Risky 'airport theory' has travelers cutting arrival time for flights 'way too close,' says expert

05 Mar 2026 By foxnews

More travelers are deliberately cutting it close at the airport in a viral gamble known as the "airport theory."

The social media trend encourages passengers to arrive just minutes before clearing security, often just 15 minutes ahead of boarding, in an attempt to avoid long waits and extra time spent inside the airport terminal.

Despite the obvious possibility of missing a flight, interest in the trend has surged.

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Searches for "airport theory" have jumped more than 11,000% over the past year, according to international travel eSIM provider Holafly.

To determine where the risky strategy might be most feasible, Holafly analyzed 25 of the busiest airports in the United States.

The company looked at factors such as average TSA wait times, on-time departure rates, passenger volume and airport size.

Salt Lake City International Airport topped the list of most feasible, with an on-time rate of 82.75% and an average security wait time of 15 minutes.

The airport serves more than 13 million passengers annually and has two concourses, making it relatively easy to navigate.

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San Diego International Airport ranked second in the study, followed by Boston Logan International Airport in third place. Both airports reported average TSA wait times of around 10 minutes.

Washington Dulles International Airport ranked fourth with an on-time rate of 75.90% and an average TSA wait time of 15 minutes.

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport placed fifth, reporting an on-time rate of 76.25% and an average security wait of 15 minutes.

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Fox News Digital previously reported on the trend when it initially went viral roughly a year ago, and interest has surged again as vacation travel increases.

Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog "View From the Wing," told Fox News Digital earlier that cutting down the time of arrival to 15 minutes before boarding a flight is risky indeed.

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"The advice [from airlines] for when [travelers] need to arrive is too conservative," Leff said. "But 'airport theory' suggesting showing up 15 minutes in advance of departure is cutting it way too close."

He noted that arrival recommendations from airlines and airports are often conservative for a reason.

"Airlines and airports give very conservative guidance because they [first] don't want to be blamed [for] outlier cases, where someone shows up closer to departure and misses their flight," Leff added.

He added that airlines and airports also benefit when passengers arrive early and spend time shopping or dining before departure.

Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for further comment.

Fox News Digital's Ashley DiMella contributed reporting.