The Popular East Coast Airport That Receives Nearly Twice The Average Number Of TSA Complaints

Airports aren't exactly anyone's happy place, even for jet-setters. But while some of the world's most awarded hubs go the extra mile to make the experience tolerable — or even pleasant — the bad still tends to outweigh the good. And when it comes to the absolute worst TSA experiences, one airport in particular has really outdone itself. According to a study by Upgraded Points, that distinction belongs to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Already notorious for being one of the worst airports for layovers in the U.S., it now adds being an exceptionally high-stress zone to its resume.

The study, which analyzed TSA complaints from 2015 to 2023 across 44 major airports across the country, found that EWR racks up 6.83 complaints per 100,000 passengers — nearly double the national average of 3.92. In 2023 alone, there were 12.84 complaints per 100,000 passengers. "Security checks are an unavoidable part of air travel, but the experience can vary greatly depending on the airport," Keri Stooksbury, editor in chief at Upgraded Points, said of the study in a press release. "And since navigating security can be such a high-stress experience, we identified where passengers are most and least satisfied with TSA, providing valuable insights for travelers." And apparently, the experience at EWR is unsatisfactory, with complaints covering everything from inconsistent TSA PreCheck enforcement to luggage being mishandled. Meanwhile, Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) offers the smoothest airport experience, only garnering 1.97 complaints per 100,000 passengers.

To be fair, EWR appears to be making changes, so it may only be a matter of time until it redeems itself. But until then, if you're traveling through Newark Airport, perhaps make it a point to pack some extra patience — and maybe leave an extra hour (or three).

When Upgraded Points crowned Newark Liberty (EWR) the worst TSA experience in the country, it wasn't exactly a shocker. Reddit is practically a venting ground for travelers who've had it with the wildly inconsistent security checks at this airport. "I feel like it's such a hit or miss," wrote u/MrNickofCT. "Sometimes I'll go and I'll get through in like 15 minutes. Other times it's close to an hour. And occasionally TSA will skip making you take your electronics out of your bags but then other times they'll make you remove everything individually and put them in separate trays." The confusion has even led some to question their sanity. "I felt like I was going crazy because I'd always be thinking 'damn, I could swear last time they told me not to do this, and now today they want me to? And they're mad at me like this is the way it's always been?' with no rhyme or reason," u/LapJ wrote.

To EWR's credit, though, it's not all doom and gloom. It does appear like the air hub is making moves to salvage its reputation. In March 2025, the TSA Cares program launched a brand new sensory room in Terminal A, designed to help neurodivergent travelers and those with special needs feel more at ease. It features calming aquatic designs and even a life-sized plane cabin mock-up, so passengers can get familiar with the flight environment ahead of time. And in 2024, the TSA rolled out new computed tomography (CT) scanners in Terminal B that offer superior 3D imaging to make screening carry-on items far more efficient.

And hey, some travelers are even noticing all these upgrades. "I think they've come a long way and the new terminal is great," Redditor u/OutOfOffice63 wrote. Now that's what we call character development!