Holiday travel on the horizon. Some Florida airports might be better options than others

Mark H. Bickel, Fort Myers News-Press
·2 min read

October is here and the countdown to the holidays has started. Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza and New Year's will all be here before you know it.

If travel plans aren't already made, they will be soon. The weeks around the holidays are traditionally the busiest of the year for airports across the U.S. and especially in Florida and Southwest Florida, where family members look to celebrate in the sunshine instead of in snow drifts.

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The last thing travelers want during the holidays is a disruption like flight delays and cancellations that more often or not are caused by seasonal weather.

So which airports might be naughty and which are likely to be nice for this upcoming holiday season?

A traveler at the airport after a flight was canceled.
A traveler at the airport after a flight was canceled.

A study conducted by AirHelp reveals the Top 10 U.S. airports with the highest percentage of flight disruptions and the Top 10 with the lowest percentage of fight disruptions. They are basing their findings on flight disruptions from airports with 10,000 or more flights in June, July and August 2023.

What airports in Florida made the 'naughty' list for disruptions?

  • No. 1 overall: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL): 42.63% of flights disrupted

  • No. 2 overall: Orlando International Airport (MCO): 42.11%of flights disrupted

  • No. 9 overall: Miami International Airport (MIA): 34.23% of flights disrupted

  • No. 10 overall: Tampa International Airport (TPA): 33.2% of flights disrupted

What airports in Florida made the 'nice' list for disruptions?

None.

Honolulu International Airport (HNL) was No. 1overall with only 18.61% of flights disrupted.

Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers finished No. 2 in J.D. Power's 2023 Customer Satisfaction Study for medium-sized airports.
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers finished No. 2 in J.D. Power's 2023 Customer Satisfaction Study for medium-sized airports.

What Florida airports graded high for fewest disruptions

Based on AirHelp's data, Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) provides an excellent alternative to other Florida airports for attempting to avoid holiday travel hassles.

  • Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) has much more reliable options. RSW, which is right next to Naples and only a two-hour drive from Miami, delivered 70% of its flights on time this summer.

  • Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP). ECP, which is right next to the beach and only two hours from Tallahassee, delivered 73.76% of its flights on time, without disruption.

  • Sarasota/Bradenton InternationalAirport (SRQ) is far more reliable and less than an hour’s drive away from the city center. Compared to Tampa International (the nation’s 10th worst airport this summer, SRQ delivered 73.84% of its flights on time, without disruption.

AirHelp based these smaller airport recommendation on flight disruptions for airports with 2,000 or more flights in June, July and August 2023.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Holiday travel: Florida airport experience hinges on few disruptions