Pa. airport one of the worst for holiday travel

With the holidays comes, for many, lots and lots of (often aggravating) travel.

Unfortunately, one of Pennsylvania’s airports has been ranked among the worst for holiday travel in the United States.

According to a study conducted and published by Local Insider, Pittsburgh International Airport ranked amongst the top 20 worst in the country during the holiday season in the 19th overall spot.

This isn’t the first time an airport in Pennsylvania has been noted for its, shall we say, not-so-stellar reputation: PennLive reported back in September how Philadelphia International Airport ranked last with regards to a J.D. Power customer satisfaction survey for the third year in a row.

The airports included in the Local Insider study were found after researchers at the site took a look at on-time departure statistics and delay causes at the nation’s 50 biggest airports against passenger volume.

That being said, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., ranked as the absolute worst for those traveling during Thanksgiving and Christmas. The study revealed that the location saw a delay and cancellation rate of 29.2 percent during the holiday season.

“Leaving Florida during the winter can be difficult for several reasons,” the study explains. “Travelers not only leave behind warm weather, but they also face long delays and cancellations.

“Overall, nearly 30% of departing flights at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International are either delayed or dropped during the holiday season.”

On the flip side, Washing Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., was found to be the best for holiday travel.

“When it comes to timeliness and consistency, look no further than Washington Dulles International in Washington, D.C.,” the study states.

“Overall, 88.6% of scheduled flights depart on time at Washington Dulles International, which is the highest percentage on our list of the nation’s top 50 busiest airports.