On October 17, 2026, the FAA held 19 airports across the United States under 33 delay programmes. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) was the worst hit, with a peak average delay reaching 211 minutes during a ground delay programme.
Airports Under Delay Programmes and Their Impact
The FAA imposed eight ground stop programmes, twelve ground delay programmes, and thirteen general arrival or departure delay advisories during the day. Ground stops, which hold departures bound for an airport at their origins, affected airports including Newark Liberty International (EWR), LaGuardia (LGA), John F. Kennedy International (JFK), and Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA). Ground delay programmes, which meter arrivals by assigning later departure times, were in force notably at EWR, San Diego (SAN), and DCA.
Newark Liberty (EWR) endured the longest sustained ground delay programme lasting 22 hours and 20 minutes, with a peak average delay of 169 minutes
and a maximum recorded delay of 400 minutes. A separate ground stop affected EWR for 20 hours and 20 minutes, primarily due to staffing and wind issues. LaGuardia also had multiple ground programmes including a 20-hour ground stop and a 3-hour 40-minute ground delay programme with a peak average delay of 107 minutes attributable to thunderstorms.
San Diego International (SAN) experienced nearly a full day ground delay programme for 22 hours and 20 minutes caused by wind and airport volume, with peak average delays of 152 minutes and maximum delays of 551 minutes. Ronald Reagan Washington National’s ground delay and
ground stop programmes were driven by low ceilings and thunderstorms, with delays peaking at 211 minutes. Other airports such as Boston Logan (BOS), Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX), Philadelphia International (PHL), and Harry Reid International (LAS) also recorded ground delay programmes ranging from under one hour to six hours with delays up to 490 minutes in Boston.
| Airport | FAA programme | Cause | Peak average delay | In force (UTC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newark Liberty International (EWR) | Ground Stop Programs | STAFFING; wind | – | 00:00 to 20:20 (20 hours 20 minutes) |
| LaGuardia (LGA) | Ground Stop Programs | thunderstorms; wind | – | 00:20 to 20:20 (20 hours) |
| John F. Kennedy International (JFK) | Ground Stop Programs | wind | – | 19:40 to 21:00 (1 hour 20 minutes) |
| Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) | Ground Stop Programs | low ceilings; thunderstorms | – | 00:00 to 01:00 (1 hour) |
| San Diego International (SAN) | Ground Stop Programs | wind | – | 01:00 to 01:40 (40 minutes) |
| YVR | Ground Stop Programs | OCL: | – | 00:00 to 00:20 (20 minutes) |
| Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) | Ground Stop Programs | thunderstorms | – | 00:00 to 00:00 (20 minutes) |
| Harry Reid International (LAS) | Ground Stop Programs | STAFFING | – | 06:00 to 06:00 (20 minutes) |
| Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) | Ground Delay Programs | low ceilings; thunderstorms | 211 min | 00:00 to 03:40 (3 hours 40 minutes) |
| Newark Liberty International (EWR) | Ground Delay Programs | other | 169 min | 00:00 to 22:20 (22 hours 20 minutes) |
| San Diego International (SAN) | Ground Delay Programs | wind; airport volume | 152 min | 00:00 to 22:20 (22 hours 20 minutes) |
| LaGuardia (LGA) | Ground Delay Programs | thunderstorms | 107 min | 00:00 to 03:40 (3 hours 40 minutes) |
| Boston Logan International (BOS) | Ground Delay Programs | low ceilings | 101 min | 00:00 to 00:20 (20 minutes) |
| Harry Reid International (LAS) | Ground Delay Programs | wind | 80 min | 00:00 to 06:00 (6 hours) |
Top Causes Behind Delay Programmes on October 17
The most common cause for the FAA delay programmes was the TM Initiatives:SWAP:WX category, cited in 63 samples. This category often relates to traffic management initiatives combined with weather conditions. Other frequently listed causes included general weather-related issues with 51 mentions of thunderstorms and
45 related to wind. Staffing problems were a key factor specifically for the prolonged Ground Stop Program at Newark Liberty. Delays due to runway maintenance appeared only once in the data, notably at YUL.
Thunderstorms affected multiple airports including LaGuardia, Philadelphia International, and Baltimore Washington International (BWI). Wind was another significant factor causing delays at airports ranging from New York area hubs to San Diego and Las Vegas. The FAA’s official reasons picture a day largely shaped by adverse weather conditions and operational constraints involving staffing and airport capacity management.
Comparison with Previous Day and Weekly Average
Compared with October 16, 2026, there were three fewer delay
programmes affecting airports, dropping from 40 programmes across 22 airports to 33 programmes across 19 airports on October 17. This is slightly above the recent 7-day average of 17.1 airports affected but shows a mild daily decline. The day was not the worst within the tracking window, nor did it record the highest number of programmes during the week.
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 68 samples taken between 00:00 and 22:20 UTC on 2026-10-17. 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.
