U.S. Federal Aviation Administration sent this bulletin at 05/20/2026 11:22 AM EDT
Week of May 18, 2026
Memorial Day Travel
The FAA is expecting a busy summer travel season with an estimated 5.4 million flights from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend. Kicking off Memorial Day weekend, we expect Thursday, May 21, to be our peak day, with more than 54,000 flights forecasted.
This summer you can expect more reliability and fewer equipment-related delays while we continue to build a brand-new air traffic system. We've already replaced 51 percent of copper with high-speed fiber, converted 282 radio sites, installed electronic flight strips at 17 towers and installed 62 IP voice switches.
We’re also continuing to supercharge our controller workforce. We are already more than 70 percent of the way to meeting this year's controller hiring goal and we had a record-breaking hiring window in April that saw almost 11,000 qualified applicants.
To prepare to travel this holiday weekend, we encourage all passengers to visit our Summer Travel page full of great tips and important regulations. Remember to pack safe this summer, keeping those lithium batteries with you in your carry-on. If you’re flying with children, browse through our Kids’ Corner page for kid-friendly videos and tips for parents.
The guest Weather Squad forecaster kicking off summer is Lissette Gonzalez with CBS News Miami. She has this week's forecast, starting out with a chance of storms across the Plains, Southern states and up through the East Coast. The West Coast will see an abundance of sunshine while Florida could have a rainy Memorial Day Weekend.
As we move into summer travel, passengers are reminded to pack their patience. Weather is the number one cause for delays, but the FAA works closely with airlines to plan for, and around, weather nationwide.
ICYMI
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced earlier this week that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has invested $970 million in America’s airports to enhance the travel experience for families. These funds will go towards kids' play areas, mother's rooms, family-friendly security lines and much more. Learn more by reading our recent press release.
