Holiday record
Christmas and New Year 2022 flight delays
Tuesday 20 December 2022 to Tuesday 3 January 2023 · 263,726 flights
Historical statistics for Christmas and New Year 2022, not live status and not a forecast for a future Christmas and New Year.
Christmas and New Year 2022 is remembered in the data for its cancellations, which reached 11.25% of the schedule against 1.23% either side of the holiday. Beyond that, the on-time rate was 63.5% against 77.0% and late flights averaged 84 minutes against 69.
Key figures
On time
63.5%
Normal weeks: 77.0%
Avg delay
84 min
Delayed flights only. Normal weeks: 69 min
Cancelled
11.25%
Normal weeks: 1.23%
1 hour+ late
15.7%
Normal weeks: 7.9%
Between Tuesday 20 December 2022 to Tuesday 3 January 2023 airlines scheduled 263,726 flights. Measured per day against the 24 baseline days, the holiday was no busier than usual (17,582 flights a day against 17,786).
Against normal weeks
Christmas and New Year 2022 next to the weeks around it
| Period | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All flights, Christmas and New Year 2022 | 263,726 | 63.5% | 77.0% | −13.5 | 11.25% | 1.23% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Day by day
Which day of Christmas and New Year ran best
Neither the outbound nor the return rush was the low point; that came on Friday 23 December at 37.9% on time, 39.7 points below the 77.6% of ordinary Fridays. The best day was Tuesday 20 December at 75.9%, while Thursday 22 December was the busiest, with 19,182 flights scheduled. 12 of the 15 days ran below the figure for the same weekday in the baseline weeks.
Day-by-day change against normal weekdays: Tue 20 −7.7, Wed 21 +0.9, Thu 22 −24.8, Fri 23 −39.7, Sat 24 −33.6, Sun 25 −21.8, Mon 26 −27.3, Tue 27 −22.3, Wed 28 +4.3, Thu 29 +0.3, Fri 30 −2.9, Sat 31 −4.1, Sun 1 −4.6, Mon 2 −19.9, Tue 3 −22.5 points. The longest bad stretch ran 6 days, from Thursday 22 December to Tuesday 27 December.
| Day | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 20 December | 18,470 | 75.9% | 83.6% | −7.7 | 1.79% | 1.37% |
| Wednesday 21 December | 18,882 | 68.3% | 67.4% | +0.9 | 2.86% | 3.20% |
| Thursday 22 December | 19,182 | 50.5% | 75.3% | −24.8 | 12.99% | 0.79% |
| Friday 23 December | 19,145 | 37.9% | 77.6% | −39.7 | 27.58% | 0.76% |
| Saturday 24 December | 14,772 | 44.5% | 78.1% | −33.6 | 21.88% | 0.46% |
| Sunday 25 December | 15,142 | 56.8% | 78.6% | −21.8 | 20.94% | 0.71% |
| Monday 26 December | 18,525 | 52.7% | 80.0% | −27.3 | 21.67% | 0.80% |
| Tuesday 27 December | 18,284 | 61.3% | 83.6% | −22.3 | 17.21% | 1.37% |
| Wednesday 28 December | 18,166 | 71.7% | 67.4% | +4.3 | 15.82% | 3.20% |
| Thursday 29 December | 18,377 | 75.6% | 75.3% | +0.3 | 13.65% | 0.79% |
| Friday 30 December | 18,339 | 74.7% | 77.6% | −2.9 | 0.71% | 0.76% |
| Saturday 31 December | 14,828 | 74.0% | 78.1% | −4.1 | 1.29% | 0.46% |
| Sunday 1 January | 15,856 | 74.0% | 78.6% | −4.6 | 1.72% | 0.71% |
| Monday 2 January | 18,075 | 60.1% | 80.0% | −19.9 | 4.40% | 0.80% |
| Tuesday 3 January | 17,683 | 61.1% | 83.6% | −22.5 | 3.89% | 1.37% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Here “normal weeks” means the same day of the week in the baseline weeks, so a Sunday is set against the baseline Sundays.
Departure window
The best time of day to fly it
Late departures were the weak spot. 8pm–5am flights ran 53.7% on time, 23.4 points below the 77.1% of 5am–8am flights. The 8pm–5am window moved most against its normal weeks, 18.4 points worse than 72.1%.
| Departure | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–8am | 42,164 | 77.1% | 84.6% | −7.5 | 11.95% | 1.02% |
| 8am–11am | 48,788 | 70.2% | 80.9% | −10.7 | 9.18% | 1.30% |
| 11am–2pm | 47,344 | 63.3% | 77.5% | −14.2 | 9.08% | 1.31% |
| 2pm–5pm | 46,642 | 59.2% | 74.4% | −15.2 | 10.25% | 1.21% |
| 5pm–8pm | 44,035 | 54.9% | 71.6% | −16.7 | 12.53% | 1.20% |
| 8pm–5am | 34,753 | 53.7% | 72.1% | −18.4 | 15.98% | 1.32% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Airport by airport
Airports over Christmas and New Year 2022
Ranked by on-time rate, Providence (PVD) at 76.1%, New York (LGA) at 74.6% and Tucson (TUS) at 74.0% led the large airports and Aspen (ASE) at 36.3%, Denver (DEN) at 46.9% and Chicago (MDW) at 51.2% trailed. Denver (DEN) fell furthest against its own normal weeks, from 73.5% to 46.9%. Against their own normal weeks, 83 of 83 slipped.
The biggest airports carried the most weight: Atlanta (ATL, 12,359 departures, 65.6% on time), Denver (DEN, 11,387 departures, 46.9% on time) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW, 10,380 departures, 61.3% on time), together 13% of every departure in the window.
Not one large airport improved on its normal weeks over Christmas and New Year 2022.
When flights did run late, how late depended on where. Delayed departures from Memphis (MEM) averaged 123 minutes, against 69 in its normal weeks, the longest of any large airport; at Lihue (LIH) the average was 66 minutes.
Holiday traffic did not rise evenly. Daily departures rose most at Aspen (ASE, +48%), Sarasota (SRQ, +23%) and West Palm Beach (PBI, +13%), and fell most at New York (LGA, −23%). Each of them paid for the extra flights with a lower on-time rate.
| Airport | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta (ATL) | 12,359 | 65.6% | 80.0% | −14.4 | 6.17% | 0.64% |
| Denver (DEN) | 11,387 | 46.9% | 73.5% | −26.6 | 17.76% | 1.74% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) | 10,380 | 61.3% | 73.0% | −11.7 | 3.08% | 1.29% |
| Chicago (ORD) | 9,749 | 63.5% | 75.2% | −11.7 | 7.94% | 0.81% |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | 7,484 | 68.3% | 80.0% | −11.7 | 6.99% | 0.74% |
| Las Vegas (LAS) | 7,261 | 58.8% | 74.3% | −15.5 | 14.35% | 1.21% |
| Charlotte (CLT) | 7,071 | 68.6% | 74.1% | −5.5 | 3.65% | 1.49% |
| Phoenix (PHX) | 6,923 | 61.1% | 80.3% | −19.2 | 10.86% | 0.84% |
| Orlando (MCO) | 6,770 | 55.4% | 69.1% | −13.7 | 10.84% | 1.10% |
| Seattle (SEA) | 6,484 | 58.4% | 72.5% | −14.1 | 13.63% | 1.09% |
| Newark (EWR) | 5,380 | 61.3% | 75.0% | −13.7 | 5.76% | 0.78% |
| New York (LGA) | 5,310 | 74.6% | 77.7% | −3.1 | 9.55% | 1.90% |
| San Francisco (SFO) | 5,063 | 66.1% | 74.0% | −7.9 | 7.64% | 1.94% |
| Washington (DCA) | 5,018 | 74.0% | 81.9% | −7.9 | 7.59% | 1.56% |
| Houston (IAH) | 4,894 | 62.6% | 76.1% | −13.5 | 5.05% | 0.50% |
| Boston (BOS) | 4,811 | 66.5% | 78.8% | −12.3 | 6.38% | 1.00% |
| New York (JFK) | 4,642 | 63.1% | 75.6% | −12.5 | 6.31% | 0.29% |
| Detroit (DTW) | 4,517 | 71.4% | 83.3% | −11.9 | 9.21% | 0.52% |
| Minneapolis (MSP) | 4,405 | 60.9% | 71.3% | −10.4 | 12.99% | 2.19% |
| Salt Lake City (SLC) | 4,280 | 62.7% | 77.8% | −15.1 | 7.29% | 0.96% |
| Miami (MIA) | 4,122 | 67.9% | 74.9% | −7.0 | 5.09% | 0.88% |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | 3,984 | 52.4% | 70.6% | −18.2 | 9.86% | 0.86% |
| San Diego (SAN) | 3,643 | 61.7% | 81.2% | −19.5 | 18.97% | 1.53% |
| Nashville (BNA) | 3,640 | 62.8% | 81.4% | −18.6 | 20.99% | 0.91% |
| Baltimore (BWI) | 3,613 | 57.0% | 76.0% | −19.0 | 20.18% | 0.83% |
| Austin (AUS) | 3,563 | 59.9% | 76.7% | −16.8 | 14.54% | 0.96% |
| Chicago (MDW) | 3,368 | 51.2% | 71.2% | −20.0 | 31.29% | 1.17% |
| Philadelphia (PHL) | 3,359 | 70.5% | 80.1% | −9.6 | 6.46% | 0.94% |
| Tampa (TPA) | 3,326 | 65.3% | 79.6% | −14.3 | 13.29% | 1.37% |
| Dallas (DAL) | 2,898 | 54.7% | 79.1% | −24.4 | 23.36% | 0.88% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Route by route
The busiest routes over Christmas and New Year 2022
2 routes reached 500 flights in the window: OGG to HNL (566 flights, 52.0% on time against 69.6% normally) and HNL to OGG (565 flights, 54.7% on time against 74.6% normally). The table lists the ten busiest; routes under 500 flights carry a small-sample mark.
| Route | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OGG to HNL | 566 | 52.0% | 69.6% | −17.6 | 8.66% | 2.98% |
| HNL to OGG | 565 | 54.7% | 74.6% | −19.9 | 8.50% | 2.86% |
| LAS to LAXsmall sample | 409 | 60.6% | 70.4% | −9.8 | 7.58% | 1.10% |
| LAX to LASsmall sample | 409 | 64.5% | 74.0% | −9.5 | 8.31% | 0.95% |
| LAX to SFOsmall sample | 376 | 64.2% | 69.8% | −5.6 | 7.45% | 1.28% |
| SFO to LAXsmall sample | 375 | 72.6% | 76.2% | −3.6 | 8.27% | 1.87% |
| HNL to LIHsmall sample | 347 | 66.7% | 73.0% | −6.3 | 8.36% | 2.56% |
| LIH to HNLsmall sample | 347 | 58.0% | 64.8% | −6.8 | 8.07% | 2.37% |
| LGA to ORDsmall sample | 346 | 81.3% | 79.5% | +1.8 | 10.40% | 1.69% |
| ORD to LGAsmall sample | 346 | 70.2% | 73.7% | −3.5 | 9.54% | 1.84% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Carrier by carrier
Airlines over Christmas and New Year 2022
The airline mattered a great deal. PSA Airlines ran 80.6% on time and JetBlue Airways 49.3%, a 31.3 points gap across 17 carriers. Southwest Airlines lost the most ground against its own normal weeks, 22.2 points. Mesa Airlines gained the most on its normal weeks, 0.2 points.
Tight connections depend less on the on-time rate than on how many flights ran badly late. 15.7% of arrivals over Christmas and New Year 2022 were an hour or more late, against 7.9% normally, up 7.8 points. Aspen (ASE) had the highest share among large airports at 37.8%.
Cancellations spiked: 11.25% of all flights, more than double the 1.23% of normal weeks. The worst-hit were Buffalo (BUF) at 40.40%, Chicago (MDW) at 31.29% and Long Beach (LGB) at 28.01%, and Southwest Airlines cancelled the most among carriers at 29.91%.
| Airline | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 57,118 | 56.1% | 78.3% | −22.2 | 29.91% | 1.28% |
| American Airlines | 36,156 | 66.4% | 74.2% | −7.8 | 2.64% | 1.27% |
| Delta Air Lines | 34,186 | 70.3% | 81.4% | −11.1 | 5.61% | 0.56% |
| United Airlines | 28,158 | 62.1% | 77.1% | −15.0 | 4.82% | 0.60% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 23,816 | 66.0% | 78.9% | −12.9 | 7.84% | 2.40% |
| JetBlue Airways | 11,555 | 49.3% | 70.8% | −21.5 | 3.97% | 0.46% |
| Spirit Airlines | 10,210 | 53.9% | 72.4% | −18.5 | 11.70% | 0.96% |
| Alaska Airlines | 9,863 | 56.4% | 72.7% | −16.3 | 13.54% | 1.69% |
| Envoy Air | 9,142 | 67.5% | 77.1% | −9.6 | 5.27% | 0.92% |
| Republic Airways | 8,620 | 79.7% | 83.4% | −3.7 | 6.13% | 1.45% |
| Endeavor Air | 7,009 | 78.7% | 80.8% | −2.1 | 7.82% | 1.06% |
| Frontier Airlines | 6,697 | 51.6% | 63.6% | −12.0 | 9.36% | 2.15% |
| PSA Airlines | 6,396 | 80.6% | 85.4% | −4.8 | 3.17% | 1.85% |
| Allegiant Air | 6,165 | 54.9% | 67.7% | −12.8 | 9.42% | 0.97% |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 3,473 | 58.2% | 65.7% | −7.5 | 4.66% | 2.02% |
| Mesa Airlines | 2,993 | 74.6% | 74.4% | +0.2 | 1.90% | 2.06% |
| Horizon Air | 2,169 | 60.4% | 72.0% | −11.6 | 14.25% | 3.42% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Year on year
Christmas and New Year across the years
2022 was the weakest Christmas and New Year in the data: 63.5% in 2022, 81.8% in 2023, 74.6% in 2024 and 72.4% in 2025. 4 of those 4 years showed a measurable holiday effect.
| Year | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 (this page) | 263,726 | 63.5% | 77.0% | −13.5 | 11.25% | 1.23% |
| 2023 | 276,534 | 81.8% | 80.8% | +1.0 | 0.48% | 1.84% |
| 2024 | 285,023 | 74.6% | 81.0% | −6.4 | 0.99% | 2.26% |
| 2025 | 282,442 | 72.4% | 78.9% | −6.5 | 1.95% | 1.00% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
What to do with this
Planning around Christmas and New Year
Lessons from 2022: Tuesday 20 December was the best day to fly; book before the evening, since 8pm–5am departures ran 23.4 points worse than 5am–8am ones; and allow extra connection time at Denver (DEN) and Dallas (DAL). Those are one year's patterns; check them against the other years before relying on them.
On time means arriving less than 15 minutes after the scheduled gate time. Average delay counts delayed flights only; cancellations are a share of every scheduled flight. A holiday is compared with the two weeks either side of it, leaving out days that belong to other holidays. The measurable-effect test asks for 3 points of on-time rate, 5 minutes of average delay or 2 points of cancellations; airports, routes and carriers need 500 flights in the window to be ranked. The US DOT publishes on-time data about two months after the month it covers.
Related
Where to go next
- Christmas and New Year: every year and the next one
- Christmas and New Year 2023
- Christmas and New Year 2024
- Christmas and New Year 2025
- Press kit: chart, data file and summary for Christmas and New Year 2022
- Every US travel holiday
- The holidays that fly better than a normal week
- The busiest US travel days, and what they cost in punctuality
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) all year
- Denver International (DEN) all year
- Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) all year
Holiday comparisons use US DOT on-time data from December 2022 to June 2026. Methodology.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, on-time performance data, July 2025 to June 2026. Last updated 15 September 2026; recomputed monthly. How this data is collected.