• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
LifestyleFlight Delays

The avoid list: These airports have the greatest chance of flight delays and cancellations this summer

By
Christine Mui
Christine Mui
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 21, 2022, 6:47 PM ET
Travelers are seen at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, on June 20, 2022. The Canadian federal government started to suspend vaccination requirements against COVID-19 for domestic and outbound travel, federally regulated transportation sectors and federal government employees as of June 20.
Travelers are seen at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, on June 20, 2022. The Canadian federal government started to suspend vaccination requirements against COVID-19 for domestic and outbound travel, federally regulated transportation sectors and federal government employees as of June 20. Zou Zheng—Xinhua/Getty Images

International air travel is making a strong recovery from the pandemic but not all vacationers have made it to their intended summer destinations, at least on time and with all their luggage. 

Packed planes, pilot shortages, and weather delays are all taking a toll on flight schedules, resulting in thousands of disrupted trips. So far this year, airports have canceled roughly 130,000 U.S. flights, according to FlightAware, compared to 122,000 for the entirety of 2021.

Certain airports, like London’s Heathrow, have been frequently in the headlines for allowing unclaimed luggage to pile up and travelers to linger in hours-long lines. In a controversial move, Heathrow Airport also capped its departing passengers to no more than 100,000 per day and extended that limit this week to until the end of October. 

But FlightAware data since around Memorial Day Weekend indicates that even within the U.K. alone, another airport has had a slightly greater proportion of its scheduled flights delayed. Gatwick Airport ranks fifth in the world for delayed flights, with more than 41% of scheduled flights not arriving on time, while Heathrow followed as sixth with 40% of its flights delayed. 

Europe has been hit particularly hard by flight disruptions. The continent is home to seven of the world’s worst airports in terms of flight delays this summer, though one airport in Canada has them beat. 

Passengers flying into Toronto Pearson International Airport this summer saw the majority of their trips, a whopping 52.5%, experience delays. On Tuesday, Air Canada introduced new policies that let passengers with connections at Toronto Pearson change their flights for free, subject to availability, due to “longer than usual delays.” 

When it comes to cancellations, those flying out of airports in China and the United States experienced the most missed trips this summer. Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport leads with nearly 8% of scheduled flights canceled, and China’s Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport are also among the worst 10 airports globally for cancellations. 

“We’ve seen huge cancellations in China pretty consistently since the pandemic began,” Kathleen Bangs, a spokesperson for FlightAware, told Fortune. Though the Chinese government hasn’t cited any particular causes for the cancellations, Bangs said she believes the country’s zero-COVID strategy and travel restrictions have contributed to the trend. 

Joining Shenzhen’s airport in the top three for flight cancellations are two in the New York City area — Newark Liberty International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, each with roughly 7% of its scheduled flights canceled. Those cancellations are more likely to impact those traveling within the U.S., rather than hopping on a plane abroad, according to Bangs. 

“In the U.S., generally speaking – international flights are less likely to get canceled than a domestic flight – simply because the cascading effects are too great,” Bangs said.

Here are the worst offenders of this summer’s travel chaos, based on FlightAware data from May 26 to July 19. 

Airports with the greatest percentage of flights delayed: 

  1. Canada: Toronto Pearson International Airport – 52.5% 
  2. Germany: Frankfurt Airport – 45.4% 
  3. France: Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport – 43.2% 
  4. Netherlands: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol – 41.5% 
  5. United Kingdom: Gatwick Airport – 41.1% 
  6. United Kingdom: Heathrow Airport – 40.5% 
  7. Germany: Munich International Airport – 40.4% 
  8. Greece: Athens International Airport – 37.9%
  9. Australia: Sydney Airport – 34.2% 
  10. United States: Orlando International Airport – 33.4% 

Airports with the greatest percentage of flights canceled: 

  1. China: Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport – 7.9% 
  2. United States: Newark Liberty International Airport – 7.4% 
  3. United States: LaGuardia Airport – 7% 
  4. Canada: Toronto Pearson International Airport – 6.5% 
  5. Indonesia: Soekarno-Hatta International Airport – 6.2% 
  6. Australia: Sydney Airport – 5.9% of flights canceled
  7. China: Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport – 5.2%
  8. United States: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport – 5%
  9. China: Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport – 4.6% 
  10. Netherlands: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol – 3.9%
Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.
About the Author
By Christine Mui
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Lifestyle

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

Latest in Lifestyle

KFC
Arts & EntertainmentChristmas
‘That really stuck’: Here’s how a 1970s campaign to sell Kentucky Fried Chicken with a bottle of wine became a Japanese Christmas tradition
By Luis Andres Henao and The Associated PressDecember 22, 2025
2 hours ago
Paramount
LawM&A
Not only did Larry Ellison personally guarantee $40.4 billion for his son’s pursuit of Warner Bros., Paramount upped the break fee to $5.8 billion
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressDecember 22, 2025
2 hours ago
Dinner Bell
Arts & EntertainmentRestaurants
‘You sure don’t see too many of those anymore’: Miss. restaurant defies history, with only 4 tables, massive lazy Susans and wild popularity
By Sophie Bates and The Associated PressDecember 22, 2025
2 hours ago
Travel & LeisureAirline industry
This new luxury airline seeks to go well above first class without the enormous cost of a private jet, and will only fly to a handful of cities
By Jason MaDecember 22, 2025
5 hours ago
Big TechMeta
Meta’s Threads makes a play for podcasters and their rabid fans
By Ashley Carman and BloombergDecember 22, 2025
6 hours ago
Arts & EntertainmentMovies
Hallmark’s catalog of 300+ Christmas movies watched by millions all started with the world’s first written-for-TV opera in 1951
By Molly Liebergall and Morning BrewDecember 22, 2025
6 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Future of Work
Meet a 55-year-old automotive technician in Arkansas who didn’t care if his kids went to college: ‘There are options’
By Muskaan ArshadDecember 21, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Multimillionaire musician Will.i.am says work-life balance is for people 'working on someone else’s dream'—he grinds from 5-to-9 after his 9-to-5
By Orianna Rosa RoyleDecember 21, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
A Walmart employee nearly doubled her pay after entering its pipeline for skilled tradespeople. 'I was able to move out of my parents' house'
By Anne D'Innocenzio and The Associated PressDecember 20, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Even if the Supreme Court rules Trump's global tariffs are illegal, refunds are unlikely because that would be 'very complicated,' Hassett says
By Jason MaDecember 21, 2025
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Travel & Leisure
After pouring $450 million into Florida real estate, Larry Ellison plans to lure the ultrarich to an exclusive town just minutes from Mar-a-Lago
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezDecember 22, 2025
8 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
By Sydney LakeDecember 22, 2025
6 hours ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.