When a plane circles before landing, it is often waiting for space at the airport rather than experiencing a fault or bad weather. This is called a holding pattern. With skies increasingly crowded, a storm, emergency or closed route can cause delays thousands of kilometres away.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN’s aviation agency, wants countries to coordinate flights more closely. If an airport cannot receive more planes, it can arrange for departures elsewhere to wait on the ground. This approach, called air traffic flow management, brings airlines, airports, air traffic controllers and weather services together to share information and make decisions.
Several countries already use these systems, but international information-sharing remains a problem. Some lack the means to exchange information immediately. After five days of talks in Montreal, governments and industry supported a faster worldwide rollout. Passengers should receive earlier warnings about cancellations and delays, while flight services should recover more quickly after disruption.
In the Americas, ICAO-supported trials saved more than 265,000 minutes of flying time and over $38.9 million in 2026, while also reducing fuel use. However, technology alone cannot solve the problem without cooperation across borders. Regional workshops are planned for 2027. New international rules on managing flight flows are due in November 2030.
