On September 11, 2026, the FAA delay programmes impacted 18 US airports with a total of 30 distinct programmes. Miami International Airport (MIA) was the worst-hit, experiencing a peak maximum delay of 572 minutes under its ground delay programmes.
Details on Airports and Programmes in Force
The FAA’s official delay feed, aggregated by travelandtournews.com, recorded six ground stop programmes, nine ground delay programmes, and 15 general arrival/departure delay information declarations across the United States.
Ground stops, which hold departures bound for an airport on the ground at their origin, were in effect at six airports, including Miami International (MIA) for 19 hours and 40 minutes due to a disabled aircraft on the runway, Austin (AUS) for 5 hours and 20 minutes related to runway construction, and Atlanta (ATL) and Orlando (MCO) each for 2 hours and 40 minutes because of thunderstorms. Teterboro (TEB) had a 40-minute
staffing-related ground stop, and Newark Liberty (EWR) had a 20-minute staffing ground stop.
Ground delay programmes, which meter arrivals by assigning later departure times, affected nine airports. Miami International’s programme lasted 22 hours, attributing delays to thunderstorms and disabled aircraft on the runway. Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) had a one-hour ground delay programme with a peak maximum delay of 790 minutes caused by thunderstorms. Boston Logan (BOS) ran a runway construction-related ground delay programme for 7 hours and 40 minutes, while San Diego (SAN) and San Francisco (SFO) had programmes due to wind/airport volume and low ceilings respectively, each running several
hours during the day. Several airports including Newark Liberty (EWR), Austin (AUS), and Montreal (YUL) reported multiple causes such as construction, thunderstorms, and other reasons.
General arrival/departure delay information, flagging delays due to a variety of factors like staffing, volume, and weather, was issued at 15 airports. Teterboro (TEB) reported staffing and volume issues for 22 hours. Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Atlanta (ATL) cited thunderstorms and traffic management initiatives.
| Airport | FAA programme | Cause | Peak average delay | In force (UTC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami International (MIA) | Ground Stop Programs | DISABLED; disabled aircraft on the runway | – | 02:20 to 22:00 (19 hours 40 minutes) |
| AUS | Ground Stop Programs | LOW; runway construction | – | 15:00 to 20:20 (5 hours 20 minutes) |
| Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) | Ground Stop Programs | thunderstorms | – | 19:20 to 22:00 (2 hours 40 minutes) |
| Orlando International (MCO) | Ground Stop Programs | thunderstorms | – | 19:20 to 22:00 (2 hours 40 minutes) |
| TEB | Ground Stop Programs | STAFFING | – | 20:20 to 21:00 (40 minutes) |
| Newark Liberty International (EWR) | Ground Stop Programs | STAFFING | – | 20:40 to 20:40 (20 minutes) |
| Miami International (MIA) | Ground Delay Programs | thunderstorms; disabled aircraft on the runway | 218 min | 00:00 to 22:00 (22 hours) |
| TEB | Ground Delay Programs | other | 116 min | 21:20 to 22:00 (40 minutes) |
| Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) | Ground Delay Programs | thunderstorms | 78 min | 00:00 to 01:00 (1 hour) |
| Boston Logan International (BOS) | Ground Delay Programs | runway construction | 75 min | 14:20 to 22:00 (7 hours 40 minutes) |
| YUL | Ground Delay Programs | other | 71 min | 19:20 to 22:00 (2 hours 40 minutes) |
| Newark Liberty International (EWR) | Ground Delay Programs | other | 59 min | 00:00 to 22:00 (22 hours) |
| AUS | Ground Delay Programs | runway construction; thunderstorms | 59 min | 19:20 to 22:00 (2 hours 40 minutes) |
| San Diego International (SAN) | Ground Delay Programs | wind; airport volume | 56 min | 14:00 to 22:00 (8 hours) |
The peak average delay across all programmes reached 218 minutes, with a peak maximum delay soaring to 790 minutes.
Cause Breakdown: Thunderstorms Led Six of Nine Ground Delay Programmes
Thunderstorms emerged as the top cause of FAA delay programmes on September 11, showing up 39 times under the official reason “WX:Thunderstorms” and another 37 times simply as “thunderstorms.” These weather
conditions drove multiple ground stop and ground delay programmes notably at Miami International, Dallas/Fort Worth, Atlanta, and Orlando.
Disabled aircraft on the runway were the next most frequent cause with 26 occurrences, primarily impacting Miami International’s lengthy ground stop and ground delay programmes. Runway construction delayed operations in 18 programmes across airports like Austin and Boston Logan.
Other causes included staffing shortages, airport volume considerations, wind conditions, and various traffic management initiatives as stated by the FAA. Some programmes listed non-specific “other” reasons and minor technical factors that contributed to the overall delay environment.
Comparing Today’s Figures with Yesterday and Recent Average
The number of airports affected on
September 11 remained steady at 18 compared to the previous day. However, the total number of programmes rose sharply from 22 yesterday to 30 today. This count also surpasses the seven-day average of 14.9 airports affected but is not the highest in the tracked period.
Methodology. travelandtournews.com samples the FAA’s National Airspace System status feed every 20 minutes throughout the US operating day and aggregates the result. This report is built from 55 samples taken between 00:00 and 22:00 UTC on 2026-09-11. Durations are the observed window between the first and last sample in which a programme was in force,
so a programme’s true length may be slightly longer than shown. Ground stops, ground delay programmes, airport closures and general delays are all published by the FAA in real time; the daily aggregation is ours.
