New York Airports Compared: JFK vs LGA vs EWR Delays and Cancellations
New York travelers choose between 3 airports: JFK, LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark (EWR). Across January 2023 to December 2025, delay rates for flights departing them ranged from 20.6% at LGA to 23.4% at EWR, a spread of 2.8 points. Cancellations in 2024 to 2025 ranged from 1.93% to 2.67%. The table uses BTS data for flights departing each airport.
Delay window: January 2023 to December 2025. Cancellation window: 2024 to 2025. Last updated: 2026-10-01. Delayed means a flight arrived 15 or more minutes after its scheduled arrival, the BTS and DOT on-time standard. Cancelled and diverted flights are excluded from delay rates. Historical BTS figures are separate from DelayGuard's per-flight model probability and from live FAA, weather and ground-delay status.
New York airports head to head| Airport | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled | Before 8 AM | After 8 PM | Best hour | Worst hour | Worst month | Largest carrier in this window |
|---|
| JFK | 22.9% | 352,760 | 1.93% | 13.4% | 31.8% | 6 AM (13.0%) | 8 PM (32.3%) | July (33.0%) | JetBlue Airways (31.9%) |
| LaGuardia (LGA) | 20.6% | 448,129 | 2.67% | 10.2% | 27.8% | 5 AM (8.6%) | 10 PM (31.5%) | July (30.6%) | Republic Airways (29.6%) |
| Newark (EWR) | 23.4% | 376,766 | 2.52% | 12.5% | 34.5% | 5 AM (11.0%) | 10 PM (37.3%) | July (36.5%) | United Airlines (54.0%) |
Pick this airport if
- Pick LGA if you want the lowest overall delay rate (20.6% of departures arrived 15+ minutes late).
- Pick JFK if avoiding cancellations matters most (1.93% of scheduled departures cancelled, 2024 to 2025).
- Pick LGA for a flight before 8 AM (10.2% late, the lowest of the set).
- Pick LGA if you must fly after 8 PM (27.8% late, the lowest of the set).
What shapes each airport
- JFK: JFK is one of three US airports the FAA classes as Level 3 (slot-coordinated), where scheduled operations are capped per hour during slot-controlled hours.
- LGA: LaGuardia is one of three US airports the FAA classes as Level 3 (slot-coordinated), where scheduled operations are capped per hour during slot-controlled hours.
- EWR: Newark, JFK and LaGuardia are served by the same approach control, the FAA's New York TRACON (N90), so a flow restriction in that airspace can constrain all three at once.
Predict a JFK flight Predict a LGA flight Predict a EWR flight
Questions
- Which New York airport has the fewest delays?
- LaGuardia (LGA) has the lowest delay rate at 20.6% across 448,129 departures, January 2023 to December 2025. The others: JFK 22.9% and EWR 23.4%.
- Which New York airport cancels the fewest flights?
- JFK at 1.93% of 228,108 scheduled departures, 2024 to 2025.
- Is the cheapest New York airport worth a higher delay risk?
- The delay-rate gap across these airports is 2.8 points. This page compares reliability only, not fares. Check a specific flight in the predictor before you decide.