Reagan National named least reliable U.S. airport
Consumer Affairs report shows DCA leads in cancellations while LAX tops the list for reliability.
By Javier Sanders ·
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was named the least reliable large airport in the United States in a new industry ranking. The assessment comes from Consumer Affairs, which evaluated airport performance using data from the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
DCA led the nation in flight cancellations at a rate of 2.8 percent. The airport also cancels its final flight of the day more often than any other major hub. Consumer Affairs noted that nearly half of delays at DCA are caused by arriving flights that are already late. This pattern is more pronounced than at the other five airports with the worst reliability scores.
Los Angeles International Airport ranked as the most reliable large airport in the country. It was followed by Phoenix Sky Harbor International and Seattle-Tacoma International. The report identified a common thread among the top performers: very low rates of cancellations and severe delays lasting three or more hours. A large majority of the top ten reliable airports are located in the Western United States.
The full list of the top ten most reliable airports includes Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Boston, Detroit, and Nashville. In contrast, the ten least reliable airports include a high concentration of Northeast locations. These include DCA, Dallas Fort Worth, Newark Liberty, Miami, Philadelphia, Fort Lauderdale, LaGuardia, Tampa, Washington Dulles, and Houston George Bush Intercontinental.
The Consumer Affairs report also examined medium and small airports. President Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Asheville Regional Airport in North Carolina ranked at the bottom of those categories. The data reflects performance metrics related to diversions, cancellations, and delays.
The ranking provides a snapshot of operational stability ahead of the year's busiest travel period. LAX leads the reliability index, while DCA faces the highest cancellation rate among major hubs. The data highlights distinct regional differences in airport performance.
The report serves as a reference for travelers planning trips during peak season. It distinguishes between hubs that maintain consistent schedules and those that experience frequent disruptions. The findings are based strictly on quantitative measures of flight operations.
