DFW is the worst airport for delayed departures since the pandemic began

DFW International Airport has had more delayed flights than any other big airport since the pandemic began, according to a new analysis from TexPIRG Education Fund analysis, a consumer-advocacy nonprofit.

• Only 81.9% of flights from DFW have departed on time since the start of the pandemic, per the study of more than 200,000 U.S. Department of Transportation complaints going back to 2016.

Why it matters: The local travel industry came through the Thanksgiving holiday relatively unscathed, but the travel crunch of Christmas is still looming.

What they’re saying: “The basic job of airlines and airports is to get passengers and their belongings from one place to another, and to do so in a timely manner,” Adam Altmejd, a spokesperson for TexPIRG, said in a statement.

Context: Fort Worth-based American Airlines had a hellacious stretch of delays in October and November, and the airline is in the middle of contentious contract negotiations with its pilots union.

By the numbers: From February 2020 to August 2021, complaints from flyers increased by 460%, according to TexPIRG.

• In August, the latest month for which data are available, there were 6,666 complaints.