Presidents Day weekend flight delays

2025 was the hardest Presidents Day weekend to fly, 64.1% on time, and 2023 the easiest at 82.0%: a spread of 17.9 points between the best and worst years.

If you want to avoid the fullest airports, the peak days were Monday 20 February 2023 (19,042 flights), Friday 16 February 2024 (19,163 flights), Friday 14 February 2025 (19,833 flights) and Friday 13 February 2026 (20,229 flights).

Each year's weakest day: Friday 17 February 2023 (72.1%), Saturday 17 February 2024 (70.2%), Sunday 16 February 2025 (57.5%) and Monday 16 February 2026 (72.9%). The worst day moved around from year to year, which points to weather rather than to a fixed crunch in the holiday schedule.

The strongest day of the window across 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 was the Friday, 75.9% on time on average, and the weakest the Monday at 75.3%. Presidents Day weekend lands on the same weekdays every year, so this is a pattern to plan around.

The 5pm–8pm window has been the least reliable time to leave, 67.8% on time on average across 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026, against 86.5% for 5am–8am. That 18.7 points gap is bigger than the holiday effect itself.

The cancellation rate has been as low as 0.40% (2024) and as high as 3.19% (2025), with Washington (DCA) at 16.95% in the worst year.

By airport across 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026, New York (JFK, −13.6 points), Fort Lauderdale (FLL, −13.3 points) and New York (LGA, −12.9 points) fell furthest behind their own normal weeks on average, while Salt Lake City (SLC, −0.7), Las Vegas (LAS, −2.5) and Phoenix (PHX, −2.6) held up best. Only airports with 500 departures in every window count.

Worst year-on-normal airport, year by year: Honolulu (HNL, −23.1 points) in 2023, New York (JFK, −20.2 points) in 2024, Detroit (DTW, −35.7 points) in 2025 and Fort Lauderdale (FLL, −13.9 points) in 2026.

By carrier across 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026, Envoy Air averaged the best on-time rate at 81.7% and JetBlue Airways the worst at 61.5%, a gap of 20.1 points.

The holiday changed some airlines more than others: JetBlue Airways averaged −11.8 points against its normal weeks, Envoy Air −2.7.

The most punctual large carrier each year was Endeavor Air in 2023 (87.5%), Envoy Air in 2024 (88.7%), Hawaiian Airlines in 2025 (78.3%) and Republic Airways in 2026 (85.7%).

OGG to HNL, HNL to OGG and LAX to SFO were among the five busiest routes in every year, so their figures on the year pages are worth comparing across years.

What the years add up to for 2027: fly the Friday if the dates allow; take a 5am–8am departure; and allow more connection time at New York (JFK) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL). None of it guarantees a smooth trip; it moves the odds.

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.