Air travel in Dallas faced massive disruption on Friday as a telecom outage caused delays and cancellations across two major airports.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), more than 1,800 flights were delayed, while hundreds were cancelled. The FAA issued ground stops after reporting a local telephone company equipment problem. Officials clarified the issue did not involve FAA equipment.
Departures to Dallas Fort Worth were suspended until 11pm ET, while flights to Dallas Love Field faced delays until at least 8:45pm. Flight-tracking website FlightAware said around 20% of flights at Dallas were cancelled during the outage.
American Airlines, which has its main hub in Dallas, was one of the hardest-hit carriers. The airline cancelled more than 200 flights and delayed over 500, accounting for a quarter of its schedule. Southwest Airlines also faced significant disruption, with over 1,100 flights delayed, representing 27% of its operations.
The FAA confirmed it is working with the telephone company to determine the root cause of the outage. Officials emphasized that passenger safety remained the top priority throughout the incident.
This disruption comes as the FAA faces wider challenges with America’s aging air traffic control system. Just a day earlier, automation issues caused delays at Denver International Airport. Industry experts warn that outdated systems, staffing shortages, and repeated technical failures are putting more pressure on flight operations nationwide.
To address these concerns, Congress recently approved $12.5 billion in funding to upgrade the system. FAA officials admitted that technical issues occur almost daily, raising fears about reliability.
For now, operations at Dallas airports are gradually returning to normal, but the telecom outage has highlighted the fragility of the nation’s air traffic infrastructure. Travelers are advised to stay updated with their airlines for the latest flight information.
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