x
Breaking News
More () »

DFW had most delays among big airports since pandemic began, study finds

A study found that Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has had the highest rate of flight delays since the pandemic began, going back to May 2020.

DALLAS — Breaking news: Your flight might get delayed this holiday season.

Don't say we didn't warn you.

A study found that Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has had the highest rate of flight delays since the pandemic began, going back to May 2020.

The study, from the TexPIRG Education Fund, found that 81.9% of DFW flights left on time, the lowest percentage among the 16 busiest airports in the country.

TexPIRG is an Austin-based consumer advocacy group that researched and analyzed airport and airline performance, going back several years. 

Hollywood International Airport in Florida (83%) and Denver International Airport (83.6%) joined DFW at the bottom of the list, according to the study.

San Francisco International (91.4%) and Seattle-Tacoma International (90%) had the best on-time departure records since May 2020.

Read the full report here.

It's been a tough year for flyers, as the airline industry has struggled with staffing shortages, causing delays.

In October, numerous American Airlines and Southwest Airlines flights were cancelled, including one-fourth of all American flights one day. DFW is a major hub for American, which is based in Fort Worth.

Love Field wasn't among airports included in the study, though Southwest Airlines, the main carrier at Love, scored well. 

Southwest and Allegiant had the fewest complaints per 100,000 flyers since May 2020. Frontier, United and Hawaiian airlines had the most complaints per 100,000.

The study noted a sharp drop in on-time departures this summer. On the Fourth of July weekend, DFW Airport had the most cancellations in the world one day, along with 458 flights delayed.

While airports and airlines have had issues of their own this year, they haven't had the most patient travelers, either.

The Federal Aviation Administration has reported 5,114 instances of unruly passengers, mostly involving masks and alcohol.

In one of the more severe cases, a passenger was accused of assaulting a Southwest Airlines operations agent during boarding at Love Field last month. The employee was hospitalized, and the passenger was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault.

   

Before You Leave, Check This Out