Newark Liberty International Airport ranked last among major U.S. airports for on-time flights through the first six months of this year— with more than 1 in 3 flights arriving or departing late, according to an NJ Advance Media analysis of the federal data.
After a rough start for first few months of the year, things only got worse in May and June, the most recent months with on-time performance data available.
May was the worst month with just 56% of flights arriving or departing on time. June wasn’t far behind with 59% of on-time flights, according to data recently released by the federal Department of Transportation.
Compared to the 30 largest airports in the U.S., Newark was the worst from January to June with 61% of flightg on-time, followed by Denver International Airport (67%), John F. Kennedy International Airport (68%) and Reagan National Airport (68%).
Laguardia International Airport also made the bottom 10 list with 71% of flights arriving and departing on-time. Philadelphia International Airport was toward the middle of the pack with the 17th worst on-time performance at 77%.
Newark airport averaged nearly 19,000 flights per month from January to June.
Can’t see the chart? Click here.
The federal transportation agency defines an on-time flight as one that arrives or departs within 15 minutes of its scheduled time.
Airlines have cited staffing issues, disruptive passengers and airport construction as the main cause of canceled and delayed flights departing and arriving at Newark. In June alone, more than 3,400 of all scheduled flights at Newark airport were canceled and officials warned more cancellations were likely through the summer.
Can’t see the chart? Click here?
Some airlines had more delays than others.
For example, JetBlue’s on-time arrivals at Newark airport hit a low of 52% in April.
United Airlines, Newark’s largest carrier, had its best month for on-time arrivals in February with 81% and worst month in May with 62%. Departures followed a similar trend.
United Airlines said in June it would cut 12% of its daily domestic flights, or about 50 flights a day, from its schedule at Newark.
To see how airlines arriving into Newark over the first six months of the year compared to each other click on the interactive graph.
Can’t see the chart? Click here.
Can’t see the chart, click here.
Currently, airlines must refund passengers with refundable and non-refundable tickets for a canceled flight, according to the federal Departure of Transportation.
However, when it comes to delays, “Whether you are entitled to a refund depends on many factors – including the length of the delay, the length of the flight, and your particular circumstances. The USDOT determines whether you are entitled to a refund following a significant delay on a case-by-case basis,” according to federal officials.
On Aug. 3, federal transportation officials proposed a rule that could make it easier for passengers to get refunded for missed and canceled flights. The rule is open to public comment for 90-days before a decision is made on it.
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Amira Sweilem may be reached at [email protected].
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