U.S. flight delays continue into autumn

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Flight delays continue to plague the nation's airports even after the peak summer travel months, according to figures released Tuesday by the Federal Aviation Administration.

There were 46,273 flight delays in September, nearly 41 percent more than in September 1999, the FAA reported.

The FAA blamed most of the delays -- 29,873 -- on weather. Volume due to the growth in air traffic at busy airports was the second leading cause of delays.

The delays caused by air traffic control equipment problems declined. There were 250 such delays in September 1999 and 132 last month. The FAA attributed the improvement to its equipment modernization program.

The FAA said crowded La Guardia Airport in New York was a major source of flight delays last month. La Guardia accounted for 22.7 percent of total delays across the nation, and 38.6 percent of the delays caused by airport volume.

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Federal Aviation Administration

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