Where to check yesterday's flight cancellations
The fastest way to find out how many flights were cancelled yesterday is to visit the FAA's Flight Delay Information System at faa.gov/air_traffic/delays. This page shows real-time and historical delay and cancellation data by airport and airline. You can select a specific date, pick the airport or airline you want to check, and see the exact number of cancellations that occurred.
If you need information about a specific flight you were on or planning to take, the airline's website or app is usually faster. Most major carriers—United, American, Delta, Southwest, and others—display cancellation status in your booking confirmation or in their flight tracker tool. You can search by flight number, route, or date.
For a broader picture of what happened across the country, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics publishes monthly reports at bts.dot.gov that break down cancellations by airline and reason. These reports come out several weeks after the month ends, so they are useful for understanding patterns rather than checking yesterday's specific numbers.
Key Takeaways
- The FAA's Flight Delay Information System lets you search cancellations by date, airport, and airline for any recent day.
- Your airline's website or app will show whether your specific flight was cancelled and what rebooking options are available.
- Cancellation reasons—weather, mechanical, crew issues, or air traffic control—affect what compensation or rebooking you may receive.
- The Bureau of Transportation Statistics publishes detailed monthly breakdowns, though these arrive weeks after the fact.
How to read the FAA data
When you pull up the FAA system, you will see cancellation counts listed by airport code. The data shows total operations (flights scheduled), actual operations (flights that took off or landed), and cancellations. The percentage of cancellations for that airport on that day appears alongside the raw number.
The system also breaks down delays by length—15-minute delays, 30-minute delays, and so on—so you can see not just how many flights were cancelled but how many were late. This matters because a cancelled flight and a two-hour delay are different problems with different solutions for passengers.
Why airlines and the FAA report cancellations differently
Airlines report cancellations to the Department of Transportation, and that data feeds into the FAA system. However, the airline's own app may show a flight as cancelled before the FAA database updates, or vice versa. This happens because airlines update their systems in real time while the FAA publishes consolidated data with a slight delay.
If you are checking yesterday's numbers for a flight you were actually on, trust your airline's record first—they have the most direct information about what happened to your booking. If you are researching general patterns or checking an airport you do not fly from regularly, the FAA data is more complete because it covers all carriers at once.
What causes most cancellations
Weather is the leading reason for flight cancellations, followed by mechanical issues, crew scheduling problems, and air traffic control decisions. The FAA system does not always break down the reason in the public view, but your airline will tell you the reason if you ask about a specific cancelled flight.
The reason matters because it determines whether you are may have access to to rebooking on another flight, a refund, or compensation. Cancellations caused by weather or air traffic control are usually not the airline's legal responsibility, while mechanical or crew-related cancellations often are. Your airline's customer service team can explain what you are owed based on the stated reason.
How to find cancellation data for a specific airport
Go to faa.gov/air_traffic/delays and select the airport code from the dropdown menu. Major airports have three-letter codes: LAX for Los Angeles, JFK for New York, ORD for Chicago, ATL for Atlanta, and so on. Once you select the airport and date, the system shows you cancellations for that day across all airlines serving that airport.
If you do not know the airport code, search "[city name] airport code" and you will find it in seconds. The FAA system works only with the code, not the airport name spelled out.
When to contact your airline directly
If you had a ticket on a cancelled flight yesterday, contact your airline's customer service line or use their app to rebook when ready. Do not wait for the FAA data to update or for the airline to contact you. Airlines process rebooking requests in the order they receive them, and seats fill up quickly on alternate flights.
Have your confirmation number ready and know whether you want to be rebooked on the next available flight, a later flight that day, or a different day entirely. Some airlines offer vouchers or refunds instead of rebooking, depending on the reason for cancellation and your ticket type.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see cancellation data from more than a few days ago?
The FAA system shows historical data going back several months, though the interface works best for recent dates. For older data or detailed analysis, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics website has monthly reports that you can read as spreadsheets. These reports are more detailed but arrive weeks after the month ends.
Does the FAA number include regional flights and small airports?
The FAA system covers all commercial airports and all scheduled flights, including regional carriers. However, very small airports or charter flights may not appear. If you are checking a small regional airport, call the airport directly or check the airline's website instead.
What if the airline says my flight was cancelled but the FAA data does not show it?
This usually means the FAA database has not updated yet, or the flight was cancelled so close to departure that it did not make it into the official count. Trust your airline's record. Contact their customer service to rebook or request a refund.
Can I see which specific flights were cancelled, not just the total number?
The FAA system shows totals by airport and airline, not individual flight numbers. To see which specific flights were cancelled, check your airline's website, call their customer service line, or look at flight tracking sites like FlightAware or FlightRadar24, which list individual flight statuses.
Do cancellation numbers include flights that were delayed but did eventually take off?
No. The FAA counts only flights that did not operate at all. Delayed flights are tracked separately. The system shows both numbers so you can see the full picture of what went wrong on a given day.