New York City is home to three major airports that are, most days, hectic to travel in and out of just about any day of the year, but there is one summer day that is more chaotic and busy than most at JFK Airport.
And that day is Saturday, July 14, according to 2017 data from AirHelp, a global air passenger rights company that helps travelers obtain compensation for flights that are delayed, canceled or overbooked.
AirHelp’s data, which was compiled between the Thursday before Memorial Day and the Tuesday following Labor Day last year, found that more than 9 million travelers flew from JFK Airport on more than 65,000 flights — with July 14 the busiest day of the summer.
Last July 14, approximately 96,000 people flew into JFK. On the flip side, 97,000 passengers departed the airport that same day, AirHelp found.
JFK is the busiest air gateway to North America — and it’s also the busiest airport in the New York City metro region, which also includes LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, which are all less than 40 miles from each other.
JFK Airport vs LaGuardia and Newark on July 14
Nearly 100,000 travelers arrived at and departed from JFK Airport on July 14, 2017. How did that compare to LaGuardia and Newark?
According to AirHelp, 51,000 people flew in and out of LaGuardia that day, while Newark saw 68,000 travelers.
Newark’s busiest day came six days later on July 20, AirHelp found.
Best travel time at JFK Airport
Based on on-time performance, AirHelp found that the best travel time at JFK is between 6 a.m. and 11:59 a.m., which is also the best time for Newark as well.
Best day of the week to fly at JFK Airport
Sunday is the best day to travel at both JFK Airport and Newark, AirHelp found.
