As the holiday season kicks into high gear, travelers across the United States are being cautioned to prepare for significant delays at airports nationwide. Federal aviation officials have announced that the surge in holiday travel has stretched airport capacities to their limits, leading to a cascade of airspace flow restrictions.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has implemented eight distinct airspace flow restrictions, impacting nearly all major air traffic control hubs in the country. This includes bustling centers such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, and Miami.

These comprehensive Airspace Flow Programs (AFPs) are set to affect virtually all major airports in the United States and Canada, especially those with routes to Florida and the Caribbean, on what is predicted to be one of the busiest travel days of the year. Some passengers might face delays exceeding six hours.

In response to this intense period of travel, the FAA is limiting the number of flights permitted to take off and enter heavily trafficked airspace to mitigate the risk of overcrowding. This move aims to ensure safety as numerous flights converge on popular holiday spots.

The FAA has imposed hourly caps on flights crossing Flow Constrained Area (FCA) boundaries. These are strategically designated zones where the agency anticipates a high volume of holiday travel, necessitating these limitations.

The affected zones on Friday include air routes traversing the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, targeting destinations in southern Florida, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, St. Lucia, the Aruba region, Mexico, and even as far west as San Diego.

Between 3pm and 6pm, the FAA expects the average delays to be the worst, with some routes over Mexico and the Dominican Republic expecting peak delay times exceeding three hours.

Maximum delays for flights traveling through the FCA over Florida will reach a staggering 398 minutes, or more than six and a half hours Friday afternoon.

A holiday traveler waits for her flight amid major airport delays due to high volumes of flyers during the Christmas travel week (Stock Image)

Travelers at San Francisco International Airport stand in long lines waiting for flights. Over eight million people are expected to fly during the final two weeks of December

Most of the travel restrictions began Friday morning and are scheduled to last until between 6pm and 10pm ET tonight.

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

Several major 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.

Contributing to the overcrowding over Florida are the record 122million Americans who were expected to travel during the final two weeks of December. Over 8million of those holiday travelers will be flying, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). 

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.

As of 12pm, over 3,600 flights entering or exiting the US have been delayed. Over 1,300 have been cancelled, with some forced to postpone due to a major winter storm expected to slam the US East Coast Friday night.

The FAA has also issued ground delays at Aspen/Pitkin County and Eagle County Regional Airports in Colorado, Witham Field in Florida, and Southwest Florida International Airport due to issues with ‘volume,’ or overcrowding.

Hundreds of flights to Florida and the Caribbean have been delayed Friday due to overcrowding at airports throughout the US and Canada heading to these destinations (Stock Image)

For travelers heading to the airport on Friday, 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 crowds expected at airports 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 to increase throughout the day, flyers should also go over their chosen airline’s policies on rebooking flights and refunds for any cancelled trips.