan National suffers from a unique mix of issues. Its small footprint and limited runways make it tough to handle a high volume of traffic, and it shares extremely congested airspace with other airports in the D.C. area. Short-haul flights along the East Coast are especially vulnerable to knock-on delays.
4. Miami International (23.06%)
Miami’s tropical location makes it a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, but also a hotspot for delays. Tropical storms, hurricanes, and consistent high tourist traffic, especially during peak holiday seasons, create the perfect storm for late departures. In 2025, nearly a quarter of all flights missed their scheduled time.
5. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (22.8%)
As the busiest airport in the world, Hartsfield-Jackson operates like a well-oiled machine most days. But when disruptions happen, whether weather-related or mechanical, the sheer volume of flights magnifies the impact. Even a short delay can have ripple effects across dozens of routes.
6. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (22.55%)
Often serving as a lower-cost alternative to Miami, Fort Lauderdale sees a constant flow of leisure travellers and cruise passengers. However, it also faces similar weather challenges as its neighbor — tropical storms and intense summer heat — which often cause significant hold-ups.
7. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (22.54%)
Another East Coast airport battling delays, BWI is plagued by the same weather and airspace congestion issues that hit Reagan National. It’s also a major hub for low-cost carriers, whose tight schedules leave little wiggle room when delays strike.
8. George Bush Intercontinental, Houston (21.79%)
Severe spring storms and summer hurricanes frequently target Houston, causing major disruption at George Bush Intercontinental. Its role as a major hub adds pressure, and 2025 has proven particularly volatile, pushing it to eighth on the list.
9. Orlando International (21.67%)
Orlando might be the happiest place on earth for theme park lovers, but not for those stuck waiting on delayed flights. Summer storms in Central Florida and the surge in tourist traffic during school holidays have led to over a fifth of flights running behind schedule.
10. Charlotte Douglas International (21.35%)
Charlotte wraps up the top 10, plagued by infrastructure limitations as it operates close to full capacity. Its limited runway space means that when weather or traffic control issues hit, delays stack up fast.
Travel expert Andrea Platania from Transfeero says the rankings reflect not only long-standing airport infrastructure problems, but also increasing passenger demand.
“Airports like Dallas/Fort Worth and Denver are major transit hubs, and any weather disruption there causes widespread issues,” Platania explains. “In recent years, we’ve also seen flight schedules becoming tighter, leaving very little buffer to absorb delays.”
He also points to the fact that “Florida’s multiple entries in the top 10 reflect how volatile tropical weather has been this year, especially during the summer storm season.”
