May 2024
Air Traffic By the Numbers
FAA Air Traffic Organization
•
System Operations Services ii
FAA Contributors to ATO By the Numbers
• Air Traffic Organization (ATO)
o AJR - System Operations
▪ AJR-G Performance Analysis
▪ AJR-B Flight Service
o AJI - Safety and Technical Training Services
▪ AJI-3 Policy and Performance
o AJM – Program Management Organization
▪ AJM-33 Aviation Weather & Aero Services
o AJT – Air Traffic Services
o AJV – Mission Support Services
▪ AJV-A370 US NOTAM Operations Team
• Non-ATO
o AOC – Office of Communications
o ABP-230 – Data Analysis and Reporting Services Branch
o APO – Aviation Policy & Plans
o AST – Office of Commercial Space Transportation
o AVS – Aviation Safety
Data Sources
Database Name
Owned/Managed by
Aviation System Performance Metrics (ASPM)
AJR-G
Operations Systems Network (OPSNET)
AJR-G (archive), AJM and AJW
National Traffic Management Log (NTML)
AJR-G (archive), AJM and AJW
Traffic Flight Management System (TFMS)
AJR-G (archive), AJM and AJW
National Offload Program (NOP)
AJR-G (archive) and AIT
U.S. Civil Airmen Statistics
APO
Runway Incursion Data
AVS
BTS T-100 Market and Segment Data
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
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Table of Contents
FAA Contributors to ATO By the Numbers ............................................................................................................................. ii
Data Sources ........................................................................................................................................................................... ii
Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................................................... iii
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................ v
Air Traffic Organization Leadership ........................................................................................................................................ 1
Section 1. FAA Air Traffic Management System Overview for FY2023 .................................................................................. 2
Class B Airspaces (Airspace around Busiest US Airports) ................................................................................................... 3
Air Traffic Controllers .......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Pilot Certificates .................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Commercial Flight and Available Seat Mile (ASM) Trends .................................................................................................. 6
Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) and Visual Flight Rule (VFR)* Flights across the NAS ............................................................. 7
Section 2. Demand and Efficiency in the NAS ........................................................................................................................ 8
Core 30 Airport Operations ................................................................................................................................................. 9
Stand-Alone Terminal Radar Control (TRACON) Facilities ................................................................................................ 10
Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCC) and Combined Control Facilities (CCF) .......................................................... 11
Number of IFR Flights at Any Given Minute during Peak Operational Times ................................................................... 12
Average Hourly Capacity (Called Rate) at Core 30 Airports .............................................................................................. 13
Average Daily Capacity (ADC) - Based on Called Rates at Core 30 Airports ..................................................................... 14
Section 3. NAS Delay, Diversions, Go-Arounds, and Cancellations ...................................................................................... 15
Counts of NAS Delay at Core 30 Airports .......................................................................................................................... 16
Delays by Category ............................................................................................................................................................ 17
Diversions at Core 30 Airports .......................................................................................................................................... 18
Go-Arounds at Core 30 Airports ....................................................................................................................................... 19
Cancellations at Core 30 Airports ..................................................................................................................................... 20
Section 4. Traffic Management Initiatives ........................................................................................................................... 21
Ground Delay Programs at Core 30 Airports .................................................................................................................... 22
Ground Stops at Core 30 Airports ..................................................................................................................................... 23
Airspace Flow Programs by Center ................................................................................................................................... 24
Holdings by Center ............................................................................................................................................................ 25
Section 5. Safety Metrics ...................................................................................................................................................... 26
Runway Incursions at Core 30 Airports ............................................................................................................................. 27
Incursions by Type at Core 30 Airports, FY2023 ............................................................................................................... 28
Loss of Standard Separation Count, by Center ................................................................................................................. 29
Air Traffic By the Numbers
FAA Air Traffic Organization
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Section 6. Other ATO Topics ................................................................................................................................................ 30
Flight Service Stations ....................................................................................................................................................... 31
FAA Flight Services ............................................................................................................................................................ 32
Commercial Space Launch Activity ................................................................................................................................... 33
U.S. Spaceports ................................................................................................................................................................. 33
Appendix I. Facility Codes .................................................................................................................................................... 34
Appendix II. Other FAA Airport Lists .................................................................................................................................... 35
Appendix III. Historical Airport and Center Operations ....................................................................................................... 38
Glossary of Terms .................................................................................................................................................................. 38
Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................................................... 47
Air Traffic By the Numbers
FAA Air Traffic Organization
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System Operations Services v
Introduction
Air Traffic By the Numbers, or the ATO Fact Book, is a source book containing annual U.S. airport and air traffic control
operations and performance data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It also includes information on air
passenger travelers, runway incursions, commercial space launch activity, the economic impact of aviation, and so on.
The ATO Fact Book, first published by the Office of Performance Analysis, Air Traffic Organization (ATO) of the FAA in
2017, is updated annually, with data now current up until FY2023. This document represents the eighth edition of Air
Traffic By the Numbers.
The storyline behind this year’s Fact Book is the ongoing recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on
air traffic. This impact, which began during FY2020 (specifically, March 2020) and continues through FY2023, is waning
as air traffic continues to return to pre-pandemic levels.
The format of this edition is unchanged from last year. Section 1 includes some overall aviation-related statistics. NAS
demand and efficiency measures appear in Section 2. Delay, diversion, go-around, and cancellation information follow
in Section 3. Section 4 includes the latest data on various traffic management initiatives (TMI). Updated safety metric
results are reported in Section 5. Other ATO Topics of interest, such as flight service and commercial space, are available
in Section 6. The ATO Fact Book also includes historical annual airport tower and center operations for 1946-2023
(Appendix III).
Below are brief selected results for FY2023.
• Core 30 airport operations rose by 3.8 percent, to 12.2 million; operations handled by stand-alone TRACONS rose by
1.8 percent, to 19.2 million, while operations handled by centers rose by 2.1 percent, to 42.3 million (Section 2).
Airport, TRACON, and center operations were higher before the pandemic, at 13.2 million, 20.3 million, and 43.7
million, respectively.
• IFR flights in the U.S. rose by 1.8 percent, to 15.7 million (Section 1). Before the pandemic, IFR flights numbered
16.4 million in FY2019.
• The number of passengers flown by air carriers increased by 13.9 percent, to 1,044.8 million (or about 1 billion) in
FY2023 (Section 1). This is slightly below the pre-pandemic level of 1,057.6 million passengers in FY2019.
• The number of air traffic controllers increased by 1.2 percent, to 13,853 (in Section 1).
• The number of pilot certificates increased by 6.6 percent in CY2023 to 806,939; and remote (or drone) pilot
certificates increased by 21.2 percent, to 368,633 (Section 1).
This publication benefited from the contributions of many offices and individuals throughout the Air Traffic Organization
and the Federal Aviation Administration. As always, we thank everyone who participated in this effort.
System Events and Analysis Group (AJR-G3)
Office of Performance Analysis
System Operations Services
Air Traffic Organization
Federal Aviation Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
May 2024
Air Traffic By the Numbers
FAA Air Traffic Organization
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System Operations Services 2
Section 1. FAA Air Traffic Management System Overview for FY2023
ATO Program and Financing
Operations Budget Estimate (in $billions) (FY2023)
$8.8
Flights Handled
15,712,724
Scheduled
9,278,293
Unscheduled
6,434,431
Airspace (in millions of sq mi)
29.4
Oceanic
24.1
Domestic
5.3
Airports
19,623
Public Use Airports
5,165
Private Use Airports
14,458
Federal Air Traffic Control Facilities 1/
313
Stand-Alone ATC Tower Facilities
142
Stand-Alone TRACON Facilities
25
Combined ATC Tower/TRACON Facilities 2/
121
Centers and Combined Control Facilities
25
ARTCC
21
CCFs
4
Contract Air Traffic Control Towers 3/
262
NAVAIDS
12,799
Alaska Weather Cameras
238
Controllers
13,853
GA Aircraft (CY2022)
209,540
Fixed Wing
164,567
Rotorcraft
9,769
Experimental/Lightcraft/Other
35,204
GA Flight Hours (CY2022)
26,953,000
1/ These facility counts are consistent with page 13 of the 2023 FAA Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan
(https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/controller_staffing/). For FY2023, stand-alone towers rose from 139 to 142 and combined
TRACONs fell from 124 to 121 as three combined TRACONs were consolidated into two other existing TRACONs.
2/ Combined ATC towers and TRACONs are located within the same building.
3/ Includes two new contract towers introduced during FY2023.
Sources:
ATO Program and Financing: U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Budget Estimates: FY2024, Federal Aviation Administration, Exhibit II-2.
Flights Handled: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), December 15,
2023; Innovata, Flight Schedule Database, accessed April 1, 2024.
Airspace: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G).
Airports and NAVAIDS: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Airport Safety, Airport Data and Information Portal
(ADIP), March 29, 2024. https://adip.faa.gov/agis/public/#/airportSearch/advanced; Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic
Organization, Technical Operations (AJW), Monthly NAS Operational Facilities Inventory, October 1, 2023.
https://my.faa.gov/org/linebusiness/ato/operations/ajw1/noag/nas_policy/fsep/media/NOF.pdf
ATC Towers, TRACONs, and En Route Centers & CCFs: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Air Traffic Services
(AJT).
Alaska Weather Cameras: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Aviation Weather & Aeronautical Services (AJM-
33), FAA Aviation Weather Cameras, accessed January 30, 2024. https://weathercams.faa.gov
Controllers: Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Finance and Management, Data Analysis and Reporting Services Branch (ABP-
230), Air Traffic Controller and Academy Movement Report - September FY2023, September 29, 2023.
GA Aircraft and GA Flight Hours: Federal Aviation Administration, Aviation Safety (AVS), General Aviation and Part 135 Activity
Surveys – CY2022, Tables 1.1 and 1.3, January 8, 2024.
https://www.faa.gov/data_research/aviation_data_statistics/general_aviation/
Air Traffic By the Numbers
FAA Air Traffic Organization
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Class B Airspaces (Airspace around Busiest US Airports)
Note: Airspaces accurately represented for coverage area
Air Traffic By the Numbers
FAA Air Traffic Organization
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System Operations Services 4
Air Traffic Controllers
As of the end of FY2023, the FAA air traffic controller total was 13,853, an increase from 13,693 at the end of FY2022.
FY2022
FY2023
Academy Graduate (AG)
643
762
Developmental (D1)
207
144
Developmental (D2)
596
477
Developmental (D3)
451
487
Certified Professional (CPC)
10,578
10,593
Certified Professional in training (CPCIT)
943
985
Controllers
13,418
13,448
Academy
275
405
Total Head Count
13,693
13,853
Among Core 30 airports, Philadelphia (PHL), Miami (MIA), and Charlotte (CLT) reported large headcounts because these are
combined ATCT TRACONs. PHL had the highest net gain of controllers at 11, while Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Washington Dulles
(IAD) had the highest net losses at 4. (See, Appendix I for explanations of the Core 30 airport and Center codes.)
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Finance and Management, Data Analysis and Reporting Services Branch (ABP-230), Air
Traffic Controller and Academy Movement Report - September FY2023, September 29, 2023.
Air Traffic By the Numbers
FAA Air Traffic Organization
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System Operations Services 5
Pilot Certificates
The table below shows the number of pilot certificates held by age group (upper panel below) and by year (lower panel). The
upper panel illustrates that student, commercial, and remote (or drone) pilots tend to be younger, while airline transport
pilots tend to be older. The lower panel informs us that the number of total active pilot certificates held in the U.S. increased
by 6.6 percent, from 756,927 in CY2022 to 806,939 in CY2023, mainly due to an increase in student pilot certificates from
280,582 to 316,470. Further, the number of remote pilot certifications (which began in August 2016) increased by 21.2
percent, from 304,256 in 2021 to 368,633 in 2023. (Note, the pilot total does not include flight instructors and remote pilots.)
Estimated Active Pilot Certificates Held by Category and Age Group of Holder,
as of December 31, 2023
Type of Pilot Certificates
Certified
Flight
Instructor
2/
Remote
Pilot 2/
By Age
Group
Total
Student
Sport
Recre-
ational
Private
1/
Commercial
1/
Airline
Transport
1/
Total
806,939
316,470
7,144
72
180,233
122,282
180,738
131,577
368,633
14-15
820
820
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
16-19
34,049
25,915
8
2
7,513
611
0
214
6,146
20-24
88,348
47,689
55
1
22,074
16,584
1,945
10,061
22,527
25-29
100,033
55,336
139
1
15,906
19,045
9,606
15,292
45,026
30-34
91,183
50,706
237
5
13,967
12,937
13,331
13,488
52,460
35-39
81,434
38,204
316
2
14,049
10,836
18,027
14,228
52,022
40-44
71,879
28,240
372
1
13,297
8,964
21,005
13,927
45,357
45-49
57,904
19,275
396
4
11,084
6,835
20,310
11,521
36,328
50-54
58,429
15,208
486
5
12,666
7,203
22,861
11,565
32,762
55-59
58,875
12,030
777
4
13,920
7,360
24,784
10,642
26,214
60-64
57,140
9,657
964
11
16,229
7,768
22,511
9,520
21,238
65-69
44,130
6,535
1,133
12
16,347
7,636
12,467
8,123
14,887
70-74
29,963
3,820
999
11
12,077
6,563
6,493
5,983
8,447
75-79
19,618
2,016
717
9
7,005
5,497
4,374
4,386
3,814
80 & over
13,134
1,019
545
4
4,099
4,443
3,024
2,627
1,405
By Year
2015
590,038
122,729
5,482
191
186,786
116,291
158,559
102,628
N/Ap
2016
584,361
128,501
5,889
178
174,517
112,056
163,220
104,382
20,362
2017
609,306
149,121
6,097
157
174,516
114,186
165,228
106,692
69,166
2018
633,316
167,804
6,246
147
175,771
115,776
167,572
108,564
106,321
2019
664,563
197,665
6,467
130
173,080
116,572
170,649
113,445
160,302
2020
691,689
222,629
6,643
107
172,945
119,245
170,120
117,558
206,322
2021
720,603
250,197
6,801
86
173,606
119,827
170,086
121,270
254,587
2022
756,927
280,582
6,957
80
176,328
119,832
173,148
125,075
304,256
2023
806,939
316,470
7,144
72
180,233
122,282
180,738
131,577
368,633
1/ Includes pilots with an airplane and/or a helicopter and/or a glider and/or a gyroplane certificate. Pilots with multiple
ratings are reported under highest rating. For example a pilot with a private helicopter and commercial airplane certificates
are reported in the commercial category.
2/ Not included in total active pilots.
N/Ap Not applicable.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Aviation Policy and Plans (APO), U.S. Civil Airmen Statistics, 2023, Table 12, March
12, 2024. https://www.faa.gov/data_research/aviation_data_statistics/civil_airmen_statistics/
Air Traffic By the Numbers
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System Operations Services 6
Commercial Flight and Available Seat Mile (ASM) Trends
Commercial air passenger travel continues to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus far, the
pandemic affected travel numbers from FY2020 through FY2023 (graph and first table below). From FY2022 to FY2023,
the number of scheduled commercial flights rose by 4 percent to 10.2 million (graph) and the number of passengers rose
by 13.9 percent to over one billion (table). Revenue passenger miles (RPMs) and available seat miles (ASMs) also
increased, by 24.1 and 17.6 percent, to 1.49 and 1.79 trillion, respectively (first table). Therefore, load factor, the
percentage of available seat miles flown by paying commercial passengers rose (from 78.72 to 83.06 percent). The table
below shows passenger numbers for the five most recent fiscal years.
The second table shows the economic impact of civil aviation during the first year of the pandemic, in terms of jobs,
earnings, and overall impact in dollar and percentage terms. The impact fell from 4.9 percent in CY2019 to 2.3 percent
in CY2020, the first year of the pandemic. (Estimates for more recent years are not yet available.)
Source: U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T100 Segment Data, April 5, 2024.
Passengers
FY 2019
FY 2020
FY 2021
FY 2022
FY 2023
Yearly Passengers
1,057,645,399
576,945,674
590,356,608
917,515,405
1,044,764,461
Average Daily Passengers
2,897,659
1,576,354
1,617,415
2,513,741
2,862,368
Revenue Passenger Miles (trillions)
1.57
0.78
0.66
1.20
1.49
Available Seat Miles (trillions)
1.88
1.13
1.04
1.52
1.79
Passenger Load Factor (%)
83.36%
69.05%
63.84%
78.72%
83.06%
Economic Impact of Civil Aviation
CY2019*
CY2020*
Aviation in US generates # jobs
10,393,000
4,931,000
Earnings of (billions)
$541.10
$259.10
Aviation contributes annually (trillions)
$1.92
$0.91
Constitutes % of GDP
4.9%
2.3%
*Estimates for more recent years are not yet available.
Sources:
Passenger Statistics: U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T100 Segment Data, April 5, 2024.
Economic Impact of Civil Aviation: Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Aviation Policy and Plans, Forecast and Performance
Analysis Division (APO-100), Economic Impact of Civil Aviation on the U.S. Economy, August 2022.
https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/2022-08/2022-APL-038%202022_economic%20impact_report.pdf
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System Operations Services 7
Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) and Visual Flight Rule (VFR)* Flights across the NAS
By FAA Order, Air Traffic By the Numbers, published by the Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), is the official source
of IFR flights counts.** During FY2023, the number of IFR flights was 15,661,558. AJR-G data show the number of IFR
flights rose by 1.5 percent, and the number of VFR flights rose by 4.7 percent to 14.1 million. (During FY2019, prior to
the COVID pandemic, IFR and VFR flights numbered 16.4 million and 12.9 million, respectively.)
*Note: Total VFR activity is approximated as airport arrival plus departure operations, divided by 2; plus VFR overflights. Editions of the
ATO Fact Book prior to April 2023 did not include VFR overflights.
**FAA Order JO 7200.24, “Authority to Define and Report Operational Metrics”; effective December 26, 2018.
Total numbers of fiscal year annual IFR and VFR flights also appear in the table below.
Year
IFR Flights
VFR Flights
FY2005
18,645,898
14,489,723
FY2006
18,066,360
14,043,414
FY2007
17,970,314
14,121,870
FY2008
17,908,487
13,831,268
FY2009
16,428,893
13,314,949
FY2010
16,522,406
12,678,715
FY2011
15,992,536
12,433,620
FY2012
15,760,241
12,693,012
FY2013
15,576,396
12,504,343
FY2014
15,546,452
12,425,953
FY2015
15,782,675
12,265,462
FY2016
15,724,478
12,203,468
FY2017
15,800,679
12,104,334
FY2018
16,122,488
12,507,815
FY2019
16,416,056
12,887,828
FY2020
12,270,055
11,864,718
FY2021
13,028,643
12,882,339
FY2022
15,436,595
13,439,378
FY2023
15,712,724
14,066,291
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), February 28, 2024 (for
IFR), December 15, 2023 (for VFR).
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System Operations Services 8
Section 2. Demand and Efficiency in the NAS
The NAS is composed of 521 airport towers (263 Federal and 262 contract towers), 146 terminal radar control
(TRACON) facilities (25 stand-alone and 121 combined ATCT), and 25 control centers (21 air route traffic
control centers (ARTCC) and 4 combined control facilities (CCF)).
TRACONs handle descending flights received from a center or ascending flights received from an ATC tower
(see figure below). Of the 146 TRACONs in the NAS, 121 of them are combined such that the TRACON exists in
the same location as the ATC tower. Such facilities include the Miami, Charlotte, and El Paso towers.
Centers handle all en route flights operating on Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) flight plans. Centers receive flights
from or hand off flights to other centers throughout the flight’s en route phase of operation. They also receive
flights or hand off flights to TRACONs when flights enter or exit the en route phase of operation.
This report reveals the demand observed at some of the busiest facilities, represented by the Core 30 airport
towers, the 25 stand-alone TRACONs, and all 25 centers (which include 4 CCFs). Efficiency is also reported
based on the following metrics:
Number of Flights at Any Given Minute
Average Hourly Capacity
Average Daily Capacity
Air Traffic By the Numbers
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Core 30 Airport Operations
Airport operations are the sum of the number of airport arrivals and departures. Airport traffic controllers handle such
operations. Each flight has a departure and arrival, meaning each flight roughly consists of two airport operations. In FY2023,
Core 30 airport operation numbers rose by 3.8 percent, from 11.8 million in FY2022 to 12.2 million (table below). During the
three years before the pandemic (FY2017-FY2019), Core 30 airport operations averaged 13 million; therefore, operations
remain below this pre-pandemic level. (Among all airports operating FAA towers, operations rose by 3.2 percent, to 37.3
million. Among all 523 Federal towers (including 260 contract towers), operations rose by 3.7 percent, to 54.5 million.)
Also shown below are airport operations for each Core 30 airport. In FY2023, Atlanta (ATL), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), and Dallas-
Fort Worth (DFW) had the highest number of operations; operations rose at ATL and DFW by 5.3 and 1.9 percent but fell at
ORD by 1.4 percent. Operations returned to pre-pandemic levels at ten airports (DFW, Denver (DEN), Las Vegas (LAS), JFK,
Miami (MIA), Phoenix (PHX), Orlando (MCO), Honolulu (HNL), Washington National (DCA), and Tampa (TPA).) (See, Appendix I
for explanations of the Core 30 airport codes.)
Total Core 30 Airport Operations
FY17-19Avg
FY22
FY23
%Change
13,014,040
11,758,471
12,206,459
3.8%
Airport
Rank*
FY17-19Avg
FY22
FY23
Airport
Rank*
FY17-19Avg
FY22
FY23
ATL
1
892,531
724,226
762,526
LAX
6
701,467
564,083
565,995
BOS
15
418,820
371,622
399,843
LGA
17
369,527
342,587
364,561
BWI
26
262,185
218,649
231,933
MCO
14
348,469
358,854
402,248
CLT
7
556,837
506,290
518,205
MDW
27
243,601
208,805
229,425
DCA
21
297,834
286,580
301,002
MEM
30
225,764
216,521
212,023
DEN
4
602,692
613,679
647,440
MIA
9
414,830
459,270
455,361
DFW
3
674,069
663,426
675,807
MSP
20
410,011
315,152
316,496
DTW
24
394,476
292,174
285,448
ORD
2
889,128
727,018
716,920
EWR
11
446,791
403,583
433,363
PHL
23
378,600
288,474
291,642
FLL
22
322,202
285,994
297,197
PHX
10
433,000
419,532
442,858
HNL
18
314,595
311,135
324,429
SAN
29
218,941
201,184
218,538
IAD
25
301,318
279,429
281,198
SEA
12
431,030
397,095
416,651
IAH
13
462,986
409,248
415,518
SFO
16
462,422
346,585
376,900
JFK
8
458,526
433,538
479,050
SLC
19
334,366
328,920
317,158
LAS
5
543,391
570,513
603,015
TPA
28
203,632
214,305
223,709
*Ranked by FY23 operations.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), Operations
Network (OPSNET), November 17, 2023.
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Stand-Alone Terminal Radar Control (TRACON) Facilities
TRACON operations are IFR and VFR itinerant operations passed to and from area airports, other TRACONs, or centers,
including overflights through TRACON airspace. In FY2023, among the 25 stand-alone TRACONs, operations rose by 1.8
percent to 19.2 million. Before the pandemic (FY2017-FY2019), stand-alone operations averaged 19.9 million, meaning
operations remain below pre-pandemic levels (table below). Among the 124 combined TRACONs, operations numbered 18.7
million in FY2023 (not shown below). Across all 146 TRACONs (stand-alone, plus combined), operations rose by 0.8 percent,
from 37.7 to 38.0 million in FY2023. Before the pandemic, operations averaged 38.5 million (not shown below).
Below are operation counts for each of the 25 stand-alone TRACONs for the pandemic years FY2022 and FY2023 and the pre-
pandemic annual average (FY2017-FY2019). In FY2023, Southern California (SCT) New York (N90), and Northern California
(NCT) had the highest number of operations with more than 1.4 million each. At 11 of the 25 TRACONs, operations recovered
to FY2017-FY2019 pre-pandemic levels (graph and table below). (See, Appendix I for explanations of the TRACON facility
codes.)
Total Stand-Alone TRACON Operations
FY17-19 Avg
FY22
FY23
%Change
19,940,704
18,892,526
19,240,916
1.8%
TRACON
Rank*
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
TRACON
Rank*
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
A11
19
275,585
302,421
308,176
NCT
3
1,674,540
1,489,120
1,492,119
A80
7
1,213,101
1,067,921
1,093,853
P31
22
300,023
274,095
275,554
A90
10
750,414
771,789
777,434
P50
12
708,956
683,380
695,344
C90
6
1,277,423
1,091,896
1,098,161
P80
21
329,709
273,620
285,697
D01
8
885,750
900,930
936,779
PCT
4
1,400,750
1,343,486
1,370,604
D10
5
1,247,768
1,295,129
1,311,316
R90
23
209,962
223,383
220,698
D21
16
530,295
449,916
436,755
S46
14
615,142
594,336
618,816
F11
11
730,043
677,008
765,784
S56
15
457,064
474,131
472,467
I90
9
951,472
904,424
902,679
SCT
1
2,230,827
2,173,998
2,119,849
L30
13
602,603
646,219
679,238
T75
18
316,870
289,442
358,540
M03
20
301,072
298,687
294,867
U90
24
193,273
202,936
203,960
M98
17
526,313
436,649
434,505
Y90
25
201,964
189,501
184,402
N90
2
1,953,783
1,838,109
1,903,319
*Ranked by FY2023 operations.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), Operations Network
(OPSNET), November 20, 2023.
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Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCC) and Combined Control Facilities (CCF)
Air route traffic control centers (ARTCC) or en route operations are the number of IFR and VFR itinerant operations passing
from a TRACON to a center, or from one center to another center, or from a center to a TRACON. It includes U.S. overflights
and oceanic traffic through center air space that do not arrive at or depart from U.S. territory. In FY2023, en route operation
numbers for the 21 ARTCC and 4 CCFs (combined control facilities) rose by 2.1 percent, from 41.4 to 42.3 million; however,
operations have yet to recover to the FY2017-FY2019 pre-pandemic average levels of 44.1 million (table below).
Also shown below are operation counts for FY2022 and FY2023 and the pre-pandemic averages for FY2017-FY2019 by center.
In FY2023, the Atlanta (ZTL), Miami (ZMA), and Jacksonville (ZJX) centers reported the highest number of operations among
the centers, each with more than 2.4 million. Center operations for Miami, Jacksonville, Los Angeles (ZLA), Denver (ZDV),
Albuquerque (ZAB), Salt Lake City (ZLC), Honolulu (HCF), have recovered to pre-pandemic levels (graph and table below). (See,
Appendix I for explanations of the ARTCC and CCF codes.)
Total ARTCC & CCF Operations
FY17-19 Avg
FY22
FY23
%Change
44,147,204
41,436,609
42,312,939
2.1%
Center
Rank*
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
Center
Rank*
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
HCF
22
466,374
459,957
476,934
ZLA
6
2,282,499
2,247,809
2,313,101
JCF
24
87,067
218,089
188,922
ZLC
18
1,471,415
1,454,448
1,492,549
ZAB
16
1,609,158
1,665,476
1,710,409
ZMA
2
2,424,266
2,440,120
2,499,387
ZAN
21
611,191
571,677
570,946
ZME
9
2,162,893
2,135,332
2,151,988
ZAU
10
2,421,304
2,054,628
2,053,984
ZMP
14
1,983,224
1,759,386
1,770,122
ZBW
19
1,574,246
1,369,330
1,484,095
ZNY
4
2,637,886
2,266,267
2,382,714
ZDC
5
2,509,288
2,285,412
2,351,499
ZOA
17
1,802,700
1,613,370
1,672,262
ZDV
13
1,874,490
1,878,702
1,934,737
ZOB
11
2,389,671
1,955,286
2,008,714
ZFW
8
2,301,123
2,207,777
2,231,636
ZSE
20
1,246,442
1,128,896
1,137,088
ZHU
7
2,271,141
2,228,825
2,243,556
ZSU
23
315,178
290,086
290,882
ZID
12
2,092,253
1,967,633
2,002,184
ZTL
1
3,092,693
2,878,068
2,908,171
ZJX
3
2,452,192
2,492,247
2,494,032
ZUA
25
268,149
128,608
183,216
ZKC
15
1,800,362
1,739,180
1,759,811
*Ranked by FY2023 operations.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), Operations
Network (OPSNET), November 21, 2023.
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System Operations Services 12
Number of IFR Flights at Any Given Minute during Peak Operational Times
5,000 Flights
Traffic flow management system (TFMS) flight data were used to determine the number of flights en route
every minute of the day and by U.S. time zone on July 20, 2023. Peak operational times in the NAS range
between 1500 GMT and 2200 GMT. During peak operational times in the NAS on that day, there were over
5,400 IFR flights en route in the NAS every minute.
The figure below shows the average number of flights en route per minute and flights under air traffic control
by time zone. The Eastern Time zone has the largest share of flights in the NAS on average and, in this
analysis, also includes flights under air traffic control from Puerto Rico and Bermuda. The Pacific Time Zone
category includes all west coast air traffic as well as oceanic operations controlled by Oakland center (ZOA),
including Hawaii and Guam.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), April 9, 2024.
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Average Hourly Capacity (Called Rate) at Core 30 Airports
In general, airport capacity is determined by its runways and surrounding airspace. For this report, capacity is represented by
an airport’s called rates for reportable hours. In FY2023, average hourly capacity across all Core 30 airports was 3,612. Note,
airport capacity is not determined by circumstances such as the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic capacity averaged 3,643
operations per hour (table below).
In FY2023, the highest average hourly called rates were at Atlanta (ATL) and Chicago O’Hare (ORD). Each had an average called
rate of over 200 operations per hour. The largest increases occurred at Salt Lake City (SLC) (up 2.8 percent) and Washington
Dulles (IAD) (up 2 percent). The largest decrease occurred at Honolulu (HNL) (down 23.6 percent) due to runway construction.
(See, Appendix I for explanations of the Core 30 airport codes.)
AHC Across All Core 30 Airports
FY17-19 Avg
FY22
FY23
%Change
3,691
3,725
3,661
-1.7%
Airport
Rank*
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
Airport
Rank*
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
ATL
1
229
230
228
LAX
12
132
138
135
BOS
23
86
84
86
LGA
26
73
74
75
BWI
28
69
69
68
MCO
10
150
143
139
CLT
7
151
152
150
MDW
27
69
71
71
DCA
29
67
66
67
MEM
8
148
152
149
DEN
4
208
195
192
MIA
15
128
130
128
DFW
3
188
209
205
MSP
9
144
142
143
DTW
5
156
165
161
ORD
2
211
213
210
EWR
25
79
79
78
PHL
17
101
102
104
FLL
18
97
103
100
PHX
14
129
130
129
HNL
24
112
112
85
SAN
30
48
48
48
IAD
13
134
131
134
SEA
22
88
90
90
IAH
6
158
165
159
SFO
21
93
93
91
JFK
20
88
91
93
SLC
11
133
133
137
LAS
19
103
102
95
TPA
16
119
113
112
*Ranked by FY2023 call rates.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), Aviation System
Performance Metrics (ASPM), November 22, 2023.
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System Operations Services 14
Average Daily Capacity (ADC) - Based on Called Rates at Core 30 Airports
In general, airport capacity is determined by its runways and surrounding airspace. For the purposes of this report, capacity is
represented by the airport’s called rates for reportable hours. Average daily capacity (ADC) is the ATO’s official tracking
method for determining an airport’s capacity during a day. In FY2023, capacity across all Core 30 airports was 60,431 (table
below). Airport capacity is not determined by circumstances such as the pandemic.
In FY2023, data for the Core 30 airports show that the highest ADCs were found at Atlanta (ATL), Chicago (ORD), Dallas-Fort
Worth (DFW), Memphis (MEM), and Denver (DEN); each with an average of over 3,000 operations per day. Note, ADC is high
for Memphis (MEM) because all 24 hours are reportable there. A large decrease occurred at Honolulu (HNL) (due to runway
construction). (See, Appendix I for explanations of the Core 30 airport codes.)
ADC Across All Core 30 Airports
FY17-19 Avg
FY22
FY23
%Change
60,931
61,511
60,431
-1.8%
Airport
Rank*
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
Airport
Rank*
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
ATL
1
3,664
3,684
3,642
LAX
7
2,379
2,486
2,426
BOS
23
1,460
1,434
1,458
LGA
26
1,166
1,187
1,197
BWI
27
1,171
1,165
1,161
MCO
11
2,395
2,293
2,218
CLT
8
2,414
2,425
2,395
MDW
28
1,111
1,128
1,137
DCA
29
1,068
1,058
1,074
MEM
4
3,098
3,194
3,125
DEN
5
3,335
3,117
3,065
MIA
13
2,180
2,205
2,180
DFW
3
3,009
3,343
3,275
MSP
10
2,302
2,279
2,286
DTW
6
2,500
2,635
2,581
ORD
2
3,376
3,403
3,358
EWR
25
1,349
1,335
1,333
PHL
19
1,610
1,637
1,662
FLL
17
1,655
1,757
1,703
PHX
15
2,057
2,082
2,066
HNL
24
1,898
1,900
1,451
SAN
30
762
763
773
IAD
14
2,147
2,102
2,144
SEA
22
1,498
1,530
1,529
IAH
9
2,375
2,478
2,384
SFO
21
1,585
1,587
1,540
JFK
18
1,580
1,635
1,666
SLC
12
2,123
2,130
2,189
LAS
20
1,752
1,728
1,616
TPA
16
1,910
1,811
1,797
*Ranked by FY2023 daily capacity.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), Aviation System
Performance Metrics (ASPM), November 22, 2023.
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Section 3. NAS Delay, Diversions, Go-Arounds, and Cancellations
Only flights departing from or arriving at their destination at least 15 minutes late are counted as a NAS
system delay. The charts that appear below are based on OPSNET numbers, ATO’s official source for delay
data. Many factors contribute to delay, with weather is the most frequently cited reason. Delay imposes
stress on the NAS, air traffic controllers, passengers, and the economy.
Diversions occur when a flight is rerouted to a different airport than its original destination. This usually
occurs due to convective weather. Other less frequent reasons for diversions are medical emergencies,
security, issues with the aircraft, or issues with passengers or crewmembers.
Go-Arounds occur when an aircraft is on approach to the runway but suddenly aborts the landing. This occurs
if there is a sudden shift in the wind, an obstruction on the runway, or possibly, the aircraft inadvertently
overshooting the runway. Go-arounds result in the aircraft returning to the landing queue to attempt another
landing.
Cancellations can occur for numerous reasons due to weather, extensive delays in the system, air carrier crew
or equipment issues, etc. Such reasons may not necessarily be under FAA’s control. Air carriers cancel their
own flights in response to these issues. Since the three-hour tarmac rule was imposed after 2010, more flights
have been cancelled. This increase in cancellations means reductions in the number of recorded delays.
During FY2020, the sudden decrease in the demand for air transportation due to the COVID-19 pandemic led
to flight cancellations by airlines.
Cancellations can occur for numerous reasons due to weather, extensive delays in the system, equipment
issues, etc. Air carriers cancel their own flights in response to these issues. Since the three-hour tarmac rule
was imposed after 2010, more flights have been cancelled. This increase in cancellations means reductions in
the number of recorded delays. During FY2020, the sudden decrease in the demand for air transportation due
to the COVID-19 pandemic led to flight cancellations by airlines.
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Counts of NAS Delay at Core 30 Airports
During FY2023, OPSNET data show that the number of Core 30 airport departure delays of at least 15 minutes rose
significantly, by 50.6 percent to 153,312 (table below). Since FY2017-FY2019, before the pandemic began, Core 30
airport departure delays fell by 45.6 percent from 281,899.
The graph and table below show, in FY2023, delays were highest at Las Vegas (LAS), LaGuardia (LGA), and Newark
(EWR), each with 13,000 or more delays. Together these three airports accounted for about 40 percent of all Core 30
airport delays. All but eight airports show decreases in delays since before the pandemic (LAS, Denver (DEN), Miami
(MIA), San Diego (SAN), Orlando (MCO), Honolulu (HNL), Tampa (TPA), and Chicago Midway (MDW)). (See, Appendix I
for explanations of the Core 30 airport codes.)
Core 30 Total Delay Counts
FY17-19 Avg
FY22
FY23
%Change
281,899
101,787
153,312
50.6%
Airport
Rank*
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
Airport
Rank*
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
ATL
16
6,645
1,803
2,286
LAX
17
21,631
2,412
2,263
BOS
7
13,473
3,911
8,290
LGA
2
40,819
14,028
20,019
BWI
26
585
286
484
MCO
21
425
998
1,670
CLT
13
5,118
2,434
3,156
MDW
25
449
192
542
DCA
11
5,422
4,130
4,503
MEM
27
812
237
474
DEN
5
4,178
5,391
9,570
MIA
9
2,579
5,058
5,997
DFW
10
10,245
4,530
5,204
MSP
29
2,316
409
268
DTW
28
1,539
236
383
ORD
8
24,115
8,918
7,350
EWR
3
44,129
13,832
13,729
PHL
20
11,946
1,478
1,815
FLL
19
1,943
777
1,849
PHX
15
6,387
1,038
2,295
HNL
22
38
6
904
SAN
18
934
1,245
1,897
IAD
23
1,127
747
600
SEA
14
13,432
1,844
2,995
IAH
12
4,774
2,062
3,210
SFO
4
32,947
3,794
12,303
JFK
6
17,849
4,133
8,692
SLC
30
278
231
231
LAS
1
5,683
14,660
29,763
TPA
24
80
967
570
*Ranked by number of FY2023 delays.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), Operations
Network (OPSNET), November 24, 2023.
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Delays by Category
The two charts below show the sources of delays at Core 30 airports by type of delay.
Note: System impact delays are delays assigned to causal facilities in OPSNET and are composed of delays due to TMIs,
departure delays, and airborne delays. System impact delays are also the basis for delays by class and delays by cause in
OPSNET. (http://aspmhelp.faa.gov/index.php/OPSNET_Reports:_Definitions_of_Variables)
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), Operations
Network (OPSNET), December 18, 2023.
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Diversions at Core 30 Airports
The airports reported below are the original intended destinations for the diverted aircraft. Increases in the number of diversions
can indicate capacity issues at the airport due to weather, construction, or volume. Over all Core 30 airports, the number of
diversions rose by 13.5 percent in FY2023; however, since before the start of the pandemic, Core 30 airport diversions fell by 18.7
percent from 17,779 (table below).
Airports with the highest increases in diversions were Orlando (MCO) (with 57.8 percent), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) (48.2 percent), and
Atlanta (ATL) (36.5 percent). Airports with the highest decreases were Memphis (MEM) (-12.4 percent), Honolulu (HNL) (-12.2
percent), and Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) (-11.8 percent). (See, Appendix I for explanations of the Core 30 airport codes.)
Core 30 Total Diversions
FY17-19 Avg
FY22
FY23
%Change
17,779
12,737
14,451
13.5%
Airport
Rank*
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
Airport
Rank*
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
ATL
10
1,025
419
572
LAX
15
445
426
467
BOS
13
454
437
492
LGA
5
876
661
735
BWI
26
331
222
273
MCO
7
552
443
699
CLT
12
778
481
508
MDW
18
574
343
398
DCA
16
507
365
415
MEM
20
603
410
359
DEN
2
902
679
895
MIA
4
628
595
771
DFW
1
1,404
881
904
MSP
28
493
228
216
DTW
29
344
138
170
ORD
6
1,359
729
717
EWR
8
874
727
647
PHL
25
439
248
274
FLL
3
562
570
845
PHX
17
492
447
400
HNL
30
85
131
115
SAN
27
311
200
269
IAD
21
415
368
327
SEA
24
369
314
277
IAH
11
819
460
566
SFO
23
336
221
295
JFK
13
618
369
492
SLC
22
374
298
324
LAS
9
488
524
646
TPA
19
325
403
383
*Ranked by number of FY2023 diversions.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), Aviation System
Performance Metrics (ASPM), December 28, 2023.
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Go-Arounds at Core 30 Airports
Go-arounds as a percent of arrival operations at each Core 30 airport (except Honolulu) appear below. In FY2023,
average go-arounds as a percent of arrivals across all Core 30 airports rose by 7.4 percent to about 0.39 percentage
point of arrivals (tables and graph below). This occurred mainly due to a large increase in go-arounds relative to a
smaller increase in arrival operations. (The estimates presented here are based on ASPM and CountOps data.) (See,
Appendix I for explanations of the Core 30 airport codes.)
Core 30 Go Arounds As Percent of Arrivals
FY17-19 Avg
FY22
FY23
%Change
0.3%
0.36%
0.39%
7.4%
Airport
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
Airport
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
ATL
0.2%
0.3%
0.3%
LGA
0.5%
0.5%
0.5%
BOS
0.3%
0.2%
0.3%
MCO
0.3%
0.5%
0.4%
BWI
0.4%
0.5%
0.4%
MDW
0.4%
0.5%
0.4%
CLT
0.3%
0.4%
0.4%
MEM
0.4%
0.4%
0.3%
DCA
0.6%
0.8%
0.8%
MIA
0.4%
0.4%
0.5%
DEN
0.5%
0.6%
0.5%
MSP
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
DFW
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
ORD
0.3%
0.4%
0.4%
DTW
0.4%
0.3%
0.4%
PHL
0.5%
0.5%
0.5%
EWR
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
PHX
0.2%
0.3%
0.3%
FLL
0.3%
0.3%
0.4%
SAN
0.5%
0.3%
0.5%
IAD
0.2%
0.3%
0.3%
SEA
0.2%
0.3%
0.3%
IAH
0.2%
0.2%
0.3%
SFO
0.4%
0.4%
0.5%
JFK
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
SLC
0.4%
0.4%
0.3%
LAS
0.3%
0.3%
0.5%
TPA
0.2%
0.3%
0.3%
LAX
0.3%
0.2%
0.2%
* Excludes Honolulu (HNL).
Sources: Go-arounds: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), Aviation
System Performance Metrics (ASPM), December 29, 2023; Arrivals: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office
of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), CountOps, December 29, 2023.
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System Operations Services 20
Cancellations at Core 30 Airports
During FY2023, flight departure cancellations at Core 30 airports decreased by 27.2 percent, to 93,179 (table below).
Cancellations may be due to weather, system delays, equipment issues, or other reasons, such as the COVID pandemic.
The airports with the highest number of cancellations were the hubs of Denver (DEN), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), LaGuardia
(LGA), Newark (EWR), and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), each with over 6,000 (table and graph below). Together, cancellations
at these airports account for over 25 percent of all cancellations. (See, Appendix I for explanations of the Core 30 airport
codes.)
Core 30 Total Cancellations
FY17-19 Avg
FY22
FY23
%Change
104,156
127,963
93,179
-27.2%
Airport
Rank*
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
Airport
Rank*
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
ATL
6
4,153
5,040
4,138
LAX
14
3,058
3,737
2,567
BOS
10
4,667
5,033
3,440
LGA
2
7,473
8,930
6,672
BWI
24
2,674
2,769
1,962
MCO
8
2,666
4,596
3,932
CLT
13
5,597
6,009
2,616
MDW
20
2,293
1,797
2,246
DCA
11
4,160
6,032
3,180
MEM
28
1,891
3,951
1,476
DEN
1
3,551
6,509
6,837
MIA
23
2,667
4,261
2,090
DFW
4
6,856
9,742
6,043
MSP
17
1,873
2,291
2,371
DTW
19
2,294
2,892
2,290
ORD
5
11,030
9,320
5,669
EWR
3
6,578
8,944
6,440
PHL
21
5,501
3,249
2,180
FLL
16
2,144
2,695
2,492
PHX
18
1,952
3,105
2,300
HNL
30
384
624
865
SAN
26
1,228
1,277
1,711
IAD
27
1,927
2,708
1,562
SEA
15
2,315
3,703
2,513
IAH
12
3,863
3,615
2,689
SFO
22
3,586
2,298
2,122
JFK
7
4,134
5,568
4,125
SLC
29
659
1,517
1,323
LAS
9
1,771
3,294
3,515
TPA
25
1,207
2,457
1,813
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), Aviation
System Performance Metrics (ASPM), January 3, 2024.
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Section 4. Traffic Management Initiatives
Traffic Management Initiatives (TMIs) are programs and tools that ATC may use to manage air traffic.
These initiatives can take a number of forms, depending on the need and situation. Some TMIs are
used to manage excess demand or a lowered acceptance rate at a particular airport. Other TMIs are
used to manage traffic issues in the en route environment usually caused by convective weather. The
TMIs reported in this report include:
Ground Delay Programs (GDP)
Ground stops (GS)
Airspace Flow Programs (AFP)
Holdings
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Ground Delay Programs at Core 30 Airports
A ground delay program (GDP) is a TMI where aircraft are delayed at their departure airport to reconcile demand with
capacity at their arrival airport. GDPs are airport-specific; therefore, each GDP is reported for a particular airport. During
FY2023, GDPs increased by 51.8 percent across all Core 30 airports, from 475 to 721. Before the pandemic (FY2017-2019), the
average number of GDPs was 1,190 (table below).
In FY2023, San Francisco (SFO), Newark (EWR), and LaGuardia (LGA) had the highest number of GDPs. Together, these three
airports accounted for over 39 percent of all GDPs at Core 30 airports. Since before the pandemic (FY2017-2019), GDPs rose at
nine Core 30 airports (LAS, DEN, FLL, CLT, MIA, MCO, MDW, TPA, and SLC (graph and table below)). (See, Appendix I for
explanations of the Core 30 airport codes.)
Total Core 30 GDPs
FY17-19 Avg
FY22
FY23
%Change
1,190
475
721
51.8%
Airport
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
Airport
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
ATL
17
2
10
LAX
57
1
1
BOS
84
31
66
LGA
126
70
82
BWI
6
3
1
MCO
1
4
4
CLT
7
7
9
MDW
2
0
3
DCA
21
23
17
MEM
10
1
2
DEN
19
33
64
MIA
1
7
9
DFW
29
21
15
MSP
10
5
4
DTW
5
0
5
ORD
66
34
20
EWR
214
101
97
PHL
68
10
26
FLL
4
1
12
PHX
42
2
9
HNL
0
0
0
SAN
2
3
2
IAD
7
4
3
SEA
71
13
12
IAH
18
8
13
SFO
190
16
103
JFK
97
27
55
SLC
0
2
1
LAS
16
44
75
TPA
0
2
1
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), Operations Network
(OPSNET), April 1, 2024.
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Ground Stops at Core 30 Airports
Ground stops are the most restrictive form of TMI because they hold all aircraft, within the scope of the ground stop, at their
departure airports until conditions at the destination airport allow for their arrival. Ground stops only affect arrivals to a specific
airport (not departures) and, like GDPs, are airport specific. During FY2023, the number of ground stops increased by 19.6 percent
across all Core 30 airports, from 1,388 to 1,660. Before the pandemic (FY2017-2019), the average number of ground stops was 1,716
(table below).
During FY2023, LaGuardia (LGA), Newark (EWR), and Denver (DEN) had the highest number of ground stops (graph and table below).
(See, Appendix I for explanations of the Core 30 airport codes.) Since before the pandemic (FY2017-2019), ground stops rose at
eighteen Core-30 airports.
Total Core 30 Ground Stops
FY17-19 Avg
FY22
FY23
%Change
1,716
1,388
1,660
19.6%
Airport
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
Airport
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
ATL
66
54
50
LAX
13
12
8
BOS
47
41
82
LGA
170
163
206
BWI
28
37
38
MCO
24
67
83
CLT
53
68
47
MDW
24
23
21
DCA
55
76
88
MEM
19
11
17
DEN
76
73
118
MIA
13
41
78
DFW
70
62
74
MSP
26
15
12
DTW
26
9
19
ORD
109
85
67
EWR
152
180
170
PHL
121
50
47
FLL
11
23
49
PHX
14
19
20
HNL
0
0
0
SAN
8
10
9
IAD
33
39
34
SEA
43
20
17
IAH
52
30
54
SFO
78
19
46
JFK
66
69
82
SLC
7
3
9
LAS
28
58
90
TPA
9
31
25
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), Operations Network
(OPSNET), April 1, 2024.
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Airspace Flow Programs by Center
Imagine a line drawn in space in association with a constraint, usually convective weather. Under an airspace flow program,
any flights filed that crosses the line (usually only in one direction) are assigned an expected departure clearance time (EDCT)
by air traffic managers through the flow constrained area, to ensure that it arrives at the line, or “boundary,” at a time when it
can be accommodated. In FY2023, there were 177 airspace flow programs (AFP) imposed by air traffic managers versus 175 in
FY2022, an increase of 1.1 percent. The main reasons for the 177 AFPs in FY2023 were weather conditions and traffic volume.
Before the pandemic (FY2017-2019), the average number of AFPs was 140 (table below).
In FY2023, AFPs mainly affected Jacksonville (ZJX) and Miami (ZMA). Together, these centers accounted for 128 of the 177
AFPs. Since before the pandemic (FY2017-2019), the largest increase in AFPs occurred at Jacksonville (ZJX) (graph and table
below). (These estimates are based on National Traffic Management Log (NTML) data.) (See, Appendix I for explanations of
the ARTCC and CCF codes.)
* Data for CCF JCF are not available.
Total Centers Air Flow Programs
FY17-19 Avg
FY22
FY23
%Change
140
175
177
1.1%
Center
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
Center
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
HCF
0
0
0
ZLA
8
0
0
ZAB
1
0
0
ZLC
0
0
0
ZAN
0
0
0
ZMA
24
40
61
ZAU
0
0
1
ZME
0
0
1
ZBW
0
0
1
ZMP
0
0
2
ZDC
27
14
9
ZNY
2
1
5
ZDV
3
5
8
ZOA
0
3
0
ZFW
0
0
1
ZOB
22
7
4
ZHU
27
5
15
ZSE
0
0
0
ZID
5
6
1
ZSU
0
0
0
ZJX
19
94
67
ZTL
0
0
0
ZKC
0
0
1
ZUA
0
0
0
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Technical Operations (AJW), National Traffic Management Log
(NTML), May 13, 2024.
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Holdings by Center
A holding occurs when an aircraft is deliberately delayed en route by flying in a repeating rotational pattern. They are
typically implemented when there is traffic congestion or convective weather at the destination airport or an adjacent
facility. During FY2023, there were 31,429 holdings, rising 26.7 percent from FY2022. Before the pandemic (FY2017-
2019), the average number of holdings was far higher at 37,166 (table below).
During FY2023, OPSNET data shows among Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCC), the highest numbers of airborne
holdings occurred in Miami (ZMA), DC (ZDC), Denver (ZDV), Jacksonville (ZJX), and Fort Worth (ZFW) (graph and table
below). Holdings among these five centers accounted for over one-half of all holdings. (See, Appendix I for explanations
of the ARTCC and combined control facility (CCF) codes.)
* Data for CCF JCF are not available.
Total Center Flight Holdings
FY17-19 Avg
FY22
FY23
%Change
37,166
24,813
31,429
26.7%
Center
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
Center
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
ZAB
611
404
472
ZLC
789
480
604
ZAN
146
0
159
ZMA
2,492
2,761
4,858
ZAU
2,270
1,188
1,332
ZME
619
424
545
ZBW
2,093
939
1,256
ZMP
1,122
173
280
ZDC
5,894
4,855
4,831
ZNY
3,330
1,453
1,448
ZDV
2,427
1,899
2,757
ZOA
912
253
469
ZFW
2,129
1,634
2,266
ZOB
2,409
1,503
1,919
ZHU
1,552
1,008
1,258
ZSE
482
297
160
ZID
846
611
863
ZTL
3,748
1,901
1,813
ZJX
1,738
1,894
2,457
ZSU
26
0
176
ZKC
553
325
323
HCF
36
0
53
ZLA
945
811
1,130
ZUA
0
0
0
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), Operations
Network (OPSNET), January 8, 2024.
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Section 5. Safety Metrics
The U.S. national airspace system is the safest air transportation system in the world. This report
presents metrics used to measure the safety of the NAS:
Runway Incursions
Incursions by Type
Loss of Standard Separation Count
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Runway Incursions at Core 30 Airports
A runway incursion is any occurrence involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on the protected area of a
surface designated for the landing and takeoff of aircraft. Across all Core 30 airports, the number of runway incursions rose from 299
in FY2022 to 362 in FY2023. Before the pandemic (FY2017-2019), the average annual number of runway incursions was higher, at
391 (table below).
In FY2023, the highest numbers of runway incursions occurred at Chicago Midway (MDW) and Honolulu (HNL). The number of
runway incursions exceeded pre-pandemic levels at ten airports, most notably at Chicago Midway (MDW) (graph and table below).
Incursions by airport and by type appear on the next page. (See, Appendix I for explanations of the Core 30 airport codes.)
Core 30 Total Runway Incursions
FY17-19 Avg
FY22
FY23
%Change
391
299
362
21.1%
Airport
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
Airport
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
ATL
18
16
14
LAX
28
13
20
BOS
27
30
21
LGA
8
5
7
BWI
6
4
6
MCO
2
5
1
CLT
19
6
5
MDW
14
28
30
DCA
13
14
21
MEM
5
7
11
DEN
11
9
5
MIA
15
8
12
DFW
14
13
21
MSP
18
7
11
DTW
11
7
10
ORD
27
20
24
EWR
10
14
6
PHL
17
1
8
FLL
7
4
4
PHX
6
9
9
HNL
21
13
29
SAN
4
1
5
IAD
6
4
2
SEA
13
4
7
IAH
9
6
9
SFO
25
13
25
JFK
7
4
11
SLC
10
9
15
LAS
16
18
11
TPA
3
7
2
*Honolulu is coded as HNL or HCF in the source data.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Safety and Technical Training, Office of Policy and Performance
(AJI-3), unpublished Airborne Loss Event data, March 7, 2024.
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Incursions by Type at Core 30 Airports, FY2023
Airport
A
B
C
D
E
Totals
ATL
0
0
5
9
0
14
BOS
0
2
11
8
0
21
BWI
0
1
4
1
0
6
CLT
0
0
2
3
0
5
DCA
0
0
9
12
0
21
DEN
0
0
4
1
0
5
DFW
0
0
10
11
0
21
DTW
0
0
3
7
0
10
EWR
0
0
4
2
0
6
FLL
0
0
3
1
0
4
HNL
0
0
23
6
0
29
IAD
0
0
2
0
0
2
IAH
0
0
5
4
0
9
JFK
0
1
4
6
0
11
LAS
0
0
6
5
0
11
LAX
0
0
12
8
0
20
LGA
0
0
6
1
0
7
MCO
0
0
1
0
0
1
MDW
0
0
9
21
0
30
MEM
0
1
1
9
0
11
MIA
0
0
7
5
0
12
MSP
0
0
7
4
0
11
ORD
0
0
6
18
0
24
PHL
0
0
2
6
0
8
PHX
0
0
4
5
0
9
SAN
1
0
3
1
0
5
SEA
0
0
6
1
0
7
SFO
0
3
14
8
0
25
SLC
0
0
10
5
0
15
TPA
0
0
0
2
0
2
Category A - A serious incident in which a collision was narrowly avoided.
Category B - An incident in which separation decreases and there is a significant potential for collision, which may result
in a time critical corrective/evasive response to avoid a collision.
Category C - An incident characterized by ample time and/or distance to avoid a collision.
Category D - An incident that meets the definition of a runway incursion such as incorrect presence of a single
vehicle/person/aircraft on the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and take-off of aircraft
of aircraft but with no immediate safety consequences.
Category E - An incident in which insufficient or conflicting evidence of the event precludes assigning another category.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Safety and Technical Training, Office of Policy and
Performance (AJI-3), unpublished Airborne Loss Event data, March 7, 2024.
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Loss of Standard Separation Count, by Center
Standard separation is a specified separation minima between airborne aircraft in controlled airspace. Breaches of such minima are
based on airborne loss event data. Losses of standard separation are reported by Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). Across all
centers, the number of losses of standard separation rose from 961 in FY2022 to 1,026 in FY2023. Before the pandemic (FY2017-
2019), the average annual number of losses of standard separation was higher at 1,221 (table below). This means losses of standard
separation remain below pre-pandemic levels.
In FY2023, the centers with the highest losses of standard of separation were Atlanta (ZTL), Los Angeles (ZLA), and Jacksonville (ZJX).
The number of losses of standard of separation exceeded pre-pandemic levels at one center (Denver (ZDV)) and three CCF’s
(Honolulu (HCF)), Guam (ZUA), and San Juan (ZSU) (graph and table below). (See, Appendix I for explanations of the ARTCC and
combined control facilities (CCF).)
Total Losses of Standard Separation
FY17-19 Avg
FY22
FY23
%Change
1,221
961
1,026
6.8%
Center
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
Center
FY17-19
Avg
FY22
FY23
HCF
24
8
48
ZLA
104
78
92
JCF
2
7
6
ZLC
71
73
61
ZAB
57
62
57
ZMA
66
52
43
ZAN
13
10
7
ZME
48
42
47
ZAU
37
28
23
ZMP
18
8
5
ZBW
31
18
19
ZNY
50
14
27
ZDC
80
65
68
ZOA
60
32
44
ZDV
64
61
66
ZOB
32
26
26
ZFW
74
43
63
ZSE
28
26
26
ZHU
48
27
33
ZSU
14
1
7
ZID
59
47
39
ZTL
114
125
110
ZJX
91
81
83
ZUA
3
3
9
ZKC
33
24
17
Source: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Safety and Technical Training, Office of Policy and Performance
(AJI-3), unpublished Airborne Loss Event data, March 7, 2024.
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Section 6. Other ATO Topics
There are a variety of other aspects of the NAS which are of special interest. This report presents the
following:
Flight Service Stations
Commercial Space Launch Activity
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Flight Service Stations
Flight services are delivered nationwide through certified professional controllers in Alaska and the contiguous
United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Services include preflight weather briefings, flight planning, inflight
advisory services, search and rescue (SAR), and processing notices to air missions (NOTAMs). Self-briefing and
other automated services are provided through an online web portal. Web services include interactive
graphical capabilities to view a wide range of weather and aeronautical information, flight planning, activating
and closing flight plans, and more. Pilots may also access automated voice services to receive current and
forecast conditions at specific airports, and receive updates for adverse conditions, including TFRs.
Flight Service also delivers the FAA Weather Camera Program. This program features an expanding network of
over 400 camera sites in Alaska, Colorado, and Montana (other sites, including Hawaii) and over 200 sites
hosted by NAV Canada, Canada's civil air navigation service provider. The weather cameras website provides
pilots with additional information for improved situational awareness and decision-making. On the website,
pilots can see current images at specific locations, compare the images to clear day views, or playback a loop
of past images to establish weather trends. The website also delivers a variety of safety of flight information
including adverse conditions, current and forecast conditions, pilot reports, and aeronautical information.
ALASKA FSS
Barrow FSS (BRW)
Cold Bay FSS (CDB)
Deadhorse FSS (SCC)
Dillingham FSS (DLG)
Fairbanks FSS (FAI)
Homer FSS (HOM)
Iliamna FSS (ILI)
Juneau FSS (JNU)
Kenai FSS (ENA)
Ketchikan FSS (KTN)
Kotzebue FSS (OTZ)
McGrath FSS (MCG)
Nome FSS (OME)
Northway FSS (ORT)
Palmer FSS (PAQ)
Sitka FSS (SIT)
Talkeetna FSS (TKA)
FEDERAL CONTRACT FSS
Leidos FCFSS Washington Hub (DCA)
Leidos FCFSS Fort Worth Hub (FTW)
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FAA Flight Services
FAA Facilities – Alaska Flight Service
Year
Pilot
Briefs
Flight
Plans Filed
Preflight
Calls
Aircraft
Contacts
Airport
Advisories
NOTAMs
Issued
Total
SAR
FY 2018
89,592
210,626
52,200
521,048
325,140
158,003
4,869
FY 2019
92,070
209,024
52,980
542,550
327,130
166,848
6,924
FY 2020
71,570
141,492
39,031
400,181
243,844
166,954
3,021
FY 2021
67,999
151,946
37,339
445,942
280,499
180,364
3,099
FY 2022
66,580
167,969
36,111
456,727
292,734
166,065
2,736
FY 2023
65,793
162,464
29,569
471,599
298,604
168,694
2,981
Federal Contract Flight Services
Year
Pilot
Briefs
Flight
Plans Filed
Preflight
Calls
Inflight
Contacts
Flight Data
Calls
NOTAMs
Issued
Total
SAR
FY 2018
797,746
462,207
1,255,510
286,392
178,110
216,249
9,337
FY 2019
747,731
387,694
1,158,005
257,701
166,546
200,192
9,728
FY 2020
541,004
195,635
782,145
175,361
121,118
179,612
13,195
FY 2021
483,675
168,094
660,369
186,628
125,186
190,118
33,769
FY 2022
422,210
156,629
564,291
179,414
118,296
184,105
33,313
FY 2023
397,290
128,408
525,776
131,373
115,174
166,416
33,604
Web Services/DUATs
Year
Pilot Briefs*
Flight Plans Filed
FY 2018
26,349,042
2,229,961
FY 2019
18,946,978
1,690,246
FY 2020
17,290,280
1,272,098
FY 2021
15,550,689
1,328,714
FY 2022
13,639,661
957,148
FY 2023
3,298,272
699,332
* Represents the number of hits to contract web services
including DUATs (DUATs decommissioned May, 2018).
United States NOTAM Office (USNOF)
Year
Domestic
International
FY 2018
1,569,386
874,091
FY 2019
1,670,499
969,951
FY 2020
1,474,047
873,025
FY 2021
1,620,681
953,125
FY 2022
1,644,074
993,139
FY 2023
1,503,507
896,112
Sources: FAA, Air Traffic Organization, Flight Service (AJR-B), Email communication, March 11, 2024; FAA, Air Traffic Organization,
U.S. NOTAM Office (AJV-A370), Calculations based on email communication, February 13, 2024.
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Commercial Space Launch Activity
During CY2023, the FAA licensed 117 U.S. orbital commercial space launches. These launches were carried out
by the following companies: SpaceX, 94 launches; Rocket Lab, 10 (7 of which from New Zealand); Virgin
Galactic, 6; Blue Origin, 1; Orbital, 1 (part of Northrup Grumman Innovation Systems as of 2018); Firefly, 1;
United Launch Alliance, 1; ABL Space Systems, 1; Relativity Space Inc., 1; and Virgin Orbit, 1. A graph showing
annual numbers of commercial launches, by company, appears below.
Note: A commercial launch is a launch that is internationally competed (i.e., available in principle to international launch
providers) or whose primary payload is commercial in nature. FAA-licensed launches carrying captive government (NASA
and DOD) or industry payloads are counted here. Data for 2018-2023 include launch failures and successes, and
subspace and suborbital launches.
Sources: Federal Aviation Administration, Commercial Space Transportation (AST), The Annual Compendium of
Commercial Space Transportation, various years; FAA, Commercial Space Transportation (AST), Launches, as of January
3, 2023. https://www.faa.gov/data_research/commercial_space_data/launches/?type=license; U.S. Dept. of
Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, Table 1-39, January 17, 2019.
https://www.bts.gov/browse-statistical-products-and-data/national-transportation-statistics/national-transportation-8
U.S. Spaceports
U.S. commercial space launches are carried out from FAA-licensed spaceports located throughout the country.
As of February 4, 2024, there were 14 active FAA-licensed commercial spaceports. For a map of these
locations, and to learn more about U.S. spaceports, please consult the FAA Office of Spaceports web page at:
https://www.faa.gov/space/office_spaceports
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Appendix I. Facility Codes
Core 30 Airports
(Source: System Data and Infrastructure Group, Office of Performance Analysis, Systems Operations Services, Air
Traffic Organization, FAA (AJR-G2).)
Code
Airport
Code
Airport
ATL
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
LAX
Los Angeles International
BOS
Boston Logan International
LGA
New York LaGuardia
BWI
Baltimore/Washington International
MCO
Orlando International
CLT
Charlotte Douglas International
MDW
Chicago Midway
DCA
Ronald Reagan Washington National
MEM
Memphis International
DEN
Denver International
MIA
Miami International
DFW
Dallas-Fort Worth International
MSP
Minneapolis/St. Paul International
DTW
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
ORD
Chicago O`Hare International
EWR
Newark Liberty International
PHL
Philadelphia International
FLL
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International
PHX
Phoenix Sky Harbor International
HNL
Honolulu International
SAN
San Diego International
IAD
Washington Dulles International
SEA
Seattle/Tacoma International
IAH
George Bush Houston Intercontinental
SFO
San Francisco International
JFK
New York John F. Kennedy International
SLC
Salt Lake City International
LAS
Las Vegas McCarran International
TPA
Tampa International
Stand-Alone Terminal Radar Control (TRACON) Facilities*
LocID
TRACON
LocID
TRACON
A11
Anchorage TRACON
NCT
Northern California TRACON
A80
Atlanta TRACON
P31
Pensacola TRACON
A90
Boston TRACON
P50
Phoenix TRACON
C90
Chicago TRACON
P80
Portland TRACON
D01
Denver TRACON
PCT
Potomac TRACON
D10
Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON
R90
Omaha TRACON
D21
Detroit TRACON
S46
Seattle TRACON
F11
Central Florida TRACON
S56
Salt Lake City TRACON
I90
Houston TRACON
SCT
Southern California TRACON
L30
Las Vegas TRACON
T75
St Louis TRACON
M03
Memphis TRACON
U90
Tucson TRACON
M98
Minneapolis TRACON
Y90
Yankee TRACON
N90
New York TRACON
*Cape Cod (K90) merged with Boston TRACON (A90); Meridian (NMM) is now a military, not a civilian TRACON.
Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCC) and Combined Control Facilities (CCF)
LocID
Center
LocID
Center
HCF
Honolulu Control Facility
ZLA
Los Angeles CA ARTCC
JCF
Joshua Tree Control Facility
ZLC
Salt Lake City UT ARTCC
ZAB
Albuquerque NM ARTCC
ZMA
Miami FL ARTCC
ZAN
Anchorage AK ARTCC
ZME
Memphis TN ARTCC
ZAU
Chicago IL ARTCC
ZMP
Minneapolis MN ARTCC
ZBW
Nashua NH ARTCC (Boston)
ZNY
New York NY ARTCC
ZDC
Leesburg VA ARTCC (DC)
ZOA
Oakland CA ARTCC
ZDV
Denver CO ARTCC
ZOB
Cleveland OH ARTCC
ZFW
Fort Worth TX ARTCC
ZSE
Seattle WA ARTCC
ZHU
Houston TX ARTCC
ZSU
San Juan PR Control Facility
ZID
Indianapolis IN ARTCC
ZTL
Atlanta GA ARTCC
ZJX
Jacksonville FL ARTCC
ZUA
Guam Control Facility
ZKC
Kansas City KS ARTCC
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Appendix II. Other FAA Airport Lists
In addition to the Core 30 airports, FAA also uses several other airport lists, including ASPM 77, OEP 35, and OPSNET 45 airports and 34
Select TRACONs.
ASPM 77 Airports
This is an FAA list of 77 airports, including the Core 30, OEP 35, and other airports. The ASPM (Aviation System Performance
Metrics) data includes flights to and from the 77 ASPM airports and all flights by ASPM carriers, as well as flights by those
carriers to international and domestic non-ASPM airports. (Source: System Data and Infrastructure Group, Office of
Performance Analysis, Systems Operations Services, Air Traffic Organization, FAA (AJR-G2).) (See, Appendix I for the list of Core
30 airports. For OEP 35 airports, see the OEP 35 airport list on the next page.)
Code
Airport
Code
Airport
ABQ
Albuquerque International Sunport
MEM
Memphis International
ANC
Ted Stevens Anchorage International
MHT
Manchester
ATL
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
MIA
Miami International
AUS
Austin-Bergstrom International
MKE
Milwaukee General Mitchell International
BDL
Bradley International
MSP
Minneapolis/St. Paul International
BHM
Birmingham International
MSY
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International
BNA
Nashville International
OAK
Oakland International
BOS
Boston Logan International
OGG
Kahului
BUF
Buffalo Niagara International
OMA
Omaha Eppley Airfield
BUR
Bob Hope (Burbank/Glendale/Pasadena)
ONT
Ontario International
BWI
Baltimore/Washington International
ORD
Chicago O’Hare International
CLE
Cleveland Hopkins International
OXR
Oxnard
CLT
Charlotte Douglas International
PBI
Palm Beach International
CVG
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
PDX
Portland International
DAL
Dallas Love Field
PHL
Philadelphia International
DAY
Dayton International
PHX
Phoenix Sky Harbor International
DCA
Ronald Reagan Washington National
PIT
Pittsburgh International
DEN
Denver International
PSP
Palm Springs International
DFW
Dallas/Fort Worth International
PVD
Providence Francis Green State
DTW
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
RDU
Raleigh/Durham International
EWR
Newark Liberty International
RFD
Greater Rockford
FLL
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International
RSW
Southwest Florida International
GYY
Gary Chicago International
SAN
San Diego International
HNL
Honolulu International
SAT
San Antonio International
HOU
Houston Hobby
SDF
Louisville International
HPN
Westchester County
SEA
Seattle/Tacoma International
IAD
Washington Dulles International
SFO
San Francisco International
IAH
George Bush Houston Intercontinental
SJC
Norman Mineta San Jose International
IND
Indianapolis International
SJU
San Juan Luis Munoz International
ISP
Long Island Mac Arthur
SLC
Salt Lake City International
JAX
Jacksonville International
SMF
Sacramento International Airport
JFK
New York John F. Kennedy International
SNA
John Wayne Airport-Orange County
LAS
Las Vegas McCarran International
STL
Lambert Saint Louis International
LAX
Los Angeles International
SWF
Stewart International
LGA
New York LaGuardia
TEB
Teterboro
LGB
Long Beach
TPA
Tampa International
MCI
Kansas City International
TUS
Tucson International
MCO
Orlando International
VNY
Van Nuys
MDW
Chicago Midway
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OEP 35 Airports
This is an FAA list of 35 commercial U.S. airports with significant air traffic. These airports serve major metropolitan areas and
some also serve as hubs for airline operations. The OEP 35 (Operational Evolution Partnership) is made up of the Core 30, plus
five other airports. In 2005, this list was replaced by the Core 30 list. (Source: System Data and Infrastructure Group, Office of
Performance Analysis, Systems Operations Services, Air Traffic Organization, FAA (AJR-G2).
https://aspm.faa.gov/aspmhelp/index/OEP_35.html.) (See, Appendix I for the list of Core 30 airports.)
Code
Airport
Code
Airport
ATL
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
LGA
New York LaGuardia
BOS
Boston Logan International
MCO
Orlando International
BWI
Baltimore/Washington International
MDW
Chicago Midway
CLE
Cleveland Hopkins International
MEM
Memphis International
CLT
Charlotte Douglas International
MIA
Miami International
CVG
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
MSP
Minneapolis/St Paul International
DCA
Ronald Reagan Washington National
ORD
Chicago O`Hare International
DEN
Denver International
PDX
Portland International
DFW
Dallas/Fort Worth International
PHL
Philadelphia International
DTW
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
PHX
Phoenix Sky Harbor International
EWR
Newark Liberty International
PIT
Pittsburgh International
FLL
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International
SAN
San Diego International
HNL
Honolulu International
SEA
Seattle/Tacoma International
IAD
Washington Dulles International
SFO
San Francisco International
IAH
George Bush Houston Intercontinental
SLC
Salt Lake City International
JFK
New York John F Kennedy International
STL
Lambert Saint Louis International
LAS
Las Vegas McCarran International
TPA
Tampa International
LAX
Los Angeles International
OPSNET 45 Airports
The FAA list of OPSNET 45 airports appear below. In the late 1990s, these were airports that contributed to 75 percent of NAS
delays and that each had 500 or more operations per day. (Note, by FY2019, the number of OPSNET 45 airports with at least
500 operations per day fell to 36 airports.)
Code
Airport
Code
Airport
ABQ
Albuquerque International Sunport
MCO
Orlando International
ATL
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
MDW
Chicago Midway
BNA
Nashville International
MEM
Memphis International
BOS
Boston Logan International
MIA
Miami International
BWI
Baltimore/Washington International
MSP
Minneapolis/St Paul International
CLE
Cleveland Hopkins International
MSY
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International
CLT
Charlotte Douglas International
OAK
Oakland International
CVG
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
ORD
Chicago O`Hare International
DCA
Ronald Reagan Washington National
PBI
Palm Beach International
DEN
Denver International
PDX
Portland International
DFW
Dallas/Fort Worth International
PHL
Philadelphia International
DTW
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
PHX
Phoenix Sky Harbor International
EWR
Newark Liberty International
PIT
Pittsburgh International
FLL
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International
RDU
Raleigh/Durham International
HOU
Houston Hobby
SAN
San Diego International
IAD
Washington Dulles International
SEA
Seattle/Tacoma International
IAH
George Bush Houston Intercontinental
SFO
San Francisco International
IND
Indianapolis International
SJC
Norman Mineta San Jose International
JFK
New York John F Kennedy International
SLC
Salt Lake City International
LAS
Las Vegas McCarran International
STL
Lambert Saint Louis International
LAX
Los Angeles International
TEB
Teterboro
LGA
New York LaGuardia
TPA
Tampa International
MCI
Kansas City International
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34 Select TRACONs
The 34 Select are the TRACONs support the OPSNET 45 airports. (See, above for the list of OPSNET 45 airports.) (Source:
System Data and Infrastructure Group, Office of Performance Analysis, Systems Operations Services, Air Traffic Organization,
FAA (AJR-G2). https://aspm.faa.gov/aspmhelp/index/34_Select.html)
LocID
TRACON
LocID
TRACON
A80
Atlanta TRACON
MEM
Memphis International
A90
Boston TRACON
MIA
Miami International
ABQ
Albuquerque International
MSY
New Orleans International/Moisant
BNA
Nashville International
N90
New York TRACON
C90
Chicago TRACON (Elgin)
NCT
Northern California TRACON
CLE
Cleveland Hopkins International
P50
Phoenix TRACON
CLT
Charlotte/Douglas International
P80
Portland TRACON
CVG
Covington/Cincinnati International
PBI
Palm Beach International
D01
Denver TRACON
PCT
Potomac TRACON
D10
Dallas/Ft Worth TRACON
PHL
Philadelphia International
D21
Detroit TRACON
PIT
Pittsburgh International
I90
Houston TRACON
RDU
Raleigh Durham International
IND
Indianapolis International
S46
Seattle/Tacoma TRACON
L30
Las Vegas TRACON
S56
Salt Lake City TRACON
M98
Minneapolis TRACON
SCT
Southern California TRACON
MCI
Kansas City International
T75
St Louis TRACON
MCO
Orlando International
TPA
Tampa International
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Appendix III. Historical Airport and Center Operations
Airport Operations
A graph displaying historical annual airport control tower operations data for 1946-2023 appear below. Included are calendar year data
for 1946-1976 and fiscal year data for 1977-2023. Airport towers consist of FAA facilities, not including contract towers, and represent
the number of arrivals and departures from the airport at which the airport traffic control tower is located. (Data for 1946-1990 were
originally published in the CAA Statistical Handbook of Civil Aviation and the successor publication FAA Statistical Handbook of Aviation.
Data for 1991 onward come from the FAA OPSNET database.)
In FY2023, airport operations amounted to 37.3 million, rising by 3.2 percent, from 36.1 million in FY2022 (below). Such operations
peaked 43 years earlier, in FY1979, at 69 million. (The decrease since the FY1979 peak was mainly due a decrease in general aviation
(GA) operations, which fell from 51.7 million in FY1979 to 15.6 million in FY2023 (not shown below)).
Sources: 1946-1963: Civil Aeronautics Administration, CAA Statistical Handbook of Civil Aviation, various; 1964-1990: Federal Aviation
Administration, FAA Statistical Handbook of Aviation, various; 1991-present: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization,
Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), Operations Network (OPSNET), April 19, 2024.
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Center Operations
Historical annual center operations for 1957-2023 are shown below. Included are calendar year data for 1957-1976 and fiscal year data
for 1977-2023. In contrast to airport operations, center operations consist of the number of operations passing to and from a TRACON
to a center, or from one center to another center, or from a center to a TRACON, and also includes U.S. overflights and oceanic traffic
through center air space that do not arrive at or depart from U.S. territory. (Data up to 1990 were originally published in the CAA
Statistical Handbook of Civil Aviation and the FAA Statistical Handbook of Aviation. Data for 1991 onward come from the FAA OPSNET
database.)
In FY2023, there were 42.3 million center operations, rising by 2.1 percent from 41.4 million in FY2022. The peak occurred in FY2005, at
47.5 million. (The decrease over FY2005 - FY2023 was mainly due to a fall in center air taxi operations, which fell from 10.9 million in
FY2005 to 5.6 million in FY2023 (not shown below)).
The histories of airport and center operations also differ because in the past, airport operations largely consisted of GA flights. Such
operations were mainly local and did not cross into center airspace; therefore, the large decrease in GA operations did not lead to a
large decrease in center operations. In contrast, center GA operations, which numbered 8.8 million in FY1979, fell to about 6.5 million in
FY2023 (not shown below). (In addition, note that GA aircraft tend to be smaller and carry fewer passengers over shorter distances and
time periods than other user classes such as commercial air carriers.)
Sources: 1957-1963: Civil Aeronautics Administration, CAA Statistical Handbook of Civil Aviation, various; 1964-1990: Federal Aviation
Administration, FAA Statistical Handbook of Aviation, various; 1991-present: Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization,
Office of Performance Analysis (AJR-G), Operations Network (OPSNET), April 19, 2024.
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Glossary of Terms
34 Select
TRACONs
The 34 Select are the TRACONs support the OPSNET 45 airports. (See, Appendix II for the lists of 34 Select
TRACONs and OPSNET 45 airports.)
AAR
See, Airport Arrival Rate (AAR).
ADC
See, Average Daily Capacity (ADC).
ADR
See, Airport Departure Rate (ADR).
AFP
See, Airspace Flow Programs (AFP).
Airport Arrival
Rate (AAR)
The number of arriving aircraft which an airport or airspace can accept from an ARTCC per hour.
Airport Departure
Rate (ADR)
The number of aircraft that can depart an airport and the airspace can accept per hour.
Airport
Operations
See, Operations.
Airspace Flow
Programs (AFP)
Airspace flow programs (AFPs) manage demand-capacity imbalances through the issuance of estimated
departure clearance times (EDCT) to flights traversing a flow constrained area (FCA). An AFP might be used,
for example, to reduce the rate of flights through a center when that center has reduced en route capacity
due to severe weather, replacing mile-in-trail (MIT) restrictions for a required reroute, managing airport
arrival fix demand or controlling multiple airports within a terminal area.
Air Route Traffic
Control Center
(ARTCC)
A facility established to provide air traffic control service to aircraft operating on IFR flight plans within
controlled airspace and principally during the en route phase of flight. When equipment capabilities and
controller workload permit, certain advisory/assistance services may be provided to VFR aircraft. Also
known as en route or centers, there are 21 ARTCCs in the continental U.S. A list of the 21 ARTCCs appears in
Appendix I.
Air Traffic Control
(ATC)
A service operated by appropriate authority to promote the safe, orderly and expeditious flow of air traffic.
Air Traffic Control
Tower (ATCT)
A terminal facility that uses air/ground communications, visual signaling, and other devices to provide ATC
services to aircraft operating in the vicinity of an airport or on the movement area. Authorizes aircraft to
land or takeoff at the airport controlled by the tower or to transit the Class D airspace area regardless of
flight plan or weather conditions (IFR or VFR). A tower may also provide approach control services (radar or
nonradar).
Army Radar
Approach Control
(ARAC).
An FAA air traffic control facility using radar and air/ground communications to provide approach control
services to aircraft arriving, departing, or transiting the airspace controlled by the facility. Service is
provided to both civilian and U.S. Army airports. Currently, the U.S. does not operate any ARACs.
ASM
See, Available Seat Miles (ASM).
ASPM
See, Aviation System Performance Metrics (ASPM).
ASPM 77 Airports
The ASPM 77 is an FAA list of 77 airports, including the Core 30, OEP 35, and other airports. The ASPM
(Aviation System Performance Metrics) data includes flights to and from the 77 ASPM airports and all flights
by ASPM carriers, as well as flights by those carriers to international and domestic non-ASPM airports. (See,
Appendix II for the list of ASPM 77 airports.) (See, Appendix I for the list of Core 30 airports and Appendix II
for the list of OEP 35 airports.)
ATC
See, Air Traffic Control.
ATCT
See, Air Traffic Control Tower.
Available Seat
Miles (ASM)
The aircraft miles flown in each inter-airport segment, multiplied by the number of seats available for fare
paying passenger use on that segment. Available seat miles are computed by summation of the products of
the number of miles on each interairport segment, multiplied by the number of available seats on that
segment.
Average Daily
Capacity (ADC)
Average daily capacity is calculated as the sum of the airport departure rates (ADR) and the capacity airport
arrival rates (AAR), divided by the number of days in the period under consideration.
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Average Hourly
Capacity (Called
Rate)
See, Called Rate.
Aviation System
Performance
Metrics (ASPM)
Aviation system performance metrics (ASPM) data includes flights to and from 77 ASPM airports (including
the Core 30 and OEP 35 airports) and all flights by ASPM carriers, as well as flights by those carriers to
international and domestic non-ASPM airports. All IFR and some VFR flights are included. View this data on
the OPSNET website.
ASPM flight records fall into two groupings: (1) Efficiency flights are intended to capture all traffic handled
by controllers at the ASPM airports and include flights with complete records and flights for which accurate
estimates are possible due to only a few pieces of missing data; and, (2) ASPM flights exclude general
aviation and military traffic, as well as local (non-itinerant) traffic and records for international flights
missing data on the non-U.S. portion of the flight.
ASPM contains key event times including actual, scheduled as well as the airline reported gate and runway
times. It also synthesizes key times from the traffic flow management system (TFMS) and flight level
information from the national traffic management log (NTML).
Called Rate
The hourly throughput that an airport’s runways are able to sustain during periods of high demand. Called
rates include all arrival and departure traffic that an airport can support. The called rate, or average hourly
capacity, is the sum of the average arrival rate (AAR) and the average departure rate (ADR).
Cancellations
The set of cancelled departures as determined by a combination of scheduled flights not flown and TFMS
flight plans that were cancelled and not re-filed for ASPM carriers and all other carriers reporting schedule
data; and ASQP flight cancellations.
CCF
See, Combined Control Facility (CCF).
CAA
See, Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA).
Center
Also known as air route traffic control center (ARTCC) or en Route. See, Air Route Traffic Control Center
(ARTCC).
Center Operations
See, Operations.
CERAP
See, Combined En Route Radar Approach Control (CERAP).
Civil Aeronautics
Administration
(CAA)
According to the FAA:
To ensure a federal focus on aviation safety, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Civil Aeronautics
Act in 1938. The legislation established the independent Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA), with a three-
member Air Safety Board that would conduct accident investigations and recommend ways of
preventing accidents. . . . In 1940, President Roosevelt split the CAA into two agencies, the Civil
Aeronautics Administration, which went back to the Department of Commerce, and the Civil
Aeronautics Board (CAB). The offshoot of the original CAA retained responsibility for ATC, airman and
aircraft certification, safety enforcement, and airway development. . . .
On the eve of America's entry into World War II, for defense purposes, CAA extended its ATC system to
include operation of airport towers. In the postwar era, ATC became a permanent federal responsibility
at most airports.
The CAA became the Federal Aviation Agency in 1958 and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in
1967 (Federal Aviation Administration, A Brief History of the FAA. https://www.faa.gov/about/history
/brief_history.
Class B Airspaces
Generally, that airspace from the surface to 10,000 feet MSL surrounding the nation's busiest airports in
terms of IFR operations or passenger enplanements. The configuration of each Class B airspace area is
individually tailored and consists of a surface area and two or more layers (some Class B airspace areas
resemble upside-down wedding cakes), and is designed to contain all published instrument procedures once
an aircraft enters the airspace.
Combined ATCT
TRACONs
See, Terminal Radar Control Facility (TRACON).
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Combined Control
Facility (CCF)
An air traffic control facility that provides approach control services for one or more airports as well as en
route air traffic control (center control) for a large area of airspace. Some may provide tower services along
with approach control and en route services. The U.S. has four CCFs. A list of the 4 CCFs appears in
Appendix I.
Combined En
Route Radar
Approach Control
(CERAP)
An air traffic control facility that combines the functions of an ARTCC with a TRACON facility.
Coordinated
Universal Time
(UTC)
A 24-hour time standard that is the basis for world-wide civil time today. This standard is kept using highly
precise atomic clocks combined with the Earth’s rotation. Until 1972, Greenwich Mean Time (also known as
Zulu time) was the same as Universal Time (UT). Since then, GMT was no longer a time standard. FAA uses
UTC in all operational activities (FAA Order 7210.3). See also, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), Zulu Time.
Core 30 Airports
The 30 airports with the highest number of operations. A list of the Core 30 Airports appears in Appendix I.
Delays
See, OPSNET Delays.
Diversions
Gate return/air return and en route diversion are considered a diversion. However, a planned stop for fuel,
known before departure from the gate, where the flight has been dispatched to is not.
Direct User Access
Terminal Service
(DUATS)
DUATS, or direct user access terminal service is a weather information and flight plan processing service
contracted by FAA for use by United States civil pilots and other authorized users. The DUAT Service is a
telephone- and Internet-based system which allows the pilot to use a personal computer for access to a
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) database to obtain weather and aeronautical information and to file,
amend, and cancel domestic IFR and VFR flight plans.
DUATS
See, Direct User Access Terminal Service (DUATS).
EDCT
See, Expected Departure Clearance Time (EDCT).
Enhanced Traffic
Management
System (ETMS)
See, Traffic Flow Management System (TFMS).
En Route
Also known as Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) or, simply, Center. See, Air Route Traffic Control
Center (ARTCC).
En Route
Operations
See, Operations.
Expected
Departure
Clearance Time
(EDCT)
The runway release time assigned to an aircraft in a traffic management program. See also, Ground Delay
Programs (GDP).
FAA
See, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
FCA
See, Flow Constrained Area (FCA).
Federal Aviation
Administration
(FAA)
The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 created the agency under the name Federal Aviation Agency. The name
Federal Aviation Administration was adopted in 1967 when it became a part of the newly created
Department of Transportation. The major roles of this agency include:
• Regulating civil aviation to promote safety
• Encouraging and developing civil aeronautics, including new aviation technology
• Developing and operating a system of air traffic control and navigation for both civil and military aircraft
• Researching and developing the National Airspace System and civil aeronautics
• Developing and carrying out programs to control aircraft noise and other environmental effects of civil
aviation
• Regulating U.S. commercial space transportation
Federal Aviation
Agency
The Federal Aviation Agency replaced the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) under the Federal Aviation
Act of 1958. In turn, the Federal Aviation Agency was replaced by the Federal Aviation Administration in
1967, which became a part of the newly created Department of Transportation.
Flight
The period from the start of the takeoff roll to the first landing.
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Flight Service
Station (FSS)
A flight service station (FSS) is an air traffic facility that provides information and services to aircraft pilots
before, during, and after flights, but unlike air traffic control (ATC), is not responsible for giving instructions
or clearances or providing separation.
Flow Constrained
Area (FCA)
A defined region of airspace, a time interval, or other characteristic used to identify flights subject to a
constraint. This constraint may be due to convective weather, military exercises, or other reasons.
FSS
See, Flight Service Station (FSS).
GDP
See, Ground Delay Programs (GDP).
GMT
See, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Go Around
A go around (sometimes called overshoot) is an aborted landing of an aircraft that is on final approach.
Greenwich Mean
Time (GMT)
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology:
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) originally referred to the mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in
Greenwich, England. As an astronomical time scale, it followed the irregular motion of Earth. The
modern term for this astronomical time is UT1. The term GMT is now more commonly used to refer to
the time zone at the prime meridian (0° longitude), in which case it is being used as a local
representation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and not UT1. However, UTC is adjusted with leap
seconds to always be within less than one second of UT1, so either use of GMT can be considered
equivalent to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) when fractions of a second are not important (National
Institute of Standards and Technology, “NIST Time Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): What is
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)?,” https://www.nist.gov/ pml/time-and-frequency-division/nist-time-
frequently-asked-questions-faq#utcnist).
FAA uses UTC in all operational activities (FAA Order 7210.3). See also, Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or
Zulu Time.
Ground Delay
Programs (GDP)
Ground delay programs are implemented to control air traffic volume to airports where the projected traffic
demand is expected to exceed the airport's acceptance rate for a lengthy period of time. Lengthy periods of
demand exceeding acceptance rate are normally a result of the airport's acceptance rate being reduced for
some reason. The most common reason for a reduction in acceptance rate is adverse weather such as low
ceilings and visibility.
How it works:
Flights that are destined to the affected airport are issued expected departure clearance times (EDCT) at
their point of departure. Flights that have been issued EDCTs are not permitted to depart until their
expected departure clearance time. These EDCTs are calculated in such a way as to meter the rate that
traffic arrives at the affected airport; ensuring that demand is equal to acceptance rate. The length of delays
that result from the implementation of a ground delay program depends upon two factors: how much
greater than the acceptance rate the original demand was, and for what length of time the original demand
was expected to exceed the acceptance rate.
Ground Stops (GS)
Ground stops are implemented for a number of reasons. The most common reasons are:
• To control air traffic volume to airports when the projected traffic demand is expected to exceed the
airport's acceptance rate for a short period of time.
• To temporarily stop traffic allowing for the implementation of a longer-term solution, such as a ground
delay program.
• The affected airport's acceptance rate has been reduced to zero.
How it works:
• Flights that are destined to the affected airport are held at their departure point for the duration of the
ground stop.
Holdings
Holding (or flying a hold) is a maneuver designed to delay an aircraft already in flight while keeping it within
a specified airspace.
IFR Flights
Instrument Flight Rules. A set of rules governing the conduct of flight under instrument meteorological
conditions.
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Level-Offs
Level-offs are tracked from the top-of-descent (TOD) point or 200 nautical miles (NM) from the airport,
whichever is closer. A trajectory segment is considered as a level-off if the change in altitude of position
reports is less than or equal to 200 feet and the segment is at least 50 seconds in duration. The metric is
calculated as the sum of the count of level-offs for each flight within a scope (i.e. non-military instrument
flight rules (IFR) operations arriving into Core 30 airports), divided by the total number of flights within the
scope. The metric is derived from flight position reports from the National Offload Program (NOP).
Load Factor
The summation of the number of revenue passenger miles (RPM), divided by the summation of the number
of available seat miles (ASM), on revenue paying commercial flights. This quotient is expressed as a
percentage. See also, available seat miles (ASM) and revenue passenger miles (RPM).
Loss of Separation
Events
A defined loss of separation between airborne aircraft occurs whenever specified separation minima in
controlled airspace are breached. Minimum separation standards for airspace are specified by air traffic
service (ATS) authorities, based on International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
Miles-in-Trail
(MIT)
A specified distance between aircraft (in nautical miles), normally, in the same stratum associated with the
same destination or route of flight.
National Airspace
System (NAS)
The common network of U.S. airspace; air navigation facilities, equipment and services, airports or landing
areas; aeronautical charts, information and services; rules, regulations and procedures, technical
information, and manpower and material. This includes system components jointly shared with the military.
Notices to Airmen
(NOTAM)
See, Notices to Air Missions (NOTAM).
Notices to Air
Missions
(NOTAM)
A NOTAM is a notice containing information essential to personnel concerned with flight operations, but not
known far enough in advance to be publicized by other means. It states the abnormal status of a
component of the national airspace system (NAS) – not the normal status.
OEP 35 Airports
This is an FAA list of 35 commercial U.S. airports with significant air traffic. These airports serve major
metropolitan areas and some also serve as hubs for airline operations. The OEP 35 (Operational Evolution
Partnership) is made up of the Core 30, plus five other airports (Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Portland,
and St Louis). In 2005, this list was replaced by the Core 30 list. (Source: System Data and Infrastructure
Group, Office of Performance Analysis, Systems Operations Services, Air Traffic Organization, FAA (AJR-G2).
https://aspm.faa.gov/aspmhelp/index/OEP_35.html.) (See, Appendix I for the list of Core 30 airports and
Appendix II for the list of OEP 35 airports.)
Operational
Network
(OPSNET)
OPSNET is the official source of national airspace system (NAS) air traffic operations and delay data. This
data are used to analyze the performance of the FAA's air traffic control facilities. Reportable delay includes
information such as the constrained facility, the reason for delay (weather, equipment, runways, volume,
etc.), and the traffic management initiative (TMI) employed in delaying the aircraft.
Operations
• Airport operations: The number of arrivals and departures from the airport at which the airport traffic
control tower is located.
• Tower operations: Airport operations, plus airport tower overflights.
• TRACON operations: The number of operations passed to and from area airports or centers, including
overflights through TRACON airspace.
En route or center operations: The number of operations passing to and from a TRACON to a center, or
from one center to another center, or from a center to a TRACON. It includes U.S. overflights and oceanic
traffic through center air space that do not arrive at or depart from U.S. territory.
OPSNET 45
Airports
The FAA list of OPSNET 45 airports appear below. In the late 1990s, these were 45 airports that contributed
to 75 percent of NAS delays and had 500 or more operations per day. (Note, by FY2019, the number of
OPSNET 45 airports with at least 500 operations per day fell to 36 airports.) (See, Appendix II for the list of
OPSNET 45 airports.)
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OPSNET Delays
Delays to instrument flight rules (IFR) traffic of 15 minutes or more, which result from the ATC system
detaining an aircraft at the gate, short of the runway, on the runway, on a taxiway, or in a holding
configuration anywhere en route, must be reported. The IFR controlling facility must ensure delay reports
are received and entered into OPSNET. These OPSNET delays are caused by the application of initiatives by
the traffic flow management (TFM) in response to weather conditions, increased traffic volume, runway
conditions, equipment outages, and other causes.
Below are descriptions of the categories of delay causes resulting in a reportable delay:
• Weather: The presence of adverse weather conditions affecting operations. This includes wind, rain,
snow/ice, low cloud ceilings, low visibility, and tornado/ hurricane/thunderstorm.
• Volume: Delays must only be reported as volume when the airport is in its optimum configuration and
no impacting conditions have been reported when the delays were incurred.
• Runway/Taxiway: Reductions in facility capacity due to runway/taxiway closure or configuration
changes.
• Equipment: An equipment failure or outage causing reduced capacity.
• Other: All impacting conditions that are not otherwise attributed to weather, equipment,
runway/taxiway, or volume, such as airshow, aircraft emergency, bomb threat, external radio frequency
interference, military operations, nonradar procedures, etc.
Non-reportable delays are delays incurred by IFR traffic, but which should not be reported in OPSNET.
Overflights
• Terminal overflight: A terminal IFR flight that originates outside the TRACON’s/RAPCON’s/Radar ATCT’s
area and passes through the area without landing.
• En route overflight: An en route IFR flight that originates outside the ARTCC’s area and passes through
the area without landing.
Radar Approach
Control (RAPCON)
An FAA air traffic control facility using radar and air/ground communications to provide approach control
services to aircraft arriving, departing, or transiting the airspace controlled by the facility. Service is
provided to both civilian and U.S. Air Force airports. Currently, the U.S. does not operate any RAPCONs.
Radar ATC Facility
(RATCF)
An FAA air traffic control facility using radar and air/ground communications to provide approach control
services to aircraft arriving, departing, or transiting the airspace controlled by the facility. Service is
provided to both civilian and U.S. Navy airports. Currently, the U.S. does not operate any RATCFs.
RAPCON
See, Radar Approach Control (RAPCON).
RATCF
See, Radar ATC Facility (RATCF).
Revenue
Passenger Miles
(RPM)
One revenue passenger (fare paying passenger) transported one mile. Revenue passenger miles are
computed by summation of the products of the revenue aircraft miles on each interairport segment,
multiplied by the number of revenue passengers carried on that segment.
Runway
Incursions
A runway incursion is any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft,
vehicle or person on the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and takeoff of aircraft.
Stand-Alone
TRACON
See, Terminal Radar Control Facility (TRACON).
Terminal Radar
Control Facility
(TRACON)
An FAA air traffic control facility using radar and air/ground communications to provide approach control
services to aircraft arriving, departing, or transiting the airspace controlled by the facility. A TRACON located
in an air traffic control tower is a combined TRACON. A TRACON that does not share a facility is a stand-
alone TRACON. The U.S. has 146 civilian TRACONs. There are 121 TRACONs in shared facilities and 25
stand-alone TRACONs. A list of the 25 stand-alone TRACONs appears in Appendix I.
Top-of-Descent
(TOD)
Top-of-Descent is the transition from the cruise phase of a flight to the descent phase, the point at which
the planned descent to final approach altitude is initiated.
Tower Operations
See, Operations.
TRACON
See, Terminal Radar Control Facility (TRACON).
TRACON
Operations
See, Operations.
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Traffic Flow
Management
System (TFMS)
TFMS is a data exchange system for supporting the management and monitoring of national air traffic
flow. TFMS processes all available data sources such as flight plan messages, flight plan amendment
messages, and departure and arrival messages. TFMS is restricted to the subset of flights that fly under
instrument flight rules (IFR) and are captured by the FAA’s en-route computers. Formerly known as the
enhanced traffic management system (ETMS).
UTC
See, Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
VFR
See, Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
VFR flights
Flights operated under visual flight rules.
Visual Flight Rules
(VFR)
Visual flight rules are rules that govern the procedures for conducting flights under visual conditions. The
term "VFR" is also used in the United States to indicate weather conditions that are equal to or greater than
minimum VFR requirements. In addition, it is used by pilots and controllers to indicate a type of flight plan.
Zulu Time
The military name for Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). See also, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), Universal
Coordinated Time or Universal Time Coordinated (UTC).
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Acknowledgements
The Office of Performance Analysis is very grateful for the helpful contributions, comments, and guidance from:
Jonathan Corning, FAA
Kevin Hanson, FAA
Ed Jennings, FAA
Ashish Khatta, FAA
Josie Lee, FAA
Nadia Mosher, FAA
Julia Schutter, FAA
Kamala Shetty, FAA
Joel Truelove, FAA
Brian Verna, FAA
Gregory Yuhasz, FAA
For more information, please send inquiries to:
Randal Matsunaga
Economist, System Events and Analysis Group (AJR-G3)
Office of Performance Analysis
