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DENVER (KDVR) — If you had to travel out of Denver International Airport last month, there is a chance you had a flight delay or cancellation.

DIA was among the worst airports for flight disruptions in January, according to a recent study by AirHelp.

According to AirHelp, a company that helps flyers with airline claims, DIA had approximately 34.4% of flights disrupted in January. The following airports in AirHelp’s ranking include: 

  1. Denver International Airport – 34.4% flights disrupted
  2. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport – 31.5% flights disrupted
  3. O’Hare International Airport – 30.4% flights disrupted
  4. Orlando International Airport – 29.9% flights disrupted
  5. Chicago Midway International Airport – 29.6% flights disrupted

Experts say weather is not always a key reason for delayed or canceled flights. 

“A lot of times what happens is congestion in the air, not having slots,” Eric Napoli, VP of Legal Strategy for AirHelp said. 

Napoli says that staffing issues, including an ongoing pilot shortage, continue to be a problem that many airlines are grappling with all over.

We reached out to DIA about the study and here’s what they shared with us:

DEN is the 3rd busiest airport in the world, and arguably, there are not other cities/airports that compare to DEN. DEN is huge, and our challenges are unique. Our winter operations could be one of these reasons.

Many airports don’t have the same challenges DEN has with snow and ice control. Even when we don’t have measurable accumulation, cold and moist conditions necessitate deicing, which results in delays. While delays are commonly associated with a negative passenger experience, during deicing they can contribute to a positive passenger experience by reducing time spent sitting idle on a taxiway, also reducing emissions!” a DIA spokesperson shared.