Certain flights headed to Colorado, Texas and California airports are experiencing delays due to unfavorable weather conditions on Memorial Day, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
As of 9 a.m. ET Monday morning, there is a Traffic Management Program in effect for planes arriving at Denver International Airport due to weather, causing some arriving flights to be delayed an average of 30 minutes, according to an update from the FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center.
The FAA also issued an advisory for flights heading to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas, which are being delayed for nearly an hour on average due to weather and thunderstorms. Planes headed to San Francisco International Airport are also currently experiencing delays averaging 28 minutes, according to a separate notice.
This comes as 45.1 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day holiday period, an increase of 1.4 million travelers compared to last year, and notching a new Memorial Day weekend record.
NEWARK AIRPORT HIT WITH NEW DELAYS, OUTAGE HEARD ON AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AUDIO
Meanwhile, there continues to be an onslaught of delays impacting traffic in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Last week, just ahead of the bustling holiday weekend, the FAA issued an interim order reducing flight arrivals and departures until construction on one of its runways ends on June 15.
There will only be 28 arrivals and 28 departures every hour under the interim order. There will be 34 arrivals and departures through the end of October.
“Our goal is to relieve the substantial inconvenience to the traveling public from excessive flight delays due to construction, staffing challenges, and recent equipment issues, which magnify as they spread through the National Airspace System,” Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau said.
NEWARK AIRPORT ‘ONE OF MANY VOLCANOES WAITING TO ERUPT,’ PILOT SAYS
In recent weeks, passengers have faced several-hour delays and hundreds of canceled or delayed flights at Newark due in part to air traffic control outages.
The air traffic control system has been under immense pressure for years, given the persisting staffing shortages, outdated technology and underinvestment in critical infrastructure. These shortfalls came into focus in recent weeks as New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport, the second-busiest airport in the New York airport system, faced back-to-back issues.
Aside from the longstanding issues with the air traffic control system, Newark’s challenges have been further strained by ongoing construction at the airport, which leaves it temporarily operating with only one of two parallel runways.
