Pittsburgh airport ranked 6th in U.S. for canceled flights, study says

Ryan Deto
Tuesday, July 19, 2022 10:56 a.m. | Tuesday, July 19, 2022 10:56 a.m.

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Ryan Deto | Tribune-Review

Passengers stand in the security line at Pittsburgh International Aiport on April 19, 2022, the day after the federal travel mask mandate was lifted.

New analysis from shows the Pittsburgh International Airport has some of the highest percentages of canceled flights in the country.

The analysis by FlightAware was first conducted for CNN, and Pittsburgh ranks sixth worst in the nation for canceled flights for the start of this summer. Between May 28 through July 13, the airport saw 3.7% of its flights canceled. FlightAware, based in Houston, is a flight-tracking company.

This comes as travelers across the U.S. have been hit with scores of flight cancellations among worker and pilot shortages that have afflicted airlines as they have begun to recover from the pandemic.

The Allegheny County Airport Authority manages the Pittsburgh International. The authority said most of the airport’s cancellations are caused by issues originating at other airports, not in Pittsburgh.

“Flights to cities on this list, such as New York, Boston and Charlotte, make up a significant portion of passenger demand at Pittsburgh International Airport,” reads a statement from the authority. “As such, the majority of our cancellations are due to operational challenges at destination airports, not PIT.”

The airports with the most canceled flights are Newark Liberty International, with 7.9% flights canceled over the studied timespan, and LaGuardia Airport in New York City, with 7.4% canceled flights. Both Boston and Charlotte airports were also in the top 10 of canceled flights.

Those four airports combined have 227 weekly flights to Pittsburgh, out of the 909 total that connect to Pittsburgh International each week.

Related:

• Canceled flights rise across U.S. as summer travel heats up

• Airlines cancel more than 3,300 U.S. flights over weekend

• Why are so many flights being canceled?

Pittsburgh International also remained off of FlightAware’s list of U.S. airports with the most summer delays. Chicago Midway and Orlando International had the most delays, with 36% and 33% of their flights delayed respectively.

The Allegheny County Airport Authority also expects flight conditions to improve at the Pittsburgh International. The authority said the airport is seeing a “strong rebound in demand” and that year-to-date passenger numbers are currently at 81%of pre-pandemic levels.

List of top U.S. airports with most summer cancellations

1. Newark Liberty International Airport: 7.9%
2. LaGuardia Airport (New York City): 7.4%
3. Reagan National Airport (Washington, D.C.): 5.4%
4. Raleigh-Durham International Airport: 4.3%
5. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport: 3.7%
6. Pittsburgh International Airport: 3.7%
7. Philadelphia International Airport: 3.6%
8. Boston Logan International Airport: 3.6%
9. John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York City): 3.5%
10. Charlotte Douglas International Airport: 3.4%

List of top U.S. airports with summer delays

1. Chicago Midway International Airport: 36%
2. Orlando International Airport: 33%
3. John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York City): 31.1%
4. Newark Liberty International Airport: 30%
5. Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport: 30%
6. Miami International Airport: 28.3%
7. Charlotte Douglas International Airport: 27.8%
8. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport: 27.2%
9. Denver International Airport: 27.2%
10. Harry Reid International Airport (Las Vegas): 26.7%