Published on
December 30, 2025
Thousands Of Passengers Suffer in The US Today, with 4,543 total flight delays and 678 flight cancellations, including Chicago O’Hare Intl Airport (ORD) recorded 628 delays and 103 cancellations, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl (ATL) logged 245 delays and 87 cancellations, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County(DTW) saw 302 delays and 58 cancellations, Minneapolis–Saint Paul Intl (MSP) reported 218 delays and 60 cancellations, and New York John F. Kennedy Intl Airport (JFK) faced 222 delays and 30 cancellations. Additional pressure was observed at Orlando (208 delays, 26 cancellations), Boston (158 delays, 45 cancellations), Philadelphia (108 delays, 37 cancellations), Reagan National (110 delays, 27 cancellations), and Newark Liberty (167 delays, 22 cancellations), underscoring the scale of system-wide disruption.
Among the most affected airlines, Delta Air Lines reported heavy disruption across multiple hubs (105 cancellations at ATL, 30 at MSP, 16 at DTW; 139 delays at ATL, 97 at DTW, 57 at MSP), while Southwest Airlines saw large-scale delays (44 delays at MCO, 17 at DCA, 13 at DTW, 12 at MSP) and notable cancellations at secondary airports. JetBlue Airways also faced sustained disruption (67 delays at JFK, 51 at BOS, 27 at MCO; 18 cancellations at BUF). American Airlines and its regional partners (PSA, Envoy, Piedmont) contributed significantly to cancellations and delays at Philadelphia (37 cancellations), Reagan National (27), Chicago O’Hare (103), and Boston Logan (45).
- Updated today: 4,543 delays and 678 cancellations disrupted U.S. air travel nationwide.
- Chicago O’Hare led all airports in total delays, while Atlanta and Detroit saw heavy hub-related congestion.
- Delta Air Lines recorded the highest combined disruption footprint across multiple major hubs.
- Regional carriers under American and Delta brands drove a large share of cancellations at East Coast airports.
- Leisure-focused airports like Orlando experienced high delays but comparatively fewer cancellations.
US Airports Most Affected
Chicago O’Hare International Airport
ORD experienced 628 delays and 103 cancellations, making it the single largest contributor among the airports analyzed. Disruptions were heavily delay-driven, affecting both mainline and regional carriers.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
ATL logged 245 delays and 87 cancellations, with Delta and its regional affiliates accounting for the majority of affected flights, reflecting hub congestion rather than isolated airline failures.
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
DTW recorded 302 delays and 58 cancellations, driven largely by Delta-linked operations and regional partners such as Endeavor and SkyWest.
Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport
MSP saw 218 delays and 60 cancellations, with Delta, Endeavor, and SkyWest forming the core of disruption activity.
John F. Kennedy International Airport
New York JFK reported 222 delays and 30 cancellations, with JetBlue dominating delays and regional carriers contributing most cancellations.
Airlines Most Affected by Cancelled US Flights
Delta Air Lines
Delta recorded cancellations across several hubs, including ATL, MSP, DTW, and JFK, making it the most broadly affected major carrier.
American Airlines
American and its regional network faced concentrated cancellations at Philadelphia, Reagan National, Boston, and Chicago O’Hare.
Southwest Airlines
While cancellations were limited, Southwest experienced widespread delays at Orlando, Minneapolis, Detroit, and Washington National.
JetBlue Airways
JetBlue encountered significant delays at New York JFK, Boston, and Orlando, alongside notable cancellations at Buffalo.
Frontier Airlines
Frontier posted both delays and cancellations at Orlando, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Cleveland, reflecting sensitivity at leisure-heavy routes.
How Passengers Were Affected At Major Airports in US
- Travelers experienced extended ground delays before departure at large hub airports.
- Missed connections were reported due to cascading delays on inbound aircraft.
- Last-minute cancellations forced rebooking onto later flights or alternate routes.
- Increased gate congestion led to longer boarding and deplaning times.
- Limited seat availability impacted same-day rebooking options.
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Overview of Flight Cancellations in the US
Flight cancellations across the United States were concentrated at major US Airports and high-frequency regional networks, with Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, United Airlines, and Frontier Airlines emerging as the most visible operators affected. Airports such as Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis–Saint Paul, New York JFK, Philadelphia, and Orlando appeared repeatedly in disruption data, highlighting the role of hub congestion and regional carrier dependencies. While these airports were among the most affected contributors, they represented only a portion of the nationwide total, as hundreds of additional delays and cancellations were spread across other U.S. airports at lower volumes.
Image Source: AI
Source: Different airports and FlightAware