An Analysis of Airport Delays Across the United States, 2012-2018

Abstract

The authors examine the two busiest airports (based on the annual number of flight departures) in each state (including the District of Columbia) in 2012, 2016, 2017, and 2018.  The average delay is longest among states in the Northeast and shortest among states in the West in each of the four years.  Between 2012 and 2016, the average delay increased in all four Census regions, but significantly in only the Midwest and West. The year-over-year change in the average delay between 2016 and 2018 did not significantly increase at the busiest airports in states in either the West or, surprisingly, the most densely populated Census region, the Northeast.