Summer Travel: How the FAA Gets Your Plane There Safely

Whatever the season, our job is to get you to your destination safely and efficiently. Summer travel has normally posed challenges from more planes in the skies and frequent bad weather. We continue to see increased demand, more bad weather and increased use of the nation’s airspace. We are continuously working to address these challenges.

What's driving delays?

The FAA's priority is safety, meaning that, sometimes, delays are necessary. The interactive chart below shows data on the top five causes of delays in the National Airspace System (NAS).

Weather is the leading cause of delays and cancellations, but the FAA’s Command Center works closely with airlines to plan for, and around, expected weather nationwide. Learn more about how the FAA navigates around bad weather.

Are cancellations getting better or worse?

Flight cancellations are trending lower in 2023 than in previous years, but a canceled flight still has the potential to throw off your travel plans. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has launched an interactive Customer Service Dashboard to provide travelers with up-to-date airline customer service policies on controllable cancellations and delays to ensure customers can easily access information when problems arise.

The data visualization below shows cancellations by month for 2014-2023.

Download monthly cancellation data for 2014-2023 here.

How You Can Plan Ahead

You might not be a pilot or an air traffic controller, but you can take steps to make your trip as smooth as possible. Knowing what to expect during busier than usual travel times can save time and stress. The graphic below shows forecasted flights around Memorial Day.

From tracking the status of your airport to showing you how to pack safely, the FAA has a host of resources to help travelers plan ahead. Remember, the FAA has a zero-tolerance policy against unruly airline passengers in the wake of recent, troubling incidents.