Photo: Shutterstock Flight delays caused by air traffic control (ATC) in the US are outpacing the growth rate of aircraft traffic, according to a report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Between 2015 and 2025, the number of scheduled commercial passenger flights increased by only 4.9% (from 8.9 million to 9.4 million). In contrast, the volume of non-weather-related delays jumped by 143% - from 2.9 million minutes in 2015 to 7.1 million minutes in 2025.
According to data published today (21.8.26), the problem has worsened significantly due to the coronavirus pandemic. In 2020, flight traffic fell to 5.8 million, and delays dropped to 0.9 million minutes. But since then, delays have steadily increased: 2.0 million minutes in 2021, 2.8 million in 2022, 2.9 million in 2023, 5.0 million in 2024, and a peak of 7.1 million minutes in 2025.
IATA estimates that the delays created costs of approximately $10.9 billion for airlines and passengers between 2015 and 2025.
For airlines, delays lead to increased fuel consumption, crew costs, reduced aircraft utilization, maintenance costs and disruption to operational continuity. Passengers suffer direct costs and lost time. In addition, system unreliability harms broader economic productivity, which depends on air transport for commerce, tourism, and supply chains.
Air traffic control capacity constraints drive most costs, with staffing issues becoming a major factor in recent years and exacerbated by government strikes.
However, delays are concentrated at just 10 FAA facilities, which account for nearly two-thirds of all delays. Targeted improvements at these facilities could yield significant benefits for the entire aviation system.