Frequently Asked Questions - Air Traffic Control System Command Center

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Questions About Flight Delays

  • Why did you cancel my flight?
    The FAA/Air Traffic Control does not cancel flights. You will need to contact your airline to determine why they canceled your flight.
  • Why was <insert flight number here> delayed on <insert date here>?
    Sorry, but we do not have the resources required to research individual flight delay inquiries.
  • My wife/husband/son/daughter/mother/father/sister/brother/best friend/dog is arriving on <insert flight number here>. Will the flight be delayed?
    Sorry, but we do not have the resources required to answer individual flight inquiries. The most current delay information that we have is available on our Real-time Airport Status pages. Check both the departure and arrival airport of the flight that you are interested in to see if there are delays that might affect it. You can access the Real-time Airport Status page.

    You should also check the flight's status with the airline. Most major airlines have web sites that allow you to look up a specific flight's status. Here are some links to some of the airlines' web sites.
  • Why did you close <insert airport name here> on <insert date here>?
    The FAA/Air Traffic Control does not close airports. The local airport manager is the only one with the authority to close the airport or any of the airport's runways. You would need to contact the local airport authority, typically a branch of the local city or county government, to determine the reason for the airport closure.
  • Where can I find information on Rule 240?
    The term "Rule 240" refers to a rule that existed before airline deregulation. There is no longer an actual Rule 240. The term, as it is now used, refers to each airline's "conditions of carriage" policy. You would need to contact the airlines to obtain this.

    You may also be interested in the Aviation Consumer Protection Division's web site, specifically: Fly-Rights, A Consumer Guide to Air Travel.

Questions About Our Site

  • Every airport that I select on your Real-time Airport Status page reports the same information. Your site is obviously broken.
    While this is technically not a question, we will address it anyway. If the same information is reported for every airport, it means one of two things:
      1. There are no delays currently being reported for any airports.
      2. There is a Traffic Management Initiative in effect that is affecting flights from all or many airports. For example, conditions at Chicago require a Traffic Management Initiative to control traffic volume. The initiative is implemented placing restrictions on all U.S. domestic flights destined to Chicago. Every airport that you check will then indicate that departures destined to Chicago are being delayed.
  • How do I cancel my subscription to the Aviation Information System (AIS)?
    To unsubscribe from the Aviation Information System, just go to the AIS unsubscribe page and fill out the form. Additionally, if you no longer want to receive any messages and have subscribed with more than one email address, you will need to "Unsubscribe" for each address.
  • When I log into e-STMP, it instructs me to "Please use the menu on the left...", but there is no menu. What do I do?
    You are required to log in each time before using e-STMP. You may bookmark e-STMP, but you must do it correctly for the bookmark to work. E-STMP uses frames. If you "right click" on the page in the right-hand frame and then select "Create Shortcut" (IE) or "Add Bookmark" (Netscape) from the pop-up menu, you will create a bookmark that does not include the menu in the left frame. To create a bookmark correctly, add the bookmark by using the upper menu of your browser (Favorites/Add for IE, Bookmarks/Add Bookmark for Netscape).
  • Is there any way to make reservations for DCA, JFK, or LGA on your website?
    Yes! On October 1, 2002 our e-CVRS page debuted. It is a web-based application which allocates and manages slots at High Density Traffic Airports (HDTA).
  • Is there any way to track flights on your site?
    No.

Miscellaneous Questions

  • How do I obtain information concerning a career as an air traffic controller?
    Contact:
    Aviation Careers Division, AMH-300
    Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center
    P.O. Box 25082
    Oklahoma City, OK 73125
    (405) 954-4657

    For testing schedules, contact the Office of Personnel Management nearest you or the Federal Job Information Center.
  • Are there any Internet sites that allow me to listen to pilot-to-controller communications?
    There are some sites that allow you to listen to pilot-to-controller communications. Since these sites seem to change frequently, we will not list links. We suggest that you do a web search with "live ATC" as the criteria.

Developer's Questions

  • I am building a web site, and would like access to your delay data. Is there some way for me to receive the data from you?
    Our airport status information is available in XML format. Here is the DTD. Here is the status information.
  • I have a web site and would like to link to your site. Is this OK?
    Yes, you may link to our site.