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TPA is confident it can handle Memorial Day traffic but warns delays elsewhere may cause ripple effect

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Published  May 23, 2025 9:00am EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News
Busy summer travel season begins

Busy summer travel season begins

Airlines across the country say the country’s air traffic control system is fragile as we head into the holiday weekend. Matthew McClellan reports.

The Brief

    • Tampa International Airport says it’s prepared to handle around 300,000 passengers from Friday through Monday.
    • In an open letter to Congress on Wednesday, the heads of major U.S. carriers- including Delta, United, American, and Southwest- urged lawmakers to prioritize funding for upgrades to the national airspace system. 
    • TPA officials say the local control tower is fully staffed, but delays elsewhere could quickly ripple through the system.

TAMPA, Fla. - Airline CEOs are warning travelers to brace for potential delays this summer, pointing to an aging air traffic control system and critical staffing shortages as Memorial Day weekend kicks off one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Big picture view:

In an open letter to Congress on Wednesday, the heads of major U.S. carriers- including Delta, United, American, and Southwest- urged lawmakers to prioritize funding for upgrades to the national airspace system. The CEOs called current ATC operations "outdated," citing 1980s-era technology and a shortage of certified air traffic controllers that’s already limiting flight options in congested areas like New York.

READ: Drop in TPA passengers through first half of 2025 fiscal year

The letter comes ahead of a surge in holiday travel. AAA expects more than 45 million Americans to travel this Memorial Day weekend, including a record-breaking 2.6 million Floridians.

Local perspective:

Tampa International Airport says it’s prepared to handle around 300,000 passengers from Friday through Monday. Officials there say the local control tower is fully staffed, but delays elsewhere could quickly ripple through the system.

What they're saying:

"I know there's been a lot of talk about air traffic control and whether there's enough staffing to avoid any issues," said TPA spokesperson Emily Nipps. "We are very confident that our air traffic control tower here is fully staffed and ready to handle the summer travel. But keep in mind that when there's something that happens at a major airport someplace else, it impacts us as well."

READ: Memorial Day weekend marks the start of Tampa Bay area's busy summer travel season

The CEOs also called out Congress for underfunding the FAA’s modernization efforts, noting that 92% of its facilities and equipment budget goes toward maintaining outdated systems rather than investing in new ones.
 

The letter backs a proposal from the House Transportation Committee to allocate $12.5 billion toward rebuilding the country’s ATC infrastructure.

What you can do:

For travelers, the best advice remains simple: check your flight status early and often, arrive at the airport ahead of time, and pack your patience.

TPA recommends arriving two hours before domestic departures and three hours before international flights.

The Source: This story was written with information gathered by FOX 13's Matthew McClellan. 

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