FAA Daily Air Traffic Report: September 14, 2025
Afternoon thunderstorms across Central and South Florida and around Denver, plus morning marine-layer ceilings on the West Coast, headline today's plan. The FAA Command Center signals possible ground delay programs for San Francisco International Airport and General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport, along with pop-up reroutes in the Northeast during a VIP Temporary Flight Restriction window. A Florida launch window this evening may briefly reshape oceanic routes. Expect routine initiatives, adjusted as storms and ceilings evolve.
Key Points
- Why it matters: Weather, a VIP TFR, and a Cape launch could ripple into delays and reroutes.
- Travel impact: Florida hubs, Denver, San Francisco, and Seattle face the highest schedule risk.
- What's next: Midday planning calls will refine GDPs, reroutes, and any hotline-driven fixes.
- VIP movement near New York may constrain some Teterboro and Newark procedures during the window.
- Flow-constrained area advisories are active for Boston flows until roughly 10:30 p.m. UTC.
Snapshot
Terminal risks focus on thunderstorms for Orlando International Airport (MCO), Tampa International Airport (TPA), Miami International Airport (MIA), and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), plus Denver International Airport (DEN). Low ceilings are in play for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The plan notes a possible SFO ground stop or ground delay program after 330 p.m. UTC, and a possible Boston program after 500 p.m. UTC. A VIP TFR in the New York area this afternoon could prompt brief holds or arrival spacing that touches Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and nearby Teterboro Airport (TEB). A SpaceX Cygnus NG-23 launch window from Cape Canaveral this evening may trigger short oceanic route adjustments.
Background
The FAA Daily Air Traffic Report synthesizes the Air Traffic Control System Command Center's game plan for balancing demand and capacity. Tools include ground delay programs that meter arrivals using expect departure clearance times, and airspace flow programs that meter flights through constrained sectors. Other levers include capping, tunneling, coded departure routes, and structured arrival routes. Temporary Flight Restrictions under 14 CFR 91.141 limit operations during protected movements, often causing brief, uneven delay spikes. Today's setup closely tracks patterns from recent days, with Florida convection and West Coast ceilings driving terminal rates, and the Northeast seeing added structure during VIP windows. For context, compare with our recent coverage in FAA Daily Air Traffic Report: September 11, 2025 and FAA Daily Air Traffic Report: September 10, 2025.
Latest Developments
Florida thunderstorms and Rockies convection may trigger programs
The operations plan carries Central and South Florida for en route initiatives, with potential coded departure routes, escape routes, or short airspace flow measures around MCO, TPA, MIA, and FLL during the afternoon peaks. DEN sits near frontal buildups that can drive ramp lightning holds, minor miles-in-trail, or short departure metering. The plan also flags possible arrival routing for North Texas this evening around Dallas Love Field (DAL) and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). Travelers connecting through these nodes should build buffers, monitor airline alerts, and be ready for EDCTs if a GDP posts.
West Coast marine layer trims morning acceptance rates
SEA and SFO start the day with low ceilings, which typically reduce arrival rates until ceilings lift. SFO shows a possible ground stop or ground delay program after 3:30 p.m. UTC if improvement is slow. Crews may see metering from first-tier departure fields and call-for-release procedures, especially if inbound spacing tightens. If you are on a transcon to SFO or SEA, add extra time for meetings or ground transfers in case inbound rates stay conservative into the midday push.
VIP movement and Northeast reroutes
A VIP TFR centered near Morristown, New Jersey is scheduled from 445 p.m. to 630 p.m. local time. Some procedures for TEB and EWR may be unavailable during the window, with New York flows shaped by constrained-area advisories that meter traffic inbound to Boston Center airspace. Expect brief holds, reroutes around the inner ring, and uneven delay spikes during movement times. Additional VIP movement to Joint Base Andrews (ADW) is anticipated later.
Launch window and oceanic structure
A SpaceX Cygnus NG-23 launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station carries a primary window of 1002 p.m. to 1105 p.m. UTC. The Command Center plans route structure for the event and notes possible closures of Atlantic AR and Y routes and selected oceanic tracks. Effects on commercial schedules are usually limited, but flights transiting affected corridors can see small reroutes and time-add.
Analysis
Operationally, today splits into three traveler themes. First, Florida convection drives the biggest risk of afternoon ripple delays. That tends to produce short, sharp metering followed by recovery banks, so tight connections at MCO, TPA, MIA, and FLL are the weak point. Second, the West Coast marine layer is a morning efficiency tax. SEA and SFO often recover by late morning local time, but if ceilings linger, SFO's program risk rises into the afternoon. Third, the New York area's VIP window adds a timing wildcard. Even if you do not fly to Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU) or Essex County Airport (CDW), flows through New York and New Jersey can wobble during the ring's active period, occasionally touching EWR and nearby departures. Build buffers on itineraries that connect through two risk nodes, for example Florida to the Northeast, or a transcon into SFO connecting onward. If you have flexibility, morning departures reduce exposure to Florida storms and most VIP windows, preserving connection margins without changing fares on many carriers.
Final Thoughts
Keep expectations realistic, and watch midday planning updates. If Florida storms pulse, expect metering and reroutes on North-South flows, with faster recovery in the late evening. If the SFO marine layer lingers, a program is more likely after 3:30 p.m. UTC. The VIP TFR window near New York is short, but it can create localized spikes. For best results, monitor your airline app for EDCTs, and pad your schedule if you touch the listed hubs in this FAA Daily Air Traffic Report.