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• List of most delayed airlines in the U.S.
• List of most delayed airlines in the world
• How travel insurance can help with flight delays
• Frequently asked questions

Not only does the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) gather detailed data on the airports with frequent flight delays, but it also tracks the airlines with the most delays. And some of what it finds might surprise you.

Based on recent DOT data, roughly one in four domestic flights arrives late. According to the DOT's February 2026 Air Travel Consumer Report, the overall on-time arrival rate for U.S. domestic flights in 2025 was 76.4% — meaning more than 23% of scheduled flights did not arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled time. That figure is down from 78.1% in 2024,  reflecting a modest year-over-year decrease.

DOT data shows that airports like Chicago O'Hare, LaGuardia, and Fort Lauderdale are particularly vulnerable to delays, especially during peak travel seasons and periods of severe weather.

It’s not just the airports; the airlines that serve these airports cause delays as well.

Whoever bears fault, flight delays cost both airlines and travelers significant money.

For airlines, delays drive up costs through additional fuel burn, extended crew hours, ground staffing, and lost customer goodwill, according to the industry group Airlines For America (A4A).

The costs for travelers can be even greater. A4A cites FAA/NEXTOR research estimating that flight delays imposed roughly $33 billion in annual costs in 2019 when accounting for airline expenses, passenger time, lost demand, and broader economic impacts. That figure still doesn't capture the stress, missed events, and disrupted plans that travelers often absorb themselves.

See how much travel protection costs.

Travel protection from Generali Global Assistance can help in several ways when a covered flight delay affects your trip.

Delays don't just waste time; they also create unexpected out-of-pocket costs. If you experience a covered travel delay, Travel Delay coverage may reimburse you for reasonable expenses including meals, telephone calls, additional parking fees, pet kennel charges, local transportation, and lodging. This applies whether you're stuck in an airport terminal overnight due to a staffing shortage, waiting out a multi-day weather event, or stranded after a late-evening cancellation with no rebooking options until the following morning.

Important note: Travel Delay coverage requires a minimum delay of ten hours with the Standard Plan, eight hours with the Preferred Plan, and six hours with the Premium Plan.

Also read: What Airlines Owe You in Case of Flight Delays and Cancellations

If your delay causes you to not receive your baggage or sporting equipment when you reach your destination, you might find yourself stranded without essential personal items or clothing that you need to enjoy your trip as planned.  Travel insurance with assistance services and travel protection has coverages that can help.

Baggage Delay coverage may reimburse you for the reasonable cost of clothes and other personal items that you have to buy while your baggage is delayed.

Sporting Equipment Delay coverage may reimburse you for the cost of renting replacement equipment and/or locating your delayed sporting equipment and having it returned to you available on the Preferred and Premium Plan.

Important Notes: To qualify for coverage, baggage must be delayed for at least 24 hours with the Standard Plan, 18 hours with the Preferred Plan and 12 hours with the Premium Plan. Sporting Equipment must be delayed for at least 18 hours with the Preferred Plan, 12 hours with the Premium Plan, and coverage is not included with the Standard Plan.

If a flight delay becomes severe enough to cut your trip short or force you to abandon it entirely, Trip Interruption coverage may reimburse non-refundable trip costs you're unable to use, as well as expenses to return home or get back on track. This can also apply to cascading delays — situations where an initial covered delay causes you to miss a connecting flight, which then causes you to miss the first day of a cruise, a prepaid tour, or a time-sensitive event.

Important note: The flight cancellation or delay must result from a covered reason such as mechanical breakdown, adverse weather, or labor strikes affecting public transportation to qualify for coverage.

Learn more about Trip Interruption coverage

Every travel protection plan from Generali Global Assistance includes 24/7 Travel Assistance Services that can help you make alternative arrangements.

According to the DOT's February 2026 Air Travel Consumer Report, which covers full-year 2025 performance data,  the following airlines had the lowest on-time arrival rates among major U.S. carriers:

Frontier finished last among major U.S. carriers in 2025, with a full-year on-time arrival rate of just 70.7%. 

JetBlue ranked ninth for the full year at 72.3% on-time, and its December performance dropped to 62.0% — last among all reporting carriers that month. JetBlue's heaviest concentration of flights runs through congested northeastern airports, including Boston, JFK, and Fort Lauderdale, where on-time performance is structurally difficult to maintain.

American ranked eighth for the full year at 73.5% on-time. American operates the largest domestic network of any carrier in the report, and its performance at high-volume hubs, including Chicago O'Hare, LaGuardia, and Charlotte reflects some of the biggest concentrations of delay risk. 

Allegiant posted a full-year on-time rate of 74.5% in 2025. The airline's point-to-point model, which connects cold-weather markets to warmer leisure destinations, leaves it exposed to weather-related disruptions at smaller northern-tier airports.

Alaska ranked fifth for the full year at 77.2%. Its branded codeshare partners outperformed Alaska-operated flights on most months, but the carrier's West Coast focus — particularly Seattle and San Francisco — introduces chronic exposure to weather and airspace congestion delays, particularly in winter months.

United ranked sixth at 76.9% for the full year. United-operated flights performed better than its codeshare partners throughout 2025, posting 77.7% on-time versus 75.9% for branded partners. Its large presence at Newark, O'Hare, and Houston-IAH introduces sustained delay risk, particularly in the second half of the year.

Southwest improved to third overall in 2025, posting a 77.8% full-year on-time rate. Despite operating at congestion-prone airports such as Chicago Midway and Dallas Love Field, the airline outperformed much of the industry during the year, reflecting improvements in operational reliability and network performance. 

Delta ranked second overall in 2025 at 79.3%, and led the industry in on-time performance for multiple months throughout the year. Delta's codeshare partners also outperformed the industry average, posting 79.5% on time for the full year. Its worst results came in at high-volume hubs like Detroit and LaGuardia.

Hawaiian ranked first for on-time performance in 2025 at 81.95%, maintaining its position as the industry's top performer for full-year reliability. As of October 2025, Hawaiian Airlines now operates under a single FAA operating certificate with Alaska Airlines following their merger.

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According to Flighty's 2025 Global Passport Report, which analyzed more than 22 million flights between January and November 2025, these were the ten most delayed major airlines globally. Flighty counts any arrival 15 or more minutes late as delayed and includes only airlines with at least 150,000 flights recorded in its dataset.

The world's most delayed airlines in 2025:

1. Ryanair: 29% of flights delayed
2. EasyJet: 29%
3. Air France: 29%
4. Frontier Airlines: 28%
5. Lufthansa: 26%
6. Qantas: 26%
7. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines: 25%
8. Air Canada: 25%
9. JetBlue Airways: 25%
10. Southwest Airlines: 25%

The list spans budget and full-service carriers across Europe, North America, and Australia, which reflects a consistent pattern in delay data: which business model an airline runs matters less than where it flies, how dense its network is, and which hubs it depends on.

For regional context, Cirium's 2025 On-Time Performance Review identified the most punctual carriers in each region. In North America, Delta Air Lines led for the fifth consecutive year. Europe's top performer was Iberia Express for the third straight year. Copa Airlines led Latin America, Philippine Airlines topped Asia-Pacific, and FlySafair led the Middle East and Africa region. Carriers that appeared on Flighty's most-delayed list generally did not appear among Cirium's regional leaders.

It’s clear that flight delays are just a part of flying, no matter where you go. Help protect your vacation investment from travel delays with a Generali Global Assistance travel protection plan. Get a quote today.

What causes most flight delays today?

Based on DOT data, the leading causes of domestic flight delays are late-arriving aircraft, National Airspace System issues, carrier-caused delays, weather, and security. Late-arriving aircraft account for the largest share. When one flight runs behind, that delay ripples through the carrier's network. For example, a morning disruption in one city may affect passengers on the other side of the country by evening.

Carrier-caused delays (mechanical issues, crew scheduling, fueling) are fully within the airline's control. NAS delays stem from air traffic control congestion and runway constraints, particularly at high-traffic hubs. Weather delays tend to be the most disruptive because they affect multiple flights simultaneously with no reliable resolution timeline.

Air traffic control staffing shortages and equipment failures have also become persistent pressure points. According to Cirium's 2025 On-Time Performance Review, flight-delay minutes due to equipment issues  increased significantly in 2025 relative to historical averages

What do airlines owe you for delays or cancellations?

 No federal requirement exists for airlines to provide additional cash compensation for delays or cancellations, and a proposed rule that would have required such compensation was withdrawn in 2025.You can see exactly what each airline has committed to on the Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard. Airline commitments are voluntary, conditional, and subject to change. Travel protection from Generali Global Assistance may provide more reliable coverage for the out-of-pocket costs covered delays create.

How can travel insurance help with flight delays?

Travel protection from Generali Global Assistance is designed to help protect your trip investment when flight disruptions create unexpected costs. While an airline may rebook you on the next available flight, it generally won't cover the hotel room you need when that flight isn't until the morning, meals during a long gate wait, or a missed night at a prepaid resort.

Travel Delay coverage is designed to help reimburse reasonable expenses, including meals, lodging, local transportation, parking, and pet kennel fees, when a covered delay meets the minimum hour threshold for your plan. Trip Interruption coverage may apply when a delay causes you to cut a trip short or miss a non-refundable component. Baggage Delay coverage may reimburse the cost of essential items when your luggage doesn't arrive when you do. See plan details for a full breakdown of can be included.

Does travel insurance cover missed connections?

In many cases, yes. If a covered delay causes you to miss a connecting flight and results in high additional costs or disruption, Trip Interruption coverage may apply. This is especially relevant for trips built around cruise departures, guided tours, or multi-leg international itineraries, where missing one connection may affect the rest of your trip.

Coverage may depend on the cause of the initial delay. Reviewing your plan's documents before you travel is the clearest way to understand what applies to your specific itinerary.

Is travel insurance worth it for domestic flights?

It depends on what's at stake. For a simple point-to-point domestic flight with no prepaid components, travel protection may not add much value. The calculation changes when your trip includes non-refundable hotels, event tickets, or tours — or when a missed connection could affect something that can't easily be rebooked.

Learn more about travel protection for domestic trips and find the plan that fits your needs.

When should I buy travel insurance for a flight?

The sooner after booking, the better. Travel protection generally needs to be purchased before a disrupting event becomes a known risk — if a storm is already being tracked or an airline issue already reported, coverage for that specific event may not apply to a plan purchased afterward.

Buying shortly after booking gives you access to the widest range of covered scenarios. For most trips, purchasing within a few days of booking is the practical standard. Get a quote to see your options based on your travel dates and destination.

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