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A new study has determined the most stressful major airport in the world
iSelect, an Australian-based travel insurance comparison company, recently examined 50 major airports based on flight delays, cancelations, check-in, security and baggage claim
The study found New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International as the world’s most stressful airport
A new study has examined which airports in the world stress travelers the most, and one major U.S. facility tops the list.
The study, conducted by the Australian company iSelect, exampled 50 major airports around the globe and issued a report ranking them based on flight delays, cancelations, check-ins, security wait time, ease of getting to the airport and baggage claim convenience.
After a careful review, they found New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International (EWR) to be the world’s most stressful airport.
Newark received a score of just 18.46 out of a possible top rating of 100 on the study’s index. The airport had the worst scores for both its check-in experience and customs and immigration, with only 77% and 66% of reviewers, respectively, rating the processes favorably. It had the second-worst scores for ease of getting to the airport at 74% favorable, and for security checks at 70%.
The study found Newark had an average departure delay of around 21.4 minutes over the past year and its rate of cancelled departures is 1.43%.
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Aerial view of Newark Liberty International Airport
Despite the ranking, efforts to improve Newark Liberty for its 49 million annual passengers are already underway. A $2.7 billion brand new Terminal A was completed in 2023 and officials broke ground on the new $3.5 billion AirTrain Newark in October 2025.
Yehyun Kim for The Washington Post via Getty
Security lines at Newark Liberty International Airport
“The phased development sets the course for a reimagined Newark Liberty that will accommodate more passengers and aircraft while reducing delays and congestion, delivering a world-class air travel experience from curb to gate,” the airport’s website says.
Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport in Portugal ranked second most stressful on iSelect’s list, scoring 22.51 on its index. The facility had the highest delayed departure time with an average of 27.39 minutes. However, the airport scored the best for ease of getting there.
Manchester Airport in the U.K. ranked third most stressful with the worst baggage claim score on the index.
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Ranking fourth and fifth most stressful are two more U.S. airports: New York’s John F. Kennedy International and Chicago O’Hare International, respectively.
As far as which airports cause the least amount of stress for travelers, Singapore’s Changi Airport, Doha’s Hamad International Airport in Qatar and South Korea’s Seoul Incheon International rounded at the top three.
Read the original article on People