With millions of Americans travelling for the holidays, US airports are once again facing widespread delays and cancellations. According to Newsweek, heavy passenger demand, weather disruptions and operational pressures have already caused significant disruption at major hubs. New data by USAFacts show these problems are unfolding even as air travel volumes have surged past pre-pandemic levels.
Airline punctuality worsens despite strong demand
USAFacts published a report is showing that airport security traffic in the United States has risen above pre-pandemic levels.
As of late September 2025, an average of more than 2.4 million people were clearing security at American airports every day, which is 9% higher than in September 2019, the last comparison before the pandemic.
Despite the rise in passenger volumes, around 2 million commercial domestic flights were scheduled from April to June 2025, roughly 3.5% fewer than the same period in 2019, according to the USAFacts data.
The US Bureau of Transportation Statistics defines an on-time flight as one that arrives within 15 minutes of its scheduled arrival time.
Using this measure, airline punctuality worsened in early 2025, with 25% of flights delayed during the spring, making it the second-worst quarter for commercial air travel since 2014.
The data also shows longer-term shifts in the industry. Nearly half of US commercial airlines had fewer flights in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period in 2019, and 12 carriers recorded poorer on-time performance than before the pandemic. These trends suggest that systemic pressures have yet to ease.
PSA Airlines recorded the lowest on-time performance, with just 65.7% of its flights arriving on schedule.
Other airlines also struggled, including Frontier (70.0%), Air Wisconsin (71.3%), United Express (73.6%) and American Airlines (73.6%).
The figures highlight how a notable portion of US flights are consistently delayed, particularly among smaller carriers and major airline networks alike, contributing to operational challenges and passenger frustration.
Worst-Performing Airports for Delays
Some of the nation’s busiest airports continued to struggle: Washington, DC’s Ronald Reagan International Airport recorded just 62.5% on-time arrivals, followed by Newark (70.8%), Dallas-Fort Worth (71.5%), Philadelphia (73.6%) and LaGuardia (73.8%).
These persistent delays underscore the difficulties airlines face in maintaining punctuality and smooth operations across major US airports.
Have you ever travelled through a US airline or a US airport? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments.
