FAA daily air traffic report: September 25, 2025
Morning marine layer in San Francisco and low ceilings in Boston start the day with metering, while scattered thunderstorms from the Mid-Atlantic through Florida set up a choppy afternoon push. The FAA daily air traffic report highlights potential ground delay programs at several hubs and continued Northeast flow initiatives that could spill into the evening. Travelers should expect spacing and capping on key corridors, with Florida, Houston, and the New York metro among the most watch-listed groups. United's brief ground stop late September 23 adds context, but today's impacts are primarily weather and construction driven.
Key Points
- Why it matters: Low ceilings and convection may trigger ground delay programs and holding.
- Travel impact: Florida, Houston, San Francisco, Boston, and New York metro face the most constraints.
- What's next: Afternoon storms could expand reroutes and capping into the evening.
- Watch list: JFK, LGA, EWR, DCA, MIA, FLL, ATL, SAN, LAX, PHL, SEA.
- Planning note: PHLYER routes, Florida-Texas FCAs, and Gulf reroutes are active or likely.
Snapshot
San Francisco International Airport, SFO, is managing a marine layer program through the morning, while Boston Logan International Airport, BOS, is pacing arrivals for ceilings. The FAA flag list includes possible ground stops or ground delay programs later for the New York TRACON, Miami International Airport, MIA, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, FLL, Atlanta, San Diego International Airport, SAN, Los Angeles International Airport, LAX, Philadelphia International Airport, PHL, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, SEA, and the Washington, D.C., area. Florida storms and Gulf weather may constrain flows into George Bush Intercontinental Airport, IAH, and William P. Hobby Airport, HOU. Expect Northeast route initiatives, selective airborne holding, and compressed airport arrival rates.
Background
The Air Traffic Control System Command Center publishes a rolling operations plan that consolidates constraints, programs, and route initiatives across the National Airspace System. Typical levers include a ground delay program, a ground stop, miles-in-trail, and collaborative reroutes to keep demand aligned with airport and en route capacity. Construction, runway closures, and taxiway work add friction on otherwise good-weather days. This week's context includes United's late-September 23 technology issue, which prompted a short FAA-coordinated ground stop before operations normalized. Separately, San Diego's Terminal 1 opened with 19 gates on September 22, improving throughput as the fall schedule ramps.
Latest Developments
Ground delay program at SFO, BOS pacing, Florida storms may widen impacts
The FAA operations plan lists a morning ground delay program at San Francisco International Airport, SFO, for marine layer ceilings, plus paced arrivals at Boston Logan International Airport, BOS. Afternoon convection from the Mid-Atlantic through Florida is expected to fuel additional initiatives, including capping, tunneling, and escape-route use that could expand into the evening push. Watch for potential ground stops or ground delay programs at John F. Kennedy International Airport, JFK, LaGuardia Airport, LGA, Newark Liberty International Airport, EWR, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, DCA, Miami International Airport, MIA, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, FLL, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, ATL, San Diego International Airport, SAN, Los Angeles International Airport, LAX, Philadelphia International Airport, PHL, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, SEA.
Route initiatives and Gulf constraints shape afternoon flows
Northeast traffic is guided by ongoing PHLYER routes to balance flows around Philadelphia and the New York metro. Florida-to-Texas traffic is under periodic flow-constrained areas, and portions of Gulf routes, including the L207 family, may be limited by thunderstorms near Houston airspace. Expect collaborative departure routes and storm-avoidance procedures to pulse through the afternoon. Construction and runway closures persist at several hubs, including work schedules at Tampa International Airport, TPA, Orlando International Airport, MCO, Boston Logan International Airport, BOS, San Francisco International Airport, SFO, and others, which can reduce airport acceptance rates during peak periods.
Analysis
Today's FAA daily air traffic report underscores a classic two-front scenario, with coastal ceilings compressing morning rates in the Northeast and on the West Coast, then thunderstorms driving reroutes as the day warms. For travelers, the practical takeaway is simple, arrive early and build slack into connections at Florida, Houston, and the New York metro. For ops teams, the levers to watch are PHLYER flows, Florida-Texas FCAs, and any expansions of miles-in-trail that ripple beyond the immediate convective footprint. West Coast recovery hinges on how quickly San Francisco burns off its marine layer and whether Los Angeles holds a clean push. The recent United tech stop is not the driver today, but it is a reminder that even brief non-weather events can complicate recovery windows when weather begins to stack. Expect a late-day balancing act if storms linger along departure corridors into the evening push.
Final Thoughts
If you are connecting through Florida, Houston, or the New York metro, pad your schedule, enable flight alerts, and check your gate frequently. West Coast flyers should expect a steadier picture once San Francisco stabilizes rates. Airport construction adds minor friction, but the variable is convection, which can turn a minor metering plan into a broader ground delay program within an hour. We will monitor updates to the operations plan and evening advisories. Count on a fresh FAA daily air traffic report in our next cycle.