Dallas Airports See 1,800 Delays, Cancellations After Outage

Air travel in Dallas was thrown into chaos on Friday after a telecom outage led the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to impose temporary ground stops at both Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Dallas Love Field.

According to flight tracker FlightAware, more than 1,800 flights were delayed and hundreds were canceled. The FAA confirmed that the disruption came from a local telephone company’s equipment issue, not FAA systems. Officials said they were working with the provider to identify and fix the problem.

Major Airlines Hit Hard

American Airlines, which is headquartered in Dallas-Fort Worth, suffered the biggest blow. The carrier canceled over 200 flights and delayed more than 500, impacting nearly 25% of its schedule.

Southwest Airlines, another Dallas-based giant, also faced massive disruption, with more than 1,100 flights delayed — about 27% of its operations for the day.

The FAA initially halted all departures bound for DFW until 11 p.m. ET and to Love Field until at least 8:45 p.m., as ground crews and air traffic controllers scrambled to manage traffic manually.

Broader FAA Troubles

This latest incident adds to a troubling year for the FAA. In recent months, the agency has faced automation failures, communication breakdowns, staffing shortages, and near-miss incidents.

Just a day earlier, the FAA slowed flights into Denver International Airport because of technical issues between control systems, forcing controllers to handle flight handoffs manually, which caused 30–45 minute delays.

To address these ongoing problems, Congress approved $12.5 billion in funding in July to modernize the US air traffic control network. Officials admit the aging system is now experiencing technical glitches “almost every day.”

Public Concerns Rising

High-profile delays, near accidents, and even a deadly January crash involving a US Army helicopter and a regional jet have raised alarm among travelers and lawmakers. Friday’s Dallas disruption has only intensified pressure on the FAA to fast-track upgrades and restore confidence in America’s air travel system.