Worst Airports and Airlines for Fourth of July Flight Delays
Every Fourth of July, millions of Americans pack into airports for one of the busiest travel stretches of the year. Many of them won't reach their destination on time. Over the past 5 years, about 1 in 4 holiday flights were delayed and 1 in 50 were canceled, during peak crowds and summer thunderstorm season.
But your odds depend a lot on where and how you fly. Rightway Parking analyzed more than 2 million departures and arrivals from the past five Independence Day travel periods, then ranked the 49 busiest airports and 12 largest airlines to find the best and worst for the holiday.
Key Takeaways
Across the last five Fourth of July travel periods, an average of 24.7% of flights were delayed, and 2% were canceled nationwide.
| Category | Worst performers |
|---|---|
| Most delay-prone airports | Orlando International (34.1%), San Juan's Luis Munoz Marin International (32.9%), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (31.8%) |
| Most canceled airports | Newark Liberty (3.7%), New York's LaGuardia (3.3%), JFK (2.7%) |
| Most delay-prone airlines | JetBlue (35.7%), Allegiant (33.8%), Frontier (31.8%) |
| Most canceled airlines | Republic Airline (3.4%), Endeavor Air (2.3%), PSA Airlines (2.1%) |
Airports With the Most Fourth of July Delays and Cancellations
Airlines With the Most Fourth of July Delays and Cancellations
Methodology
For this study, we analyzed flight on-time performance data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). Specifically, we pulled records for Independence Day travel (July 4th) for each year from 2021 through 2025. For all 389 reporting airports and 20 airlines, we counted the departures and arrivals that were delayed and canceled. As BTS defines it, a flight is delayed if it leaves the gate or arrives 15 or more minutes behind schedule.
Rates were calculated across the full 5-year period (total delayed flights divided by total flights) rather than as an average of yearly percentages, so busier years carry proportional weight. To avoid distortion from very small markets, we limited the rankings to airports with more than 10,000 combined departures and arrivals over the period (49 airports) and airlines with more than 50,000 (12 airlines). Airports listed under more than one historical name were consolidated into a single entry.
About Rightway Parking
Rightway Parking makes airport and cruise-port parking cheaper and easier. Through a nationwide network of vetted off-airport lots and partner hotels, we offer reservable, discounted parking at a fraction of typical on-site rates, with shuttle service to the terminal at most locations. Travelers can lock in a guaranteed spot at major hubs from JFK and Newark to LAX, Miami, and Seattle in just a few minutes.
Fair Use Statement
Know someone whose Fourth of July travel always seems to go sideways? Feel free to share this study with them. The findings and graphics on this page are free to use for any noncommercial purpose; we only ask that you link back to this page so readers can explore the full analysis and methodology, and so the authors receive proper credit.