FAA evening advisory flags delays and reroutes
The FAA evening advisory for August 22, 2025, outlines a Ground Delay Program at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and possible ground stops or delay programs for several hubs as storms flare late day. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Denver International Airport (DEN) sit on watch, with Florida and Texas corridors under convective pressure that can ripple into missed connections and overnights. En route, select Atlantic Y-routes face closure windows, and one Airspace Flow Program is active with another possible later tonight. Travelers should expect evolving EDCTs and short-notice reroutes.
Key Points
- Why it matters: The FAA evening advisory can extend delays into late departures, then roll disruptions into the morning.
- Travel impact: IAH under a Ground Delay Program, with ATL, DEN, and multiple Florida and Texas airports at risk for stops or metering.
- What's next: Additional CDRs, SWAP, and a late Airspace Flow Program are possible as storms pulse across key centers.
- En route constraints include Atlantic Y-route closures and Gulf routing watches that lengthen block times.
- Build buffer on connections touching New York, Florida, Texas, and Phoenix during late banks.
Snapshot
Command Center notes thunderstorms across the Southeast, Texas, and the Florida peninsula, plus winds for New York airspace. As of the evening advisory, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is operating under a Ground Delay Program into the late evening in Central time. Planned initiatives include possible ground stops or GDPs for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Denver International Airport (DEN), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Orlando International Airport (MCO), Tampa International Airport (TPA), Miami International Airport (MIA), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU). Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and San Antonio International Airport (SAT) have stop windows early evening, with Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and en route sectors flagged for SWAP and CDRs. For a fuller daytime narrative, see our FAA daily air traffic report, August 22, 2025.
Background
The Air Traffic Control System Command Center publishes an evening operations plan that synthesizes weather, volume, and system constraints into airport programs and route management. Ground Delay Programs meter arrivals when demand outpaces safe capacity, issuing EDCT times that slide banks later and heighten misconnect risk. Ground stops halt departures bound for a constrained airport until conditions improve or rates are reset. Severe Weather Avoidance Plans, or SWAP, shift flows around storms using predefined CDRs and escape routes. Airspace Flow Programs meter traffic through en route bottlenecks to protect downstream banks. In late summer, a single slow moving storm over a departure gate, or a closure of oceanic lanes, can cascade into long lines, reroutes, and overnight crews timing out. That is why an evening FAA evening advisory is a key traveler tool.
Latest Developments
FAA evening advisory highlights: IAH GDP, ATL and DEN on watch
The plan shows a Ground Delay Program active for George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) into the late evening Central time. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) carries a possible ground stop or GDP window from late afternoon Zulu through the evening local. Denver International Airport (DEN) shows a similar risk in the early evening. Florida hubs, including Orlando International Airport (MCO), Tampa International Airport (TPA), Miami International Airport (MIA), and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), retain stop windows through late evening pending radar trends. William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), San Antonio International Airport (SAT), and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) also sit on timed watches. Expect CDRs and SWAP for the Atlanta and Charlotte corridors, with rolling EDCT updates as storms wax and wane.
En route pinch points, AFP watch, and oceanic constraints
Thunderstorms constrain multiple Centers from the Mid Atlantic through the Gulf states, prompting capping, tunneling, and SWAP statements for Florida and Houston airspace. An Airspace Flow Program affecting Jacksonville sectors remains active through early evening Zulu, with a Minnesota flow possible later if demand and weather converge. The plan also flags Atlantic Y-route closures that can force detours or holds for coastal departures, with a Gulf route watch into late night. These measures aim to preserve sequencing for evening banks at large hubs, but they can extend taxi-out queues, add miles in trail, and push arrivals past curfews at noise sensitive airports. For context on today's oceanic dynamics, see FAA Closes North Atlantic Route L453 for Storms.
Analysis
For travelers, the operational picture argues for conservative planning on evening itineraries. When a Ground Delay Program is active at a hub like George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), airport arrival rates drop, and the FAA assigns EDCTs that stretch block times. Those delays cascade to connections feeding late banks at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Denver International Airport (DEN), and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). If storms settle over Florida's departure gates, short ground stops or miles in trail will meter Orlando International Airport (MCO), Tampa International Airport (TPA), Miami International Airport (MIA), and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), with knock on effects for inbound banks from the Midwest and Northeast.
New York airspace is sensitive to wind and runway construction, so a modest reroute can amplify taxi times at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Oceanic programs and Y-route closures, even for an hour, may force longer routings that slide evening arrivals later. Your best hedge is to build connection buffer, monitor airline and airport apps for EDCT changes, and consider moving to earlier departures if your final leg depends on a late bank. For irregular operations, know your carrier's reaccommodation options and last good flight times, since crews can hit duty limits when delays stack.
Final Thoughts
Summer convection and tight en route sectors often converge after the afternoon push, which is why the FAA's evening planning remains essential reading on stormy days. Tonight's plan points to an IAH Ground Delay Program, ATL and DEN on watch, and Florida and Texas flows under SWAP and CDRs. Add time at hubs where thunderstorms sit over gates or finals, and expect EDCTs to update as radar evolves. If your trip depends on late connections, build slack or move earlier where possible, and track route notes if you are transiting the Atlantic or Gulf corridors. Staying aligned with the FAA evening advisory helps you avoid avoidable overnights.