U.S. Federal Aviation Administration sent this bulletin at 12/18/2025 01:01 PM EST
Week of December 15, 2025
Holiday Flight Forecast
The holiday travel period kicks off today, Dec. 18, and the FAA expects more than 51,000 flights taking off for their jolly destinations. We expect our busiest day will be Friday Dec. 19, with almost 52,000 flights. The FAA will safely handle more than 440,000 flights from today until Dec. 27. Learn how the FAA keeps holiday travel moving safely. We wish everyone smooth skies and warm fireplaces this holiday season!
Bringing us our weather forecast is Pittsburgh’s own Ray Petelin with KDKA. Ray highlights a line of storms moving east from the Great Lakes down to the Gulf. Those storms will give way to colder air and even some snow in the Pacific Northwest. Meanwhile, above-average temperatures are expected in the Northeast this weekend and could linger right through Christmas.
Flight Path to America’s 250th
The FAA is celebrating America’s 250th birthday by honoring the groundbreaking aviation milestones that have propelled our nation into the jet age and beyond. This week, we’re highlighting how the Wright Brothers contributed to America’s future in aviation. Learn more about how we're collaborating with the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum to shine a light on the people and events that shaped today’s world of aviation.
We’ve come a long way since the Wright Brothers’ first flight and that was clear this week as Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy unveiled the nation’s first ever Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) National Strategy, setting an ambitious roadmap to accelerate American aviation innovation and transform our skies for the better. The strategy and accompanying action plan outline 40 recommendations to safely and efficiently support AAM operations.