BOS > DCA Route Today
 

Not sure where in the forums this might belong, but super curious about this. Saw that most DCA <> BOS flights are taking a very circuitous route to get back and forth. Usually it's just down the coast or off the coast.

Can't see a weather disturbance, it's adding about an hour for travelers. Anyone know how to solve this mystery?
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...13ab680bf9.png
e which f

check NOTAMs for the NYC area ... I don’t pay attention to specific comings and goings, but FAA will generally impose airspace restrictions when Air Force One or Two will be in the vicinity (I’ve been on several flights to/from JFK that had to take ground and/or enroute holds until the affected airspace — actually under LGA control once and EWR/TEB once — was reopened)

Maybe this?

AIRSPACE SEE FDC 0/3455 ZNY, FDC 0/3437 ZBW 91.141 VIP TFR 2007242130-2007262200
!FDC 0/3455 ZNY PART 1 OF 6 NJ..AIRSPACE BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY..TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS.

JULY 24-26, 2020 LOCAL. PURSUANT TO 49 USC 40103(B)(3), THE
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) CLASSIFIES THE AIRSPACE
DEFINED IN THIS NOTAM AS 'NATIONAL DEFENSE AIRSPACE'. PILOTS WHO
DO NOT ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES MAY BE INTERCEPTED,
DETAINED AND INTERVIEWED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT/SECURITY PERSONNEL.
ANY OF THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL ACTIONS MAY ALSO BE TAKEN AGAINST
A PILOT WHO DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OR ANY SPECIAL
INSTRUCTIONS OR PROCEDURES ANNOUNCED IN THIS NOTAM:
A) THE FAA MAY TAKE ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION, INCLUDING IMPOSING CIVIL
PENALTIES AND THE SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF AIRMEN CERTIFICATES;
OR
B) THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT MAY PURSUE CRIMINAL CHARGES,
INCLUDING CHARGES UNDER TITLE 49 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE,
SECTION 46307; OR
C) THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT MAY USE DEADLY FORCE AGAINST THE
AIRBORNE AIRCRAFT, IF IT IS DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT POSES AN
IMMINENT SECURITY THREAT.

ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS WITHIN THE 10 NMR AREA(S) LISTED ABOVE, KNOWN AS THE INNER CORE(S), ARE PROHIBITED EXCEPT FOR: APPROVED LAW ENFORCEMENT, MILITARY AIRCRAFT DIRECTLY SUPPORTING THE UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE (USSS) AND THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,

FLIGHT OPERATIONS ARE PROHIBITED WITHIN AN AREA DEFINED AS 30 NM RADIUS OF 404116N0744043W

FOR OPERATIONS WITHIN THE AIRSPACE BETWEEN THE 10 NMR AND 30 NMR AREA(S) LISTED ABOVE, KNOWN AS THE OUTER RING(S): THE NEW YORK CLASS B AIRSPACE HUDSON RIVER SFRA EXCLUSION AND EAST RIVER SFRA EXCLUSION, 14 CFR 93.350(D), IS EXCLUDED FROM THE RESTRICTIONS IN THIS TFR. ALL OTHER AIRCRAFT OPERATING WITHIN THE OUTER RING(S) LISTED ABOVE ARE LIMITED TO AIRCRAFT ARRIVING OR DEPARTING LOCAL AIRFIELDS,

30 NM from that long/lat extends east to west from about 12 miles offshore from Sandy Hook NJ to the NJ/PA border.

Edit: Here's a better formatted version - it has a different lat/log, but effecively the same area - https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_0_3455.html

Nope.
That TFR was for surface to 17,999 ft. and also didn't apply to air carrier operations going to/from Part 139 airports.

Airline traffic at EWR does not completely shut down when Trump is golfing in Bedminster. And ZNY overflights at FL330 certainly don't either. The BOS-DCA routing had nothing to do with the Bedminster, NJ TFR.

For what it's worth, routings like this are not uncommon at all. ZBW departures to the south often head pretty far west before turning south.

Digging into this mystery a bit more, I wonder if the FAA is facing COVID staffing challenges again and is specifically sending ZBW-WAS traffic west and keeping it low to balance demand across different sectors at ZNY? I saw another page that referenced an unspecified "COVID NOTAM" and there's this on the Current Reroutes page:

ATCSCC ADVZY 009 DCC 07/26/2020 FCA RQDMESSAGE:
NAME: FCADC1:ZBW_CZU_TO_ADW_BWI_DCA_MTN
CONSTRAINED AREA: ZNY
REASON: OTHER
INCLUDE TRAFFIC: CZU/ZBW DEPARTURES TO ADW/BWI/DCA/MTN
FACILITIES INCLUDED: ALL + CANADA
FLIGHT STATUS: ALL_FLIGHTS
VALID: FCA ENTRY TIME FROM 260830 TO 270100
PROBABILITY OF EXTENSION: MODERATE
REMARKS: SEE DYNAMIC LIST FOR UPDATES. FLIGHTS SHOULD EXPECT NO
HIGHER THAN FL280 AND SHOULD FUEL ACCORDINGLY.
ASSOCIATED RESTRICTIONS:
MODIFICATIONS:
ROUTES:

ORIG DEST ROUTE
---- ---- -----
ZBW CZU ADW >SYR J59 PSB SHILO V93 BAL<
ZBW CZU BWI >HNK J217 ZUUCS IZZEE<
TRISH3
ZBW CZU DCA >SYR J59 PSB SHILO< SKILS4
ZBW CZU MTN >HNK J217 ZUUCS J59 PSB RAV
V170 KERYN V499 TRISH<


TMI ID: RRDCC009 EFFECTIVE TIME:
260830 - 270100SIGNATURE:
20/07/26 01:37
ATCSCC Advisory