When taking a trip, the flight is usually the least memorable part, but there is one airport in the United States that continually stresses out travelers.
New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) was ranked the world’s most stressful airport, according to a study that was shared with Travel + Leisure from iSelect, an Australian-based travel insurance comparison company. The study found the airport lacking when it came to the ease of getting there, discovered one of the worst baggage claim scores, and saw one of the highest rates of canceled departures.
“Airports can be stressful at times, but understanding which ones are more likely to cause delays or longer wait times can help travelers prepare and plan for their trip,” Adrian Bennett, the general manager for general insurance, said in a statement obtained by Travel + Leisure.
That’s not to say travelers should never fly in and out of EWR—after all, some T+L editors swear by it when going in and out of the greater New York City area. The airport, a major hub for United Airlines, is in the middle of a complete overhaul with plans to replace Terminal B and the existing AirTrain and enhance Terminal C. What’s more, 2025 saw an exceptionally chaotic year with flight delays and cancellations due to staffing shortages.
To complete the study, iSelect examined 50 airports around the world that serve as major hubs and looked at seven key areas, including the check-in process, security wait times, immigration and customs wait times, and baggage claim satisfaction.
Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) came in as the second-most stressful airport in the world thanks to its high cancellation rates, less-than-desirable check-in process, and low security check rating. However, the study found getting to the airport was easy.
The United Kingdom’s Manchester Airport (MAN) ranked the third most-stressful, followed by New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) rounding out the top five.
On the flip side, the survey found the least-stressful airport in the world was Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), which ranked high for immigration and customs, security check, check-in wait times, and ease of getting to the airport. The company said the score did well to “cement its reputation as the gold standard for stress-free travel.”
Singapore was followed by Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) and Seoul’s Incheon International Airport (ICN).
This is the full list of the top 10 most stressful airports, according to the study.
- Newark Liberty International (EWR)
- Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS)
- Manchester Airport (MAN)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
- Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
- Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP)
- Paris Orly Airport (ORY)
- Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
