Flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport experienced delays on Wednesday evening, June 5, because of high traffic volume, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s National Airspace System and the flight tracking website FlightAware.

The departure delay took effect around 5:12 p.m. Arizona time and flights were delayed for an average of 15 minutes. Both the National Airspace System and FlightAware stated the average delay would likely increase.

Sky Harbor staff attributed the delay to heavier-than-usual departures from Arizonans going on summer vacations.

“We have a strong local customer base, and heavy traffic during summer travel periods is seen as passengers departing Phoenix,” airport spokesman Greg Roybal said.

How many flights are delayed in Phoenix today?

As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 5, FlightAware reported 266 flights at Sky Harbor were experiencing delays. Five airlines experienced a double-digit or greater number of delayed flights:

• Southwest Airlines: 118 delays.

• American Airlines: 78 delays.

• Frontier Airlines: 17 delays, one cancellation.

• Delta Air Lines: 15 delays.

• United Airlines: 11 delays.

Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @salerno_phx.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Why are flights delayed in Phoenix today? What we know