FAA daily air traffic report: September 23, 2025
Thunderstorms across the South and Mid-Atlantic, UN General Assembly traffic restrictions, and ongoing runway work shape today's FAA operations plan. The agency outlines possible ground delay programs for Denver, Boston, South Florida, Houston, and the New York and Washington metro airports, plus multiple en-route constraints across Eastern and Gulf centers. A scheduled SpaceX launch from Florida may add brief coastal airspace closures.
Key Points
- Why it matters: Delays are likely at major hubs from mid-day into the evening, especially in the Northeast and Florida.
- Travel impact: Possible ground stops or GDPs at Denver, Boston, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, and the NYC and DC metros.
- What's next: FAA's next planning webinar is scheduled for 1315Z, with updates through the afternoon.
- UN General Assembly TFR routes in New York, plus a DC flyover, could prompt holding and reroutes.
- Slight-risk severe storms span the southern Plains into the Ozarks, feeding afternoon convective constraints.
Snapshot
ATCSCC's 1200Z operations plan highlights thunderstorms driving terminal initiatives at Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, and Denver, with construction at Boston. The New York and DC metros face UN General Assembly restrictions, a morning DC flyover, and evening VIP movement from New York to Joint Base Andrews. En-route constraints cover numerous centers from New York to Jacksonville and Houston, with Airspace Flow Programs already active in the Northeast and additional programs possible this afternoon. A SpaceX IMAP launch window at Kennedy Space Center could briefly restrict Florida coastal airspace late morning.
Background
The FAA's daily plan builds on a turbulent stretch, including a September 19 telecom outage that briefly halted flights at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Dallas Love Field. The agency attributed the disruption to a local provider issue, not FAA equipment. Operations resumed the same day, but the episode underscored infrastructure dependencies that can ripple nationwide.
Separately, FAA continues its multi-year modernization push. The agency targeted September 2025 for operational deployment of a modernized NOTAM service, aiming to improve resilience and clarity after the 2023 outage. Today's planning cadence, combined with traffic-management initiatives like Airspace Flow Programs and GDPs, reflects a system designed to adapt quickly to weather and special-use airspace.
Latest Developments
Thunderstorms steer routing, with Florida and Houston risks this afternoon
Terminal constraints include thunderstorms for Miami International Airport (MIA), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), and both Houston airports, with possible capping and escape routes published later today. After 1600Z, CDRs, SWAP, and escape routes are possible for South Florida, with similar tools possible for the Houston complex after 1800Z. Ground stops or GDPs are possible for MIA and FLL after 1600Z, and for George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) after 1700Z. An SPC slight-risk footprint from eastern Oklahoma into the Ozarks supports broader convective traffic-management east of the Plains.
Northeast delays likely, as UNGA TFRs and AFPS bite
The plan flags Airspace Flow Programs active in the Northeast this morning, with more possible after 1800Z. Routes are published for the New York terminal area, and UN General Assembly TFR routes are in effect today, with additional VIP movement this evening from New York TRACON to Joint Base Andrews. Ground stops or GDPs are possible after 2000Z for John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), as well as for Washington's airports and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).
Morning ceilings in Denver, Boston construction, SpaceX window
Low ceilings place Denver International Airport (DEN) at risk for a ground stop or delay program after 1300Z. At Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), runway and taxiway work continues, with a probable ground stop after 1700Z. The plan also lists multiple runway and taxiway closures nationwide, including long-term work at Orlando International Airport (MCO), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and others, which can compress capacity during peak banks. A SpaceX IMAP launch from Kennedy Space Center has a primary window from 1120Z to 1223Z, with a secondary window on September 24, potentially prompting short coastal closures.
Analysis
Travelers should expect a classic late-September convective pattern, with scattered storms building from the southern Plains toward the Mississippi Valley, then feeding afternoon and evening constraints along the Eastern Seaboard. In practice, that means departure meter-fix caps, miles-in-trail restrictions, and tactical reroutes into and out of the New York and DC metroplexes. Florida flows often hinge on storm motion over the Everglades and Gulf sea-breeze interactions, so South Florida initiatives may toggle between escape routes and GDPs as cells pulse.
For planners, the combination of UNGA TFR routes, a DC ceremonial flyover, and possible Gulf route closures concentrates uncertainty in the afternoon push. The presence of active AFPS in the Northeast early, with additional programs possible later, suggests demand will exceed weather-reduced capacities at multiple fixes. Denver's morning ceiling risk adds transcon knock-on effects, and Boston's construction narrows arrival windows. Expect periodic compression delays as initiatives stack, especially if thunderstorms train along key arrival corridors into N90 and Potomac TRACON airspace.
Final Thoughts
Build extra buffer into connections touching the Northeast, DC, South Florida, or Houston from mid-day onward. Proactive rebooking around the late-afternoon peaks can save time if GDPs materialize. If your itinerary intersects New York or DC, watch for last-minute reroutes related to UNGA restrictions. Westbound departures from the Northeast may see miles-in-trail and minor holds as traffic shifts around convective lines. We will continue to track updates to today's FAA daily air traffic report.