A new global analysis has revealed which airports and airlines are the worst offenders for flight delays and cancellations, affecting millions of passengers worldwide. The study, conducted by Radical Storage using data from over 500 airports and 150 airlines, exposes the ongoing challenges in air travel—including infrastructure failures, technical glitches, weather disruptions, and security protocols.
Baltimore Tops the List of Worst Airports for Delays
Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) has been named the worst airport globally for flight delays, with 53.4% of its outbound flights postponed daily. On average, this adds up to 52 hours of cumulative delay each day. The airport, which serviced over 27 million passengers in 2024, suffered a significant setback in March 2025 when a massive power outage disrupted operations, resulting in thousands of passengers being delayed, diverted, or stranded.
Other airports in the top 10 worst delay list include Seoul (50.7%), Ho Chi Minh City (42.2%), and Amsterdam Schiphol (35.3%). The latter also faced major disruptions in 2018 due to a power failure that crippled its check-in systems and forced terminal evacuations.
London’s Heathrow, Europe’s busiest hub, faced similar challenges in March 2025 when a substation fire caused power loss “equivalent to that of a mid-sized city,” resulting in a complete shutdown and widespread delays.
Air India Express Leads Airlines with the Worst Delay Record
Among airlines, Air India Express tops the list, delaying 52.7% of its flights daily—meaning one in two flights is affected. The budget carrier, operating across India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, has faced repeated technical issues, including one incident where passengers were stranded for 24 hours at Saudi Arabia’s largest airport.
Other airlines in the worst delay rankings include Shenzhen Airlines (40%), China Southern Airlines (38.5%), and Air India (34.1%). Even established carriers like KLM, the world’s oldest operating airline, delay 26.1% of flights, often due to technical and maintenance issues such as the need for aircraft de-icing.
Washington D.C. Leads Airports for Cancellations
When it comes to cancellations, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) takes the top spot, with 11.5% of flights cancelled daily—approximately one in ten flights. The airport, a critical hub for government travel, faces frequent disruptions from new FAA regulations requiring air traffic to halt during presidential flights, introduced after a near-midair collision in January 2025.
Baltimore (10.9%) and Charlotte Douglas International Airport (10.2%) also feature prominently, with severe weather events contributing to significant cancellations.
Outside the U.S., Sydney Airport (7.9%) stands out as the worst airport for cancellations, with incidents combining poor weather and staffing shortages causing widespread operational halts.
Air China Tops Airlines for Cancellations
Air China leads the global list of airlines with the highest cancellation rates, cancelling 6.22% of its flights daily. Passengers flying from London Gatwick to Beijing are especially prone to cancellations, according to Civil Aviation Authority data.
American Airlines follows closely, cancelling 5.99% of flights daily, with historical incidents involving thousands of cancellations due to extreme weather and staffing issues. Other airlines in the top 10 include Shenzhen Airlines, KLM, and Air India Express.
What Causes These Delays?
In the U.S., air carrier delays—such as maintenance issues, fueling, passenger connections, and even bird strikes—are the primary cause, accounting for 28,637 delayed flights in one month. Security, extreme weather, and national aviation system disruptions also play roles.
In the UK, late-arriving aircraft cause the highest proportion of delay minutes (40%), followed by air carrier delays (36%). Extreme weather accounts for only 5.2% of delays, highlighting the efficiency and strict safety protocols at UK airports.
