The Most Stressful Airport In The World Is A US East Coast Hub Known For Cancellations

The state of New Jersey is home to some iconic and beloved destinations, such as the boardwalks of the Jersey Shore and Princeton University. Its major airport? Not so much. In fact, the beleaguered Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) recently topped the list of the world's most stressful airports, compiled by Australia-based iSelect, scoring an abysmal 18.46 out of 100. The company surveyed 50 major airports around the globe, scoring them on punctuality and passenger experience factors, including flight delays, ease of getting to the airport, flight cancellations, check-in, baggage claim, and security wait time.

As an East Coast gateway to New York, Newark's reputation has already taken many hits with its congestion and transit access. Exacerbating its image, the study found Newark scored among the worst for its check-in process and customs and immigration wait times. It also lagged behind competitors when it came to retrieving luggage, ranking as the third-worst airport for baggage claim times. Its flight cancellation rate also brought down its score, with 1.43% of flights canceled, more than 50% higher than John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

In general, the U.S. didn't fare well in the study, with three of the country's prominent airports landing among the list's top five offenders. In second place was Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon, Portugal, followed by Manchester Airport in the United Kingdom, New York's JFK, and Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Those looking for a relaxing flying experience might want to switch continents. The top three least stressful airports — Singapore Changi Airport, Doha's Hamad International Airport, and Seoul's Incheon International Airport — are all in Asia.

The negative distinctions for Newark seem to rack up when it comes to customer satisfaction. Newark has ranked as one of the worst airports for layovers, per MarketWatch. Another ding is that it generates lots of TSA complaints, often due to TSA PreCheck issues and poor customer service. It also struggled big time during the government shutdown in 2025, with air traffic controller staffing shortages leading to hours-long delays. Over 1,000 more flights were cancelled following a radar outage earlier in the year.

To get a sense of the airport's challenges, it helps to understand how big an operation Newark is. Managed by the Port Authority of New Jersey and New York, it served more than 47 million passengers in 2025, per radio station WMTR, handling almost as many flights as JFK despite being less than half its size. It also registers the most weather-related flight delays in the nation, combined with LaGuardia Airport in New York, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

That said, Newark is in the midst of making sizable investments to improve the passenger experience. Its Terminal A received a $2.7 billion upgrade in 2023, adding state-of-the-art digital technology, upgraded passenger amenities, and improved dining options. Another project in the works is the $3.5 billion overhaul of the AirTrain, which ferries passengers between terminals, parking lots, rental car facilities, and the rail link station, where travelers can hop on trains to New York.  Such efforts may help bump Newark off iSelect's naughty list in the future, but it's not out of the woods yet.