Flight Delays And Airport Impacts: November 23, 2025

Published on Nov 23, 2025, 10:26 am CST

9 min read

Key points

A ground delay program at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, plus low ceilings and showers across the West, are the main drivers of US airport delays on November 23 2025
The FAA operations plan highlights possible ground stops or delay programs later in the day for Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, Newark, Dallas, and Denver, tied to weather and event traffic
Thunderstorms from Texas to the Gulf Coast and routing constraints off the Northeast coast are slowing flights into Florida and the Caribbean, although total US cancellations remain under 50 for the day so far
Runway closures and construction at airports including New York LaGuardia, Orlando, Seattle, Denver, Nashville, Chicago Midway, Palm Beach, and San Diego are trimming capacity and can add to peak time queues
The FAA has lifted its shutdown era order cutting flights at 40 high impact airports, but staffing sensitive routing rules and holiday weather still require travelers to build in extra buffer
Thanksgiving week storms may bring heavier rain to Texas and snow to the Upper Midwest later in the week, so today’s relatively modest delays are a warning to avoid tight connections on future peak days

Impact

Where Delays Are Most Likely: Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, Dallas, Newark, and selected Florida and Caribbean flows see the highest risk of delay from a combination of weather, routing constraints, and event traffic
Best Times To Fly: Early morning and late evening departures are still the safest options where possible, since midafternoon and early evening bank times are most exposed to ground programs and thunderstorm disruptions
Connections And Misconnect Risk: Travelers with tight connections through Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Denver, Dallas, or Newark should build in extra buffer or consider rerouting, especially if they are connecting to Florida or Caribbean flights
Onward Travel And Changes: Anyone with fixed onward rail, cruise, or resort check in times should treat today as a moderate risk day, monitor their airline app closely, and be prepared to move to earlier flights or nearby airports if delays start to stack up
What Travelers Should Do Now: Check your airline app before leaving for the airport, allow extra time at security, favor nonstop routes, and keep flexible backup options ready in case ground delay programs tighten or weather worsens later in the day

Travelers flying across the United States on Sunday, November 23, 2025, are seeing a mixed picture, with localized trouble spots in the Southwest and along key East Coast and Caribbean routes rather than a nationwide meltdown. The FAA's current operations plan puts Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) under an active ground delay program, flags potential ground stops or delay programs for Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, Dallas, and Newark, and highlights weather and routing issues in several en route centers. Most passengers will still get where they are going if they allow extra time, avoid the most congested hubs where possible, and keep an eye on their airline apps as the afternoon and evening peaks build.

In practical terms, the US airport delays November 23 2025 pattern is one of moderate strain on a system that is no longer under formal shutdown era flight cuts, but is still highly sensitive to weather, runway closures, and holiday crowds in the run up to Thanksgiving.

Phoenix And The Western Hubs

The FAA's national operations plan lists a ground delay program for Phoenix that runs until late afternoon UTC, with low ceilings, showers, and isolated thunderstorms affecting traffic flows in the broader southwestern airspace. That means departures and arrivals at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport will be metered, and travelers should expect some aircraft to hold at gates or on taxiways while air traffic control manages spacing.

Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas Airport (VGT), and Henderson Executive Airport (HND) are all flagged for possible ground stops or delay programs later in the day, with the FAA citing both weather and Formula 1 event volume in the Las Vegas terminal area. San Diego International Airport (SAN) also appears on the list of possible ground stops, and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is tagged as "probable" for a ground stop or delay program as low visibility and marine layer conditions settle in.

Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Denver International Airport (DEN) are under low ceiling and shower constraints, which can reduce arrival rates and increase vectoring and holding at peak times, particularly for morning and late afternoon arrival banks. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Dallas Love Field (DAL) are also on the FAA's watch list for possible ground stops or delay programs later in the day as thunderstorms and volume stress their shared airspace.

For travelers, that Western cluster means any itinerary that connects through Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, or Dallas should be treated as moderately high risk for delay. If you have flexibility, early morning departures, or routings that avoid multiple Western connections in one day, are still the safest choice.

East Coast, Florida, And Caribbean Flows

While the FAA operations plan does not show the same intensity of terminal restrictions on the East Coast as it did during the government shutdown peak, it does highlight several important constraints. New York's N90 terminal area, which includes New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), and New York LaGuardia (LGA), is dealing with gusty winds, and EWR is flagged for a possible ground stop or delay program after 2200 Zulu, which corresponds to the late afternoon and evening departure push.

En route, the plan notes thunderstorms over several centers, including New York (ZNY), Fort Worth (ZFW), Houston (ZHU), and Albuquerque (ZAB), plus a temporary closure of oceanic routes L454 and L456 off the Northeast coast through the late afternoon. There are also active airspace flow programs on routes from the central United States into Florida, from the Northeast into Florida via the Q97 corridor, arrivals into Cancun, and traffic between Puerto Rico and the northern Lesser Antilles.

The result is that Orlando International Airport (MCO), Miami International Airport (MIA), Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport (FLL), and San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) may see rolling delays tied less to local weather and more to upstream congestion and reroutes. If you are connecting through East Coast or Gulf hubs into Florida or the Caribbean, assume that your inbound could arrive late and keep at least 90 minutes between domestic segments, or three hours if you are shifting between domestic and international terminals.

Runway Closures And Construction Slow Capacity

On top of weather and holiday volume, the FAA plan lists an unusually long roster of runway and taxiway closures that chip away at capacity at several large airports. At New York LaGuardia, Runway 4/22 remains shut until 1700 Zulu, while Orlando International Airport's Runway 36L/18R is closed through the evening of November 24, and Denver International Airport has Runway 17L/35R closed through November 27.

Seattle Tacoma International Airport is running with Runway 16R/34L closed for work until November 27, and has additional taxiway construction in place into early December. In Nashville, several runways and taxiways at Nashville International Airport (BNA) are closed through December 10, and Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) has runway and taxiway rehabilitation that continues through the end of the year. Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) is operating without Runway 14/32 until early January, and San Diego International Airport has Phase 5.1 construction that will extend into February.

These closures do not always translate into long lines, but they reduce the margin for error. When the weather turns marginal or traffic surges around bank times, fewer available runways can quickly mean slower departure and arrival rates and longer waits at the gate. Travelers should assume that midmorning and late afternoon departures at these airports are more vulnerable than first wave or late night departures.

How Today Compares To Shutdown Peaks

From a national standpoint, the picture is calmer than the worst shutdown weeks earlier in November, when an emergency FAA order forced carriers at 40 "high impact" airports to cut at least six percent of their scheduled domestic flights each day to cope with controller staffing shortages. That order has now been fully lifted, and airlines are allowed to operate normal schedules again, although many are still using slightly trimmed flying as a buffer.

By midafternoon on November 23, FlightAware's live statistics showed roughly 11,000 delays worldwide and under 40 cancellations within, into, or out of the United States, a relatively modest cancellation count compared with shutdown peak days, when daily cancellations sometimes exceeded 2,000. The FAA's National Airspace System dashboard also showed an average US departure delay near 15 minutes in the late afternoon Pacific time window, which, while noticeable, is compatible with a system that is busy but not breaking.

For individual travelers, that means the risk profile has shifted from "your flight may be pre cancelled days in advance because of hard caps" to "your flight is likely to operate, but with potential for rolling delays or missed connections if you route through the wrong hub at the wrong time." The operational backdrop is better, but planning still matters.

Thanksgiving Week Outlook

Several national and regional forecasts suggest that Sunday's pattern of localized disruption is a prelude to a bumpier Thanksgiving week. Broadly, meteorologists expect heavy rain over Texas and parts of the Southwest, and a midweek cold front that could bring snow to parts of the Upper Midwest and rain to the Northeast. Public media travel forecasts for the November 22 to November 23 weekend already highlight travel impact alerts for Seattle, Phoenix, and New York, and warn that coastal weather could be an issue even if much of the interior sees above normal temperatures.

AAA and other travel forecasters are projecting that around 82 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for Thanksgiving, with this year's air travel volumes likely to be the highest in more than a decade, which means even small weather disturbances can ripple into long lines and missed connections. Passengers who have the option to travel on Tuesday instead of Wednesday, to move an early Sunday return to Saturday, or to choose early morning nonstop flights rather than multi stop routings will be in a better position if the forecast storms develop as expected.

Practical Tips For Travelers On November 23

For flights on Sunday, November 23, any traveler booked through Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, Dallas, or Newark should log in to their airline app first thing in the morning, verify seat assignments, and monitor for rolling schedule changes. If your itinerary includes a tight connection at one of those hubs, call the airline or use the app chat tools to see if you can move to an earlier first leg or a different connecting point.

At airports with runway or taxiway closures, aim for extra time at security and at the gate, especially for midmorning and late afternoon departures. Travelers bound for Florida or the Caribbean should remember that their delay risk may come from en route reroutes or flow programs, not just from thunderstorms near the destination, so assuming a flight is safe simply because the local radar looks clear can be misleading.

If you are starting a longer Thanksgiving trip, treat today's moderate delay picture as a live rehearsal. Test your airline app, practice keeping chargers, snacks, and essential medications in a small carry on, and make sure you have backup plans for tight rail or cruise connections at the far end. The US system is operating far closer to normal than it was during early November, but with staffing still tight and storms in the forecast, smart planning is still the best defense.