US air travel snarled

U.S. flight delays spread across major hubs on Tuesday, April 14, as the national system absorbed another day of weather-driven strain. (flightaware.com) FlightAware’s MiseryMap showed 871 delays and 18 cancellations at the time of the latest snapshot, with Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles among the busiest trouble spots on its national map. (flightaware.com) The Federal Aviation Administration’s National Airspace System dashboard also showed traffic management measures in place or possible at key airports, including route restrictions affecting Chicago O’Hare and Chicago Midway until 1800 Coordinated Universal Time. (faa.gov) The Federal Aviation Administration said in its Monday, April 13, daily air traffic report that rain showers and wind could affect New York’s John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports, while thunderstorms were expected in Minneapolis-St. Paul and low clouds in Seattle. (faa.gov) That pattern matters because the United States airline network runs through a small number of giant hubs, and delays in Atlanta, Chicago, New York or Los Angeles can cascade into missed connections and late aircraft rotations nationwide. (faa.gov) Spring is also one of the hardest seasons for on-time flying because fast-moving storm lines, strong winds and low ceilings can force the Federal Aviation Administration to slow departures, meter arrivals or reroute planes around closed airspace. (aviationweather.gov) Chicago’s National Weather Service aviation page says it issues forecasts for O’Hare, Midway and other regional airports that feed traffic decisions in one of the country’s busiest air corridors. (weather.gov) The Federal Aviation Administration’s status site on Tuesday listed additional possible ground stops or delay programs later in the day for Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Denver, a sign that disruption risk was not confined to one coast or one airline. (faa.gov) For passengers, the practical effect is often simple: a thunderstorm over one hub can leave an aircraft, crew or inbound connection out of position hundreds of miles away by evening. (faa.gov)