We’ve all heard about the golden rule that travelers need to arrive at the airport two hours before their flight. But is it relevant everywhere? Not at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which ranks No. 3 for shortest wait time at the busiest U.S. airports.

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Summer storms have wreaked havoc on thousands of Americans’ travel plans. Planetware dug a little deeper to see what areas are most affected by flight delays and cancellations. Before you plan your next trip, listen to this…

  • The average wait time across all U.S. airports is about 10 minutes.
  • Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has the 3rd shortest wait time of any major airport (8 minutes). 
  • Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport ranks 9th for the busiest U.S. airport with the most on-time flights (81%). 

Key takeaways from the Planetware analysis

  • The average wait time across all U.S. airports is about 10 minutes.
  • On average, 81.0% of all U.S. flights have been reported on time since 2014.
  • Travelers visiting airports in Hawaii (17.4 minutes) and Illinois (15.7 minutes) can expect longer wait times.
  • Travelers visiting airports in Connecticut (2.8 minutes) and Mississippi (3.4 minutes) can expect little to no wait time.
  • Flights leaving Hawaii (86.7%), Alaska (86.6%), and Montana (85.8%) are the most likely to be on time.
  • Honolulu’s airport (HNL) has both the longest average wait time (21 minutes) and more on-time flights than any other major airport in the U.S. since 2014.
  • Chicago Midway in Illinois has reported more flight delays (22.6%) and cancellations (5.7%) than any other major airport in the U.S. since 2014.

Leading the way for the longest wait time for the busiest U.S. airports is Daniel K Inouye International in Honolulu, HI, with about a 21-minute wait on average. If you are worried about feeling stressed by that wait, be sure to visit one of the top-rated tourist attractions to relieve anxiety before heading to the airport.

Not far behind on our ranking is Chicago O’Hare International in Illinois, at about a 20-minute wait. If you’re thinking about making that 45-minute drive south to a different airport, we’re sorry to say it won’t help much as Chicago Midway International is 3rd on our ranking with about an 18-minute wait on average.