The Effects of Weather on Air Travel

Weather is of the utmost concern when a plane is either taking off or landing. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) operates a national control center near the nation's capital, where it monitors bad weather and redirects flights if necessary.

Cancellation or Delay of Air Flights

Bad weather can prevent aircraft from taking off at a particular airport. Snow, fog and thunderstorms often are the biggest reasons why an airplane flight is canceled or delayed.

Redirection of Flights

Since weather conditions can change rapidly and sometimes unexpectedly for the worse, it is occasionally necessary for a plane flight to be redirected to a new landing location. This decision may indicate a deteriorating weather situation that wasn't present at the time of departure.

Longer Flight Times

Sometimes adverse weather conditions can create the necessity of flying around the bad weather, but still the pilot is able to land his aircraft at the original destination. This type of situation may result in a delayed time of arrival.

Delayed Take-off

Sometimes only a delay with the time of departure is all that is necessary to compensate for adverse weather conditions. This delay could be caused by a mild snowstorm or the presence of an intense line of thunderstorms.

Flight Delay Information

There is a national website where travelers can check on a particular flight to see if it has been canceled or delayed (see references).

References

• Video on Air Control and Weather
• Tracking Delays on Individual Flights