Travel nightmare as US airspace hits maximum capacity, triggering widespread flight delays

Airports throughout the US have been overwhelmed with holiday flyers, sparking nationwide delays on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has imposed a traffic flow restriction starting Monday afternoon in 21 major air travel centers, including flights out of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, Boston, Miami, and Minneapolis.

At major airports, flights will likely see a departure delay of up to two hours to space out the overwhelming volume of planes flying over the US starting at 12pm ET and lasting until 6pm Monday evening.

An hourly limit has been set up on how many flights can cross the FAA's Flow Constrained Area (FCA) boundary, a specific zone over or around the US created by the agency marking flight routes which get too busy during certain times of year.

Between 12pm and 1pm, the FAA expects the average flight to see 25-minute delays, however, those hourly slowdowns will grow to 76 minutes between 3pm and 4pm.

Maximum delays for flights traveling through the FCA are expected to reach one hour and 57 minutes.

Federal officials have designated Monday's FCA as FCAMA5, a region which typically includes flights traveling near the Caribbean during peak travel seasons.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) has estimated that over 122 million Americans will be traveling at least 50 miles between December 20 and January 1, 2026, a new record for the holiday season.

Other major US travel regions being affected by the Monday restrictions include Salt Lake City, Houston, Jacksonville, Cleveland, Denver, Oakland, Kansas City, Memphis, and Seattle.

Eleven airports throughout Canada have also been impacted by the FAA's holiday travel announcement, including Toronto Pearson International Airport, Montréal–Trudeau International Airport, and Vancouver International Airport.

Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA, said: 'Our advice is to plan ahead. Book early, allow extra time to reach your destination, and think about travel insurance if you're flying during winter weather.'

The auto club group noted that eight million Americans are expected to fly during the final 13 days of 2025. That's more than 180,000 more people than last holiday season.

The FAA's FCAMA5 zone is expected to be a hotbed of activity, and major delays, this week as multiple cities in Florida rank as the most popular destinations for holiday travelers.

In their annual report, AAA revealed that Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami were the top three domestic destinations for holiday travelers this year.

Meanwhile, Cancun, Mexico and the Dominican Republic's Punta Cana were the top travel getaways internationally this week.

Due to the overwhelming demand to reach these vacation spots, the FAA will be holding planes on the ground until their assigned slot is called to take off and enter that airspace. 

As of 10am, over 1,200 flights entering or exiting the US have been delayed, with most of these early flights coming from or flying to India, Indonesia, and Australia.

For travelers heading to the airport this week, AAA recommended flyers regularly check their flight status before leaving home and also sign up for airline alerts.

Travelers are also urged to arrive at the airport early, allowing at least two hours for domestic flights and three hours if you're leaving the US.

Due to the massive crowded expected as airport throughout the US, passengers should also pack smart and keep any vital medications, chargers, and a change of clothes in their carry-on bags.

With delays and potential cancellations now expected throughout the day, flyers should also go over their chosen airline's policies on rebooking flights and refunds for any cancelled trips.