FAA Daily Air Traffic Report: September 5, 2025
Gusty wind in the Northeast, low morning ceilings in the Bay Area, and a familiar pulse of Florida thunderstorms shape the FAA daily air traffic report for September 5, 2025. New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, JFK, sits on the watch list for possible initiatives, while San Francisco International Airport, SFO, may see a morning Ground Delay Program if ceilings linger. Florida hubs, led by Miami International Airport, MIA, and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, FLL, face afternoon routing and delay risks.
Key Points
- Why it matters: Delay programs and reroutes can cascade into missed connections and overnight disruptions.
- Travel impact: SFO low ceilings early, wind for JFK, evening programs possible at BOS, MIA, FLL, MCO, TPA, and LAS.
- What's next: Midday and afternoon planning webinars may add routes, caps, or metering as storms evolve.
- Oceanic routes L453 and L455 closed until 1600Z, with Florida special-use activity windows later.
- Construction continues at BOS, PHL, ORD, IAH, HOU, MSP, LGA, JFK, SFO, and SAN.
Snapshot
The FAA operations plan calls out gusty wind for the New York complex later today and low ceilings around San Francisco this morning. Florida remains the most active convective zone, with Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Tampa preparing for afternoon initiatives, including possible CDRs, SWAP, and escape routes. Boston is listed as probable for evening programs due to wind and ongoing work on Runway 9, 27. Oceanic traffic flows remain constrained with L453 and L455 closed until 1600Z, and a Cape Canaveral Starlink launch window is in play late morning to early afternoon. Planners also flag potential Canadian capping later today.
Background
The Air Traffic Control System Command Center uses daily operations plans to coordinate constraints, staffing, and weather across the National Airspace System. When demand exceeds the arrival rate at a major hub, traffic managers meter inbound flights through a Ground Delay Program, and they may issue brief ground stops to reset banks. As storms, wind, or runway work squeeze capacity, they also assign preferred routes and swaps to move traffic around weather. For patterns and context, see yesterday's FAA Daily Air Traffic Report: September 4, 2025. Looking ahead, New York street closures during UN week can slow surface movements later this month, so review the UN General Assembly High-Level Week travel guide.
Latest Developments
Wind and low ceilings target New York and San Francisco
Planners highlight gusty wind later today for the New York complex, with initiatives possible at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) could see wind-related metering if upstream flows bunch into the evening push. On the West Coast, low morning ceilings at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) raise the risk of a Ground Delay Program if the marine layer burns off slower than forecast. Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) is marked probable for evening programs as wind intersects a long-running runway closure, which trims arrival options and lengthens taxi times during peak banks.
Florida thunderstorms drive routing and delay risk
Thunderstorms return across the peninsula this afternoon, placing Miami International Airport (MIA), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Orlando International Airport (MCO), and Tampa International Airport (TPA) under watch for ground stops, ground delay programs, or both. Expect customer-preferred departure route adjustments, escape routes around central Florida weather, and potential Severe Weather Avoidance Plan activity. The plan also lists Florida special-use airspace windows and an active Cape Canaveral Starlink launch period late morning to midafternoon, which can nudge coastal routings and oceanic flows. Tailored routings from the Ohio Valley corridors to Florida are likely during the storm peak.
Evening watch for desert hubs plus oceanic closures
Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) enter an evening watch window for arrival routing and possible CDRs or SWAP if convection expands over the Southwest. Over the Atlantic, oceanic routes L453 and L455 remain closed until 1600Z, forcing alternates and occasional metering for transatlantic flows into the Northeast gateways. Later today, Canadian capping is possible, which would add altitude constraints for overflights bound for New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Reroute managers also have Lake Erie west partial restrictions on the board for early afternoon, a recurring tool during fall shoulder-season weather.
Analysis
Today's setup fits a familiar September pattern. A relatively quiet morning transitions into a weather-driven afternoon, with the greatest traveler risk concentrated in Florida where pulse storms repeatedly compress arrival rates. The Northeast will feel secondary effects, particularly if oceanic closures and Canadian caps intersect the New York evening push. The combination of wind and runway work makes Boston especially sensitive, so itineraries that bank through Boston Logan International Airport may see longer taxi outs and holding delays. San Francisco's risk is mainly timing. If ceilings lift on schedule, SFO can avoid a full Ground Delay Program, but any slippage will ripple across midcontinent connections.
Construction remains a background drag at several hubs, including Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Indianapolis International Airport (IND), George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), and San Diego International Airport (SAN). Those projects narrow runway options during weather peaks. If your itinerary touches these airports in the late afternoon or evening, add buffer to connections, monitor your airline app for revised push times, and consider moving to earlier departures where same-day change waivers apply.
Final Thoughts
Expect a calm first act, then a Florida-led convective ramp, plus Northeast wind and SFO ceilings that may trigger programs. Travelers with tight connections through BOS, SFO, MIA, FLL, MCO, or TPA should add cushion and track for reroutes after the midday planning calls. If you are flying transatlantic, keep an eye on oceanic route status through early afternoon. We will keep comparing the day's flow with recent patterns in this FAA daily air traffic report.