A new study reveals most stressful airports in the US

Written By: Paramita Sarkar

Paramita Sarkar

Story-telling has been one of my favourite passtimes and when it is about travel, every other activity seems to fall short. I started my journey as a freelancer close to two decades ago having worked with various online portals inclduding Sambhar Stories, Thirllophilia and so on. Down the years, life has rewarded me with experiences, only adding to my writing practice. Even though teaching has been my primary profession and passion, choosing the job of a travel journalist was not quite dilemmatic when selected by the esteemed editorial team of Travel And Tour World. Knowing and letting readers know about the quaint yet intriguing desintions across the globe through writing is something I always cherish and put in my best endeavour to.

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June 20, 2024 11:32 PM

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A new study has identified the most stressful airports in the United States, with Ithaca Tompkins International Airport in New York ranking ninth, scoring 38.83 out of 100.

Aspen/Pitkin County Airport in Colorado tops the list as the most stressful airport, with an index score of 30.32 out of 100.

The study, conducted by personal injury lawyers at Whitley Law Firm, analyzed Google reviews, the number of cancellations per 100 departures, and average flight delay times at US airports with 1,000 or more departures annually.

A lower score indicates a higher level of stress.

Aspen/Pitkin County Airport sees an average of 6.41 cancellations per 100 departures, the seventh-highest in the US.

From January 2023 to January 2024, the airport had 6,591 departures, each delayed by an average of 22.9 minutes.

Santa Fe Municipal Airport in New Mexico ranks second with a score of 36.16.

Departures are delayed by an average of 14 minutes, and 1.6 out of every 100 Google reviews describe the airport as stressful or unsafe, the fifth highest in the country.

Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey comes in third, scoring 36.89.

It averages a 15.2-minute delay per flight, with 1.2 out of every 100 Google reviews mentioning stress or safety concerns.

Tyler Pounds Regional Airport in Texas is fourth, with a score of 37.77.

It averages 3.2 cancellations per 100 departures and a delay of 9.5 minutes per flight.

Chicago Midway International Airport in Illinois ranks fifth, scoring 37.79.

Flights from Midway are delayed by an average of 13.9 minutes, with 2 out of every 100 flights canceled.

The study also identified the least stressful airport in the US: Newport News/Williamsburg International in Virginia, which scored 78.92 out of 100.

Salisbury Regional Airport in Maryland and Coastal Carolina Regional Airport in North Carolina followed, scoring 78.18 and 71.87, respectively.

A spokesperson from Whitley Law Firm commented, “It is fascinating to see which airports are the most stressful, especially with the surprising inclusion of some of America’s smaller airports.

While many factors are beyond our control, steps such as arriving early, checking flight status regularly, familiarizing oneself with the terminal and gate, and packing lightly can help ease the stress of navigating through airports.”

The Most Stressful Airports in the US:

Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, Colorado – 30.32

Santa Fe Municipal Airport, New Mexico – 36.16

Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey – 36.89

Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, Texas – 37.77

Chicago Midway International Airport, Illinois – 37.79

Casper/Natrona County International Airport, Wyoming – 37.92

Williston Basin International Airport, North Dakota – 38.19

Texarkana Regional Airport, Arkansas – 38.43

Ithaca Tompkins International Airport, New York – 38.83

Martha’s Vineyard Airport, Massachusetts – 39.75