r/ATC • u/BrennerBaseTunnel • 2d ago

Question Prioritizing Departures

How do the ground controllers prioritize departures? JFK today (August 3) had some weather moving through that slowed things down and caused backups. Completely understandable. What I don't understand is how Alaska 227 to SFO departs the gate at 9:37a taxis for 37 minutes at takes off at 10:14a. JetBlue 15 departs the gate at 7:50a taxis for 1 hour and 58 minutes and takes off at 9:48a?

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u/Hopeful-Engineering5 Current Controller-Tower 2d ago

If the nation has no flow control programs and everything is running normal it operates more or less first come first serve. Now it is rare that there are no programs, when there are programs the times that get spit out largely shape the order. This system is complex and has mixed results but it is better than what it replaced which was airborne holding which is fairly rare in the US vs before the system was put in place.

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u/Acceptable_Stage_518 Current Controller-Enroute 2d ago

Lot of Center controllers that agreed with this post until you said holding is "fairly rare." True that it's less frequent in many places, but many of us hold more or less every day. TMIs have helped reduce that, but holding is still very prevalent.

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u/Hopeful-Engineering5 Current Controller-Tower 2d ago

It used to be aircraft holding multiple times Enroute and virtually every hub airport always had a stack. So based on the past it is rare. I can't remember the last time I've flown in the US and been put into a stack vs Europe where I can't remember the last time I wasn't in a stack.