Gazette file photo A Houghton County Memorial Airport worker directs a SkyWest Airlines plane as it taxis after landing in this 2022 file photo.

HOUGHTON COUNTY – The Houghton County Memorial Airport placed in the top 10 of the most stressful airports in the U.S. in 2025, according to an article published by Travel Agent Central.

The data, by Nova Kratom, ranked 358 U.S. airports based on flight disruptions in 2025 to identify where travelers are most likely to experience stress, the article says. The research combined data on flight delays, cancellations, and diversions to create an index score, by which the airports were then ranked. Houghton County’s airport placed sixth in the ranking.

The study appears to have been released last summer. On Aug. 16, 2025 Michigan Mama News posted a blog in which the author, Jenn Lindsey, reported data revealing the Houghton County Memorial Airport as fifth most stressful airport in the U.S. with a 4.33 stress score. The airport allegedly earned a 6.5% cancellation rate with departure delays averaging 39 minutes.

As the study swept the news, two months later, on Oct 2, 2025, Yahoo News reported on the findings.

“The list was compiled using Spin the Wheel Generator, which analyzed five factors within airports: passenger volume, average departure delays, cancellation rates, arrival delays, and Google ratings,” Yahoo reported. “Each factor was weighted equally at 20 percent to determine a final stress score from 1 (most stressful) to 10 (least stressful).”

That information was first posted in Michigan Mama News blog in August.

“New research by interactive tool Spin the Wheel Generator has identified Aspen/Pitkin County Airport in Colorado as the most stressful airport in the United States, with travelers facing significant delays and high cancellation rates that resulted in a stress score of 4.95 out of 10,” Lindsey reported.

But who is Nova Kratom, and what is a Spin the Wheel Generator, how accurate is the data, and why does the airport experience frequent delays?

According to Science Direct, spin the wheel tools can be used for basic, low-stakes statistical studies (like probability demonstrations) but are generally not accurate for rigorous, high-stakes analysis due to potential biases in code, physical imperfections, or intentional weighting. While digital apps often simulate randomness, they may use weighted probabilities for engagement.

Quantic Foundry reported: “Since we had extensive domain knowledge of this game/audience and a large data set from actual gamers from the initial study, we were able to unequivocally show them that 80% of their new panel-fielded survey data was completely bogus–not just mild outliers, but completely implausible combinations of responses.”

Nova Kratom, credited with the data, is a Colorado-based online-only vendor launched as a direct-to-consumer products derived from kratom.

Kratom is a tropical evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia. Its leaves are used as an herbal substance for its stimulant and opioid-like effects. It is commonly used to treat chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and to manage opioid withdrawal symptoms. Only Travel Agent Central mentioned Nova Kratom as the source of the data.

As to the Houghton County airport experiencing cancellations and delays, blame that on winter.

Late last November, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning during Thanksgiving week.

Houghton County Airport Manager Dennis Hext (now retired) told the Daily Mining Gazette that in spite of the severity of the forecast, he was confident the plane would be able to land that evening.

It then was expected to be secured in the hanger, where it will be ready for the next morning.

“If we have the blizzard conditions like they’re saying,” Hext said at the time, “then it’ll be delayed or it might take a while to get out of here. I would just plan on being wary of it, but don’t expect it to be canceled.”

The storm turned out to be as severe as predicted, and flight was canceled.