My eldest son flew into DFW right before Thanksgiving.
Everybody knows that flying during the holidays is challenging. Now we have to add airport traffic to the list. It took me over an hour to exit the airport
Who am I to complain? Luckily, he came a day before this fiasco.
via CBS Texas
During the recent government shutdown, many air traffic controllers went without pay, leading to a reduction in the workforce and a backlog of flights.
The FAA ended emergency orders in mid-November, but airlines are still catching up, with disruptions expected to linger through the holiday season.
The holidays are always a difficult time to fly. Weather cancellations, increased travelers, and logistical bottlenecks, lead to lines and delays.
But where is it the worst?
via visualcapitalist
Large, busy airports consistently rank lower, reflecting the pressure of urban airspace, complex operations, and seasonal weather patterns. Meanwhile, airports in warmer regions, especially in the South and along the coasts, tend to encounter fewer disruptions.
Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) ranks first for the lowest on-time performance in the 2025 dataset, with just 60.3% of flights arriving on time. Although ISP is a smaller regional airport, it encounters various operational limitations, including limited runway capacity, seasonal weather issues on Long Island, and proximity to the busy New York airspace.
Unfortunately for me, DFW is also one of the most impacted airports, with 64.9% of flights landing on time.
Unsurprisingly, places like San Diego and Honolulu (known for their weather) report the highest on-time flight rates.
Perhaps that’s the Universe trying to tell us something …
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