Newark Liberty Has Most US Airport Flight Delays

What's the most delayed US airport flight? According to newly-released data, it's Delta Air Lines Flight 2743, which operates between Newark Liberty International and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airports.

Second-placed is the same carrier's Flight 2843, which covers an identical route.

The two services are, on average, one hour 23 minutes (83 minutes) and one hour 19 minutes (79 minutes) late, respectively and, because of these and other delays, Newark Liberty is recognized as the most flight-delayed airport of any in the United States.

The figures come from a US Department of Transportation division, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, which says that, even though there's been a decrease in overall US airport flight levels - owing to oil price rises - delays to flights carry on increasing regardless.

Newark Liberty International Airport is the US' 14th-busiest but hosts a staggering 40 per cent of the most-delayed arrivals or departures in the country, the Bureau adds.
 
Most Delayed US Airport Flights  
The top two slots in the ten most delayed US airport flights are both occupied by Newark Airport departures, with the remainder of the group comprising of flights leaving Dallas Love Field Airport, Memphis International Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International.

According to industry analysts, scheduling issues are to blame in general, with carriers failing to produce realistic operational schedules tied-in with actual airport handling limits. In Newark's case, airline schedules exceed runway handling limits by almost two-to-one.
 
US Airport Flight Delays  
Another US airport flight delay issue is linked to variations in aircraft size, with the same separation safety criteria applied to small, business-type jets as to the largest passenger carriers, both when they're in the air and when they're on the ground.

These analysts suggest that passengers avoid the worst-hit airports but, if that's not possible, try and pick the first (and, therefore, the least-delayed) flight of the day.

Along with LaGuardia and JFK airports, Newark Liberty is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. A main hub for Continental Airlines, it handled over 33 million passengers in 2010.