Flight delays and airport impacts: October 21, 2025

Published on Oct 21, 2025, 9:40 am CDT

4 min read

Key points

BOS, SEA may see ground stops after 10:00 am CDT
SAN advertising 24 AAR by 12:00 pm CDT
RSW arrivals slowing in low visibility
Thunderstorms possible in Northeast, Miami, Houston centers
Runway works at BOS, LAS, MCO, IAH continue

Impact

Airports_to_watch: Boston Logan (BOS), Seattle-Tacoma (SEA), San Diego (SAN), Southwest Florida (RSW), Philadelphia (PHL), Minneapolis-Saint Paul (MSP).
Weather_drivers: Wind and low ceilings at BOS and SEA, low visibility at RSW, scattered thunderstorms across Boston, New York, Miami, and Houston centers.
Peak_delay_banks: Risk increases after 10:00 am CDT with potential BOS and SEA programs, easing toward late afternoon if ceilings lift.
Traveler_actions: Add 60-90 minutes at BOS or SEA; monitor airline alerts if connecting via SAN or RSW; save mobile boarding passes offline.

Low ceilings and onshore winds in New England and the Pacific Northwest set up a bumpy midday for key hubs, while San Diego manages construction-related capacity and Southwest Florida slows arrivals in fog. The FAA's morning operations plan flags possible ground stops for Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) after 300 pm UTC, which is 1000 am Central, and outlines construction and runway closures at several large airports. This is the daily picture of flight delays and airport impacts for October 21, 2025.

FAA operations plan and airport programs

The Air Traffic Control System Command Center's operations plan at 832 am Central highlights low ceilings at SEA and San Diego International Airport (SAN), winds with occasional low clouds around BOS, and breezy conditions at the New York and Philadelphia terminals. It warns of possible ground stops or a delay program for BOS and a possible ground stop for SEA after 1000 am Central. Miami Center is holding inbound traffic to Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) due to low visibility, and SAN is advertising a 24 arrival-per-hour acceptance rate by midday as runway configurations shift during construction.

En-route, the Command Center flags scattered thunderstorms across Boston, New York, Miami, and Houston air route traffic control centers, with special-use airspace active over the Dahlgren ranges in the Washington Center footprint. The North American Route Program is suspended in Washington Center through October 31, which can add miles-in-trail and minor reroutes for some flows along the East Coast.

Runway and taxiway work remains a factor: BOS has Runway 09/27 closed into mid-November; Las Vegas Harry Reid's 01L/19R is closed through October 22; Orlando International's 18R/36L and Houston George Bush Intercontinental's 08R/26L stay closed into November; multiple taxiway or runway projects continue at Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Phoenix, Nashville, and San Diego. Teterboro's primary runway is closed late morning, which can ripple into New York terminal general aviation flows.

Latest developments

As of 8:32 am Central, the Command Center reported no nationwide staffing triggers, even as the broader government shutdown continues to stress the system. If programs post for BOS or SEA, expect them from late morning into early afternoon, with relief as ceilings lift. Check the FAA NAS Status page for airport-level delay postings before you leave for the airport.

Analysis

For travelers booked through Boston Logan or Seattle-Tacoma today, build a 60 to 90-minute buffer around peak banks and enable push notifications in your airline app. San Diego has a lower advertised arrival acceptance rate while construction continues; connections with short layovers into SAN may be tight until evening. If you are Florida-bound via Fort Myers, plan for spacing on final due to reduced visibility.

A developing Caribbean system monitored by the National Hurricane Center is likely to be named Melissa later on October 21. If you have late-week flights to Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Jamaica, or the ABC Islands, expect added slack in your connections and watch for waivers. Our cruise and Caribbean weather coverage has the broader context.

For system background as the shutdown persists, see our explainer on controller absences and impacts. For rolling context day to day, yesterday's roundup may help benchmark what changed. FAA: Controller absences fueling delays during shutdown and Flight delays and airport impacts: October 20, 2025.

Final thoughts

Weather and construction, not staffing, are the primary triggers in the FAA plan this morning, with the biggest risks centered on Boston and Seattle and targeted slowdowns at San Diego and Fort Myers. Keep your boarding pass saved offline, pad your schedule, and refresh delay boards before you leave. We will continue to track flight delays and airport impacts as conditions update through the day.