Hoping to fly home for the holidays? Better grow some wings.
Flapping one’s arms might be a Big Apple traveler’s best bet this season — especially if they’re planning to catch a flight out of New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport.
The popular plane station has been ranked as the No. 1 airport for flight cancellations in the US by an October 2023 study from online travel insurance hub InsureMyTrip.
“Newark Liberty International had the highest cancellation rate (3.78%) for first half of 2023,” noted the report on delayed and derailed departures.
The voyage venue’s subpar showing comes as no surprise, as it was also deemed one of “the worst” mega airports in North America by J.D. Power in September.
But the poorly performing port isn’t alone in its failures to launch.
InsureMyTrip researchers also fingered NYC skyway centers LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport as the second and third posts, respectively, with the highest likelihood to disrupt a wannabe jet-setter’s trip.
And, unfortunately, for East Coast vacationers, there aren’t a ton of great alternatives.
New York’s Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Virginia’s Norfolk International Airport and Boston Logan International Airport in Massachusetts all earned spots on the top 10 list of airports with the highest percentages of cancellations.
Plane depots with the greatest propensities for delays include the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, postponing nearly 34% of its flights, and Florida’s Orlando International Airport, which has a reputation for keeping flyers grounded longer than they’d like to be 30% of the time, per the findings.
To determine the shortcomings, InsureMyTrip analyzed the latest flight delay and cancellation data gathered by the US Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Investigators sought to get a deeper understanding of the impact of weather, system outages, flight disruptions and other factors on US airports in 2023.
“This information can be used by researchers to make predictions regarding how air travel will likely be impacted during certain times of the year,” said report authors.
But all hope isn’t lost for globe-trotters with designs on flying into or out of Gotham this winter.
Folks who find themselves stuck at a local airport can still look forward to some good eats.
Despite Newark Liberty International’s and JFK’s high marks for canceled takeoffs, the interchanges landed at the top of the charts for housing some of the best airport restaurants in the world, per a recent appraisal by virtual flight attendant forum Cabin Crew HQ.
In fact, Newark is home to famed eatery 1911 Smoke House BBQ, where New York Times writer David Brooks, 62, famously scored a cheeseburger, fries and a couple of boozy beverages for a whopping $78 back in September.
His viral bellyaching over the sky-high cost of food scored more than 39 million views on X.
But the hot spot’s owner, Maurice Hallett, didn’t mind the free attention.
“We will probably do a David Brooks special thanks to all the publicity he’s given us,” Hallett told The Post. “It’ll be a cheeseburger and a double whiskey.”
US Airports With Highest Percentage of Flight Cancellations in 2023
- Newark International Airport (New Jersey)
- LaGuardia Airport (New York)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York)
- Buffalo Niagara International Airport (New York)
- Norfolk International Airport (Virginia)
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (Florida)
- Dallas Love Field Airport (Texas)
- Boston Logan International Airport (Massachusetts)
- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (Texas)
- Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (Wisconsin)