Airline Lingo: ATC, Air Traffic Control Delays and what they mean

At some point in your travels you may have experienced an Air Traffic Control (ATC) delay with an airline. ATC delays can be unpredictable and often come suddenly during your trip. Dealing with ATC conditions can be very frustrating, especially when your departure time seemingly keeps getting pushed back without any real explanations. The fact is that the airlines are completely out of control when ATC delays are in place, all you can do is wait if you find yourself delayed by ATC conditions. But what is an ATC delay, and how is it determined?

ATC conditions can occur for many different reasons. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is in control of all air traffic in the USA, this is the body that controls ATC delays. When an ATC program is put into place by the FAA, the flow of air traffic into and out of the affected airport will usually be delayed or limited, a process known as flow control. The primary function of flow control is to make sure that all air traffic is adequately spaced for safe takeoff and landing.

There are several factors that can cause ATC and flow control in an airport:

- Weather
Weather is the usual culprit for ATC delays. When a storm moves into the area of an airport, there will likely be lower visibility for takeoffs and landings. This will cause the FAA to start Flow Control to allow more space for aircraft between takeoffs and landings. Since the flights need to have more space between takeoffs and landings, delays inevitably occur.
Snow storms, dust storms, high winds, and fog can all be causes of ATC delays at an airport. San Francisco (SFO) is notorious for having lots of ATC delays due to the frequent fog that blankets the airport and surrounding area. I have seen ATC delays in SFO that can last 4 hours or more, creating lots of problems for passengers.
Another area that is continuously affected is the New York area. There are three major airports, New York LaGuardia, (LGA) John F. Kennedy, (JFK) and Newark, (EWR) all of which have aheavy air traffic when normal conditions exist. When ATC delays are occurring in New York a heavy bottleneck effect is produced and many flights going into that area are held at their origin as flights are slowly siphoned in to their destination airports to maintain safe landing and takeoff standards.

- Airport Conditions
There are many conditions that may occur at an airport that may cause ATC delays. Runway closures due to construction will cause Flow Control due to less available space for planes to take off and land. Other airport conditions could include power outages, or an airport emergency such as a security breach, evacuation, or a stalled aircraft blocking a runway. All of these things could cause an ATC delay.

-Airspace Closure
I once spent over two hours on the tarmac waiting for takeoff in Beijing, China (PEK) due to an airspace closure. The FAA does not control air traffic in China, but they have a similar organization local to that country. There were ATC delays on that day due to a very important Chinese dignitary that was flying into PEK. During the approach of the dignitary's aircraft all flights going into and out of PEK were halted until they landed. It is unliely that the airspace was closed for the full two hours that we were waiting, but all traffic was stopped for awhile. Once the airspace was re-opened, flights had to wait in line for a takeoff slot. It was like a traffic jam of aircraft and it took a long time to get everything running back to normal.
Airspace is also cleared for dignitaries in the US, just like I experienced in China. Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to predict when these types of delays will occur, unless you closely follow the travel patterns of high ranking government officials.

There is nothing that you can do about ATC delays, but you may be able to work around them in some situations. Before you head to the airport on the day of travel you can check one of several airport monitoring websites or apps that will inform you of current airport delays. I like to use the FlightAware app on my phone. I can type in any airport in the world and the app will let me know is there are delays at that airport.

You will also want to check the weather conditions for any place tat you will be flying through and see if there are any large storms, fog, or high winds, all of these things can lead to ATC delays that may prevent you from getting to where you need to be on time.

If you notice any delays before you head to the airport, you can contact your airline and ask if they can put you on a better routing that is less likely to be delayed. The airline may also be able to get you to an alternate airport that is close to your destination that is not on a delay program. (Just because one airport is on Flow Control does not mean all of the surrounding airports are in te same situation)

As always, try to fly earlier in the day, as delays tend to get worse as the day goes on and more and more flights are affected. Avoiding. Connecting flights when possible is also a good way to stay away from ATC delays. At least you will not have to deal with a connection where delays are occurring.

Have you been on a flight that encountered significant delays due to ATC issues? How did the airline handle the situation? If you have experience with these types of delays, or have any other questions on the causes or potential impact of ATC to your travel plans, please comment below! I would love to hear from you