> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thecontrail.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # JFK, LaGuardia or Newark? One New York Airport Usually Runs Best - URL: https://www.thecontrail.org/jfk-laguardia-newark-most-reliable-airport/ - Published: 2026-11-06T16:42:04.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-07T15:07:46.000Z - Description: Friday's storms grounded flights at all three New York airports. We tracked a week of flights to find which one is most reliable. - Author: Zach Benitez - Tags: News JFK, LaGuardia or Newark: if you live in New York, you've probably got a strong opinion about which airport is the worst. So we tracked every passenger airline departure from all three for a full week, from Sunday, Oct. 25, through Saturday, Oct. 31, more than 10,000 flights in total. On paper, they finished almost neck and neck. The real difference showed up after the plane left the gate, and it's a good reason to think twice before booking an evening flight out of LaGuardia. We counted a flight as on time if it pushed back from the gate within 15 minutes of its scheduled departure, the same standard the US Department of Transportation uses. Our numbers cover flights that actually flew, so cancellations aren't included, and one week of mostly calm autumn weather won't look like a stormy week in January. --- ## Latest Updates **Friday, Nov. 6, 6:30 p.m. ET:** The ground stops are over, but the damage is done. Flight tracking shows LaGuardia canceled 107 of its roughly 550 departures today, about one in five, and delayed more than 300 others. Newark had 59 cancellations and more than 250 delays, and Boston had 39 cancellations. LaGuardia departures are now running about an hour late and improving, but flights headed there are still being held close to three hours on average, so expect delays to ripple into tonight. **Friday, Nov. 6, 11:45 a.m. ET:** All three New York airports are under ground stops as thunderstorms sit over the region. The FAA is holding flights to JFK until 12:15 p.m., LaGuardia until 12:45 p.m. and Newark until 1:30 p.m., and departures are running more than two hours late at Newark and LaGuardia. Philadelphia, Washington National and Boston are backing up too. If you're flying out of New York today, check your airline's app before you leave for the airport. --- ## The Results JFK came out on top, with 91% of departures leaving the gate on time. Newark was close behind at 90%, and LaGuardia was third at 89%. When flights did run late, the delays looked similar at all three airports: a late departure averaged a little over an hour behind schedule, and only about 3% to 4% of flights left more than an hour late. That's a much tighter race than most New Yorkers would guess, especially for Newark, which keeps making headlines over [air traffic controller shortages](https://www.thecontrail.org/air-traffic-controller-shortage-flight-delays/). During our week, Newark ran almost exactly as well as JFK. --- ## The Wait After the Gate Leaving the gate on time doesn't mean you're taking off on time. After pushback, planes have to taxi out and wait their turn for the runway, and that's where LaGuardia fell behind. At LaGuardia, the average plane spent 25 minutes between leaving the gate and lifting off, and almost one in four departures spent more than half an hour on the taxiway. JFK averaged 23 minutes, with about one in seven flights waiting over half an hour. Newark was the quickest of the three at just under 22 minutes, with only about one in nine flights stuck that long. Put it all together and about 12% of LaGuardia flights were still on the ground 45 minutes after their scheduled departure, compared with about 9% at Newark and 8.5% at JFK. Part of the reason is the layout. LaGuardia squeezes one of the busiest schedules in the country onto two runways that cross each other, so takeoffs and landings have to take turns. JFK has four runways and Newark has three, which gives controllers more room to keep the line moving. ## Know Before You Fly Delays, strikes, new routes and the airline news that actually affects your trip, explained for normal travelers. Free in your inbox. Get Contrail Free Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. --- ## Airlines and Time of Day At JFK and Newark, it barely mattered when you flew. Both airports got about nine in 10 flights out on time from early morning to late evening. LaGuardia was different. Before 10 a.m., 94% of its departures left on time, which beat both of the other airports. After 6 p.m., that fell to 83%, the worst figure for any time of day at any of the three. The airline mattered too. At LaGuardia, Southwest got only about 71% of its flights out on time, and Delta about 83%. Republic Airways, which flies regional planes for American, Delta and United under their Eagle, Connection and Express brands, did better at about 93%. At JFK, JetBlue and Delta both landed right around 91%, with American a bit behind at 89%. At Newark, where United runs more than half of all departures, about 89% of United's mainline flights left on time. New York airports ยท One week of departures Which New York airport gets you in the air? JFKLeft the gate on time91%Gate to takeoff23 min NewarkLeft the gate on time90%Gate to takeoff22 min LaGuardiaLeft the gate on time89%Gate to takeoff25 min Flying LaGuardia?Go early. 94% of morning departures left on time, but only 83% after 6 p.m. Contrail tracking of passenger departures, Oct. 25 to 31, 2026\. On time means within 15 minutes of schedule. Contrail --- ## Which Airport Should You Pick? If reliability is all you care about, JFK was the safest bet during our week, and it was steady at every time of day. Newark was nearly as good and got planes into the air the fastest once they left the gate, which is worth remembering if you've written it off. LaGuardia is the easiest to reach from much of Manhattan, and it's excellent first thing in the morning, but it's the airport most likely to leave you sitting on the taxiway, especially in the evening. The simplest takeaway works at all three airports, though: book the earliest flight you can stand. Morning flights aren't waiting on a plane that's already running late, which is also why your flight sometimes [lands early](https://www.thecontrail.org/why-do-flights-arrive-early/) when everything lines up. If you fly to Europe, we've also tracked [which airlines get you from New York to London on time](https://www.thecontrail.org/london-new-york-flights-on-time-airlines/).