Flight Delays and Airport Impacts: October 24, 2025

Published on Oct 24, 2025, 9:33 am CDT

4 min read

Key points

SFO low ceilings likely to slow arrivals
Northeast gusts could constrain JFK, EWR, BOS
Texas storms may impact DFW, DAL, IAH, HOU
SEA low clouds possible this afternoon
Runway work continues at major hubs
High volumes persist, plan extra time

Impact

What Changed: FAA's plan flags San Francisco low ceilings, Northeast winds, and Texas thunderstorms that may require delay programs.
Why It Matters: Arrivals into key hubs could stack up, pushing missed connections and rolling delays across networks.
Dates: Friday, October 24, 2025; main initiatives window begins around 10:30 a.m./10:30 CDT (1530Z).
What To Do: Monitor airline alerts, pad connections, consider earlier departures, and reroute around affected hubs if possible.

The Federal Aviation Administration's morning operations plan points to three primary pinch points for Friday, October 24, 2025: low ceilings at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), gusty winds in the New York-Boston corridor, and developing thunderstorms across Texas. Ground Delay Programs are probable at San Francisco around 1030 a.m./1030 CDT (1530Z), with additional programs possible for Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Dallas Love Field (DAL), George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) through the early afternoon and evening.

FAA Command Center Operations Plan

The Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC) highlights:

Terminal constraints: BOS construction, New York TRACON winds, SFO/SEA low ceilings, DFW/DAL thunderstorms.
Terminal initiatives planned: SFO Ground Stop/Delay Program probable after 10:30 a.m./1030 CDT (1530Z); BOS probable after 12:00 p.m./1200 CDT (1700Z); EWR and SEA possible after 1200 p.m./1200 CDT (1700Z); JFK and DFW/DAL possible after 1:00 p.m./1300 CDT (1800Z); IAH/HOU possible after 2:00 p.m./1400 CDT (1900Z).
En-route constraints include storms across Memphis, Kansas City, Fort Worth, Houston, and Albuquerque centers, plus special-use airspace in the Washington center area.

The NAS Status map will update through the day as programs activate, so check it before you head to the airport.

Latest developments

Thunderstorms are expected to organize across west, northwest, and central Texas this afternoon and evening, with risks for large hail, damaging wind, and a couple of tornadoes as activity pushes toward and east of the I-35 corridor. This timing aligns with the FAA's Texas hotline and flow programs aimed at the DFW metroplex and Houston. Impacts may include airborne holding, miles-in-trail restrictions, and reroutes into and around North and Southeast Texas.

On the West Coast, persistent marine layer and low ceilings at San Francisco continue to reduce arrival rates during morning and midday banks. Seattle could also see low clouds later, which would further slow operations in the Pacific Northwest.

In the Northeast, gusty winds around New York and Boston are likely to shift runway configurations and cut acceptance rates, which often propagates delays to feeder airports in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.

Analysis

Travel volume remains elevated. TSA screened 2,278,064 passengers on October 22 and 2,141,945 on October 21, a reminder that even modest capacity reductions at one or two hubs can cascade quickly on busy Fridays. Build in extra time at security and for connections, especially if you are touching any of today's constrained metros.

Runway and construction notes to watch:

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) Runway 04/22 closure through today may alter flows.
Tampa International Airport (TPA) 01R/19L closed through October 26.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) runway project through November 7.
Orlando International Airport (MCO) 18R/36L closed through November 14.
San Francisco taxiway Z rehab through November 14.
Boston Logan Runway 09/27 closed through November 15.
Denver International Airport (DEN) taxiway work through November 17 and Runway 17L/35R closed through November 27.
Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) east-side taxiway construction through December 12.
San Diego International Airport (SAN) construction phase continuing into 2026.

Background A Ground Delay Program (GDP) meters arrivals into an airport when weather, winds, or volume reduce capacity. Flights are assigned new departure times from their origin, which can mean longer ground holds away from the affected hub. A Ground Stop (GS) briefly halts certain departures to an airport while conditions stabilize. For a traveler, both tools commonly mean tighter connection windows and later gate arrivals; the tradeoff is fewer go-arounds and less holding in the air. For FAA context and live status, use the NAS map and ATCSCC advisories.

Traveler tips

If you are booked via San Francisco, New York, Boston, Seattle, Dallas, or Houston this afternoon or evening, enable airline app alerts and watch for proactive rebooking options.
Consider earlier departures to build buffer, or reroute through unconstrained hubs.
If Florida is in your weekend plans, keep an eye on tropical coverage and any late-period moisture feeds that can affect Sunday evening returns. For developing Atlantic updates, see our coverage of the current Caribbean disturbance. Caribbean Disturbance Watch

For a snapshot of yesterday's patterns and how they evolved, compare with our prior daily briefing. Flight Delays and Airport Impacts: October 23, 2025

Final thoughts

Expect intermittent arrival metering at San Francisco, shifting wind constraints in the Northeast, and thunderstorm-driven flow programs in Texas. If your route touches these hubs, monitor your airline's alerts and add margin to your day to stay ahead of any flight delays and airport impacts.