A recent report reveals that Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey is the most complained-about airport in the United States by passengers.
According to a report released on August 12 by the travel and financial consulting company Upgraded Points, analyzing data on passenger complaints received by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Contact Center from 2015 to 2023, Newark Airport topped the complaints list among the 44 largest airports in the U.S. with a significant margin. The report indicated that there were 12.84 complaints per 100,000 passengers at Newark Airport, far exceeding the national average of 3.92 complaints per 100,000 passengers. In comparison, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Ohio ranked second with 10.35 complaints per 100,000 passengers, followed by Palm Beach International Airport in Florida with 8.98 complaints per 100,000 passengers.
The other two major airports in the greater New York area, John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport, ranked sixth and tenth respectively. JFK Airport had 5.25 complaints per 100,000 passengers, while LaGuardia Airport had 4.42 complaints.
The most common complaints at Newark Airport were related to the TSA PreCheck expedited screening program, accounting for 44.8% of all complaints, followed by customer service at 14.6% and mishandled baggage at 14%.
The top three airports with the fewest passenger complaints in the U.S. were Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and Salt Lake City International Airport, with 1.97, 2.63, and 2.74 complaints per 100,000 passengers, respectively.
Additionally, according to data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), during the 2023 fiscal year (October 2022 to September 2023), Newark Airport ranked third in the U.S. for flight delays, with over 13,000 delays, surpassed only by Las Vegas and LaGuardia Airport. Newark Airport also ranked third in flight cancellations during the same period across the U.S.