Are holiday delays mounting at PHL? We’re tracking the year-end travel surge.
About 8 million people are expected to fly through the end of the year, according to AAA. Our tracker shows how PHL is handling the surge and whether travelers are likely to encounter delays.
A record number of travelers are expected to fly for the holidays this year, breaking a years-long dip brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whether or not they make it to their destinations on time, however, is a different story.
AAA estimates more than 8 million will fly this year between Dec. 20 and 31, up 2.3% from last year — a record if it holds.
Travel through PHL has been relatively smooth so far through the holiday season, Inquirer analysis of flight data shows, but a stampede of year-end travelers could quickly change that.
Are you headed to PHL? Use our charts below to get a glimpse of how the airport is functioning today. The charts will update every hour through Jan. 20, and reset every morning at 4 a.m.
So far in December, about 81% of flights coming in and out of PHL have been on time, data show, with arrivals faring slightly worse than departures.
The worst day for travel was Dec. 14, when snow blanketed the region. Only 36% of flights were on time that day.
Delays also mounted in the days following Thanksgiving, another of the year’s busiest travel periods, data show, but quickly recovered.
PHL offers flights from 15 airlines. The chart below shows what percentage of the most active airlines’ flights are delayed or canceled.
What about my flight?
PHL offers up-to-date information for each flight arriving or departing from its gates on its website. However, airport officials recommend checking with your airline for more specific information.
Security wait times
As of Friday morning, all six security checkpoints at PHL were open. TSA PreCheck is available at Terminals A-East, C and D/E.
Current security wait times are available on PHL’s website.