These Are the Five US Airports Where Your Flight Is Most Likely to Be Delayed Right Now: Why It Is Getting Worse

Thousands of flights were canceled on Friday at major American airports. The delays come on top of the recent TSA shutdown and the concerns surrounding jet fuel prices due to the Iran War.

What Airports Were Affected by the Delays?

According to recent updates, hundreds of flights have been delayed at Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, New York, Los Angeles and Miami Airports.

The delays in New York affected all three New York City-based airports; JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark.

The delays were due to a variety of factors such as storms and congestion at airports.

Is the Recent TSA Strike Affecting This?

According to a New York Times article, 'This is a dire situation.' Ha Nguyen McNeill, the acting T.S.A. administrator, told congress last month, 'We are facing a potential perfect storm of severe staffing shortages and an influx of millions of passengers at our airports for the World Cup games in less than 80 days.'

While TSA agents are currently being paid due to an executive order from President Trump directing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to find funds to retroactively pay back the agents.

Since that order three weeks ago TSA lines have eased, but many agents are uncertain for how long that back pay order could work.

Could the Congestion at Airports Get Worse?

With summer fast approaching which brings hot, humid weather and frequent summer storms in the south, midwest, and northeast. Ground stops, which are a temporary hold on all airplanes at that given airport which affects both departures and arrivals.

Per a report from Travel Market Report, 'The limits are being implemented as O'Hare prepared to host more than 3,000 flights on peak days this summer, an almost 15% increase over 2025 and a volume the FAA does not believe the airport can handle. Less than 60% of arrivals and departures at O'Hare were on time last summer.

The cuts will begin on May 17 and last through Oct. 24, covering the entire summer travel season. Approximately 300 flights will be removed from peak-day schedules, and the FAA said it is working with airlines to finalise the reductions.'

On Friday, according to FlightAware, a globally recognised digital aviation company that operates the world's largest flight tracking and data platform, the company provides over 10,000 aircraft operators and service providers, as well as more than 13 million passengers, with global flight tracking solutions, predictive technology, analytics, and decision-making tools.

Over 24,000 flights were canceled with the second highest number of canceled or delayed origin flights coming from O'Hare with 710 flights being canceled or delayed (roughly 45%).

The Iran War has made jet fuel prices to surge causing airlines to start to roll back flights.

According to PBS, Air Canada said Friday that it plans to suspend its service to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport from June 1 to Oct. 25 to reduce fuel costs. Other airlines from U.S. carriers such as United and Delta to international operators including Air France-KLM, SAS, Philippine Airlines, and Cathay Pacific have also reduced routes and either raised ticket prices or indicated they may do so if the war continues to disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.