Expect Hour-Long Flight Delays at These Airports Memorial Day Weekend
Memorial Day is fast approaching — but if your long weekend plans include flying out of an airport on the Eastern seaboard, you may want to brace for long lines and hour-long delays.
According to The Washington Post, a new analysis of federal transportation data by ValuePenguin shows that New York City-area airports are likely to be two of the worst in the nation for departure delays in the days preceding Memorial Day.
At John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), holiday weekend flights can, on average, be delayed for more than an hour — as can those at LaGuardia Airport (LGA).
Departure delays at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) averaged 57 minutes, and Dulles International Airport (IAD) in the Washington, DC, area and Florida's Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) performed only slightly better.
The analysis also suggested that the delays are expected to be most severe on the Thursday prior to Memorial Day (May 24).
Though JFK, LGA and PHL are expected to be three of the worst airports for departure delays this weekend, things could be much nastier at other airports during peak summer travel.
Based on a recent TPG evaluation of Bureau of Transportation Statistics, we expect departure delays between June and August of this year to be particularly severe at Dallas Love Field (DAL), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Newark Liberty International (EWR). (New York City's JFK performed only incrementally better than this trio of airports for summertime averages.)
Though the American Automobile Association (AAA) projects air travel during Memorial Day weekend to grow 6.8% year over year, airports could still be preferable to roads. More than 41.5 million Americans are expected to pile into cars and cover more than 50 miles between Thursday, May 24 and Monday, May 28.
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