Best and worst U.S. airports to fly out of: Here's where Phoenix ranks

Michael Salerno, Arizona Republic
·2 min read

As the summer tourism season progresses, travel headaches such as delays and cancellations become more likely.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport isn't immune to issues. On Wednesday, June 5, heavy aircraft traffic delayed flights at the airport.

But a new study showed flyers may find fewer disruptions at Sky Harbor compared to other airports. AirHelp, a claims management company focused on airline passenger rights, released a report that showed the Phoenix airport ranked among the airports with the fewest disruptions in May 2024.

AirHelp's methodology involved ranking airports with 10,000 flights or more in May and assessing how many flights had a disruption. The company considers delays, cancellations, overbooking, denied booking and lost or damaged luggage as examples of a flight disruption.

Travel: Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is getting a new terminal — in 12 years. Why it'll take so long

How many flight disruptions at the Phoenix airport?

Sky Harbor ranked as the No. 10 best airport in AirHelp's study, which found 24.6% of its flights were disrupted in May.

Airports with the fewest disruptions in May 2024

  1. Salt Lake City International Airport, 18.6% of flights disrupted.

  2. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, 20.8% of flights disrupted.

  3. John F. Kennedy International Airport, 21.8% of flights disrupted.

  4. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, 22.1% of flights disrupted.

  5. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, 23.3% of flights disrupted.

  6. Boston Logan International Airport, 23.4% of flights disrupted.

  7. New York LaGuardia Airport, 23.6% of flights disrupted.

  8. Philadelphia International Airport, 23.6% of flights disrupted.

  9. Los Angeles International Airport, 24.2% of flights disrupted.

  10. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, 24.6% of flights disrupted.

Airports with the most disruptions in May 2024

  1. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, 45.6% of flights disrupted.

  2. Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport, 40.6% of flights disrupted.

  3. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (North Carolina), 37.8% of flights disrupted.

  4. Chicago O’Hare International Airport, 34.7% of flights disrupted.

  5. Miami International Airport, 31.7% of flights disrupted.

  6. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, 30.5% of flights disrupted.

  7. Orlando International Airport, 30.5% of flights disrupted.

  8. Denver International Airport, 28.7% of flights disrupted.

  9. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, 28.4% of flights disrupted.

  10. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, 27.8% of flights disrupted.

Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @salerno_phx.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Worst airports for flight disruptions: Where Phoenix ranks