America’s most stressful airports ranked —…
New Yorkers already know touring may be a headache — but according to new research, some of the worst airport stress comes not from major ones like JFK or LaGuardia, but from the state’s tiniest regional airports.
CBD company Mood.com ranked 384 US airports by stress, factoring in cancellations, delays, passenger numbers and Google reviews. The winner in the “most stressful” class?
Aspen/Pitkin County Airport in Colorado, which scored a 4.95 out of 10, thanks to practically 9% of its flights being canceled and average departure delays topping 45 minutes.
But New York followers don’t have to fly across the Rockies to really feel the frustration.
Watertown International Airport in upstate New York snagged second place with a stress rating of 4.68.
Serving just under 24,000 passengers yearly, the tiny airport has an 8.8% cancellation price and average arrival delays of nearly 40 minutes.
Aspen’s tiny ski-town airport is flying high on stress — with practically 1 in 10 flights scrapped and average delays dragging past 45 minutes, incomes it a rock-bottom rating of 4.95 out of 10. Google Maps
Plattsburgh International Airport, another small New York airport close to the Adirondacks, also made the top 10 with a 4.28 rating.
Travelers right here face the quirks of a regional hub where persistence is a must, and delays are half of the surroundings.
The record is full of smaller airports, proving that fewer passengers don’t equal smoother travels.
Other high-stress hubs embrace Maryland’s Hagerstown Regional, which experiences practically two-hour departure delays, and Chippewa Valley Regional in Wisconsin, where arrivals routinely land more than an hour late.
Even Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest, made the top 10 — though with not as extreme delays, it’s more of a crowd-control headache than a timing nightmare.
No need to trek to Colorado — New Yorkers can get their fill of airport agony nearer to home. Watertown International in upstate NY clocks in at second place with a stress rating of 4.68. Google Maps
According to the research, the key stressors are cancellations and long waits.
Supposedly, small airports dominate the rankings because they will’t take in disruptions as simply as major hubs, the report notes.
Top 10 most stressful US airports
Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, CO – 4.95
Watertown International Airport, NY – 4.68
Hagerstown Regional Airport, MD – 4.65
Chippewa Valley Regional Airport, WI – 4.49
Houghton County Memorial Airport, MI – 4.33
Tyler Pounds, Regional, TX – 4.31
North Central West Virginia Airport – 4.31
Plattsburgh International, NY – 4.28
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, IL – 4.15
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, GA – 4.12
But it’s not all turbulence for vacationers. As The Post beforehand reported, a 2024 AirHelp research topped Sacramento International Airport king of the skies last January — with 82.3% of flights taking off on time, per the Sacramento Bee.
Tiny airports top the stress charts since they will’t shrug off delays and cancellations the best way big hubs can, the report says. Google Maps
Something so many other airports in the nation may only dream of.
Not far behind: San Jose International at 82.06%, Arizona’s Tucson International at 81.33%, Reno-Tahoe in Nevada at 81.18%, and Georgia’s Savannah/Hilton Head at 80.47%.
Turns out the largest journey meltdown may not occur at JFK’s security line — but while ready for a puddle-jumper in the center of nowhere.
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