Severe disruptions at U.S. airports on Memorial Day weekend. Photo: Shutterstock Air travelers coming back from their Memorial Day weekend trips across the United States continue to face disruption as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued multiple airport advisories affecting major hubs including Dallas Fort Worth International, San Francisco, Las Vegas and San Diego.
Both Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas and San Diego International Airport issued temporary restrictions affecting non-scheduled transient general aviation aircraft.
In Las Vegas, the FAA advisory stated that Harry Reid International Airport was closed to non-scheduled transient general aviation aircraft, except for operations receiving prior permission through airport authorities. Similar restrictions were implemented at San Diego International Airport, also known as Lindbergh Field
The most affected hub is Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), the largest hub for American Airlines, which contiues to create widespread operational disruption across the carrier’s network.
According to Flight Radar tracking data publicly available online, the airport currently has a flight disruption index of 3.8 with an average delay of 53 minutes.
The FAA was also implemented a ground delay program at DFW, reportedly holding arriving flights for an average of around two hours due to intense storm activity recorded in the area.
Data from FlightAware showed one in four American Airlines flights were delayed on Monday evening (May 25).
According to the latest FAA operational updates, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) was placed under a ground delay program due to low ceilings and reduced visibility conditions. Departures bound for San Francisco were delayed by an average of 135 minutes, with the FAA applying restrictions to flights departing within 1,000 nautical miles of the airport, including departures from several Canadian airports.
SFO continued operating with arrivals and departures on runways 28L and 28R, with arrival rates reduced to 36 aircraft per hour during the advisory period.
Flight Radar currently shows San Francisco as the second most most disrupted airport in the U.S. with a 2.9 disruption index (34-minute average delay at the time of this writing), followed by Mexico City International Airport in third with a 2.2 disruption index and 24-minute average delay.