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US Airport Delays Right Now
Ground stops, ground delay programs, arrival and departure delays and closures that the FAA reports at US airports, in plain English. This page refreshes itself every 2 minutes while you have it open.
Delays and ground stops now
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Expected later today
From the FAA's operations plan for the day: ground stops and delay programs the FAA thinks may be needed later, usually because of weather. They may not happen, and times are in UTC (Z) with your local time alongside.
Restrictions that don't affect airline flights
Airport closures that apply only to some aircraft, such as private flights without a reservation or very large aircraft. Scheduled airline flights operate as normal.
Source: FAA National Airspace System status (nasstatus.faa.gov). cwsi.net is not affiliated with the FAA. The FAA lists airport-wide delays, not delays to single flights: check your own flight with your airline.
What the FAA delay types mean
Ground stop
A ground stop holds flights bound for one airport at their departure airports until the FAA lifts it, usually because of storms, low visibility or a problem at the destination. If your flight is going to that airport, you will wait at the gate or on the ground until the stop ends. Ground stops are often short, but they can be extended, and flights already in the air keep going.
Ground delay program
When an airport can take fewer arrivals than are scheduled, the FAA gives each flight bound there a later departure time. You wait at your departure airport instead of circling in the air, and this page shows the average and the longest delay. A ground delay program usually lasts several hours.
Arrival and departure delays
Arrival delays mean flights are held before landing at that airport, often in holding patterns or by slowing them down en route. Departure delays mean flights are waiting to take off, at the gate or in line for the runway. The FAA gives a range, such as 16 to 30 minutes, and whether it is rising or easing.
Airport closures
Some airports close every night for maintenance or noise rules, and airlines schedule around it. A full closure at other times stops all flights. Many closures listed by the FAA apply only to some aircraft, such as private flights without a reservation; those do not affect airline passengers and appear in their own section above.
What to do if your airport has delays
- Check your own flight. The FAA status covers the airport, not your flight. Your airline's app or website, or our Flight Tracker, show its real departure time.
- Turn on flight alerts in the airline's app, and still get to the airport on time: a delay can shrink when a ground stop ends early.
- Look at rebooking in the app first. During long delays airlines often allow free changes; the app is faster than the line at the counter or the phone. Keep the number from our Airline Contact Numbers handy.
- See why. Airport Weather shows the current conditions and forecast, and NOTAMs list runway and airport closures.
Questions
What is an FAA ground stop?
A ground stop holds flights bound for one airport at their departure airports until the FAA lifts it, usually because of storms, low visibility or a problem at the destination. If your flight is going to that airport, you will wait at the gate or on the ground until the stop ends.
What is a ground delay program?
When an airport can take fewer arrivals than are scheduled, the FAA gives each flight bound there a later departure time. You wait at your departure airport instead of circling in the air, and the page shows the average and the longest delay.
What should I do if my airport has delays?
Check your own flight with your airline or its app, since the FAA status covers the airport and not each flight. Turn on flight alerts, look at rebooking options in the app before lines form at the counter, and keep the airline's phone number handy.
Where does this delay information come from?
From the FAA's National Airspace System status (nasstatus.faa.gov), checked every 2 minutes. Ground stops and delay programs come from live traffic management data when it is current, usually a few minutes sooner, with the average delay; those lines say "traffic management". cwsi.net is not affiliated with the FAA, and airlines can delay or cancel flights for reasons the FAA does not list.