Multiple people were injured Tuesday when a UPS cargo plane crashed near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky, sending a large plume of smoke visible across the city. Authorities reported the scene remains active with “smoke and debris.”
According to multiple flight alerts, the Houston and Phoenix air traffic centers implemented Ground Delay Programs, effectively slowing the rate of arrivals to prevent overload in the control system.
The FAA said the delays are primarily due to “staffing” shortages, with some flights facing up to nearly three-hour waits before takeoff or landing clearance.
At Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), the FAA set the arrival rate at just 40 flights per hour, compared to typical peak rates closer to 70.The advisory lists average delays of 40 minutes and maximums topping one hour and 40 minutes, stretching across all major departure zones in the US.
at nearby William P Hobby Airport (HOU), the situation is even worse, with the FAA limiting arrivals to only 16 flights per hour and maximum delays nearing three hours.
The restrictions apply to flights departing from every major regional control center in the contiguous US, meaning ripple effects could extend far beyond Texas.
In Phoenix, controllers at Sky Harbor International Airport are also slowing incoming flights.The FAA set a rate of 40 arrivals per hour, citing the same staffing shortage. Average delays are hovering around 45 minutes, with some flights waiting over an hour and a half to land.
The programs are in place through the early hours of Wednesday morning, possibly affecting hundreds of flights nationwide.
this is a breaking news story and will be updated.
