Passengers face delays as FAA stops flights into two Dallas airports after radar and communications outages

A telecommunications outage on Friday afternoon caused Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers in Dallas to lose radar and some communications, resulting in a halt to flights at the region’s airports.

“The FAA is slowing flights at Dallas Love Field and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport due to a reported local telephone company equipment issue that does not involve FAA equipment,” the agency told The Independent. “The FAA is working with the telephone company to determine the cause.”

Air traffic controllers use local phone company telecom lines to connect facilities, like airport towers and the Terminal Radar Approach Control, for managing flight arrivals and departures.

A DFW spokesperson also told The Independent that the FAA has issued a ground stop throughout the airport due to an equipment outage.

“Passenger safety is DAL’s top priority, and we are in constant communication with our partners, including the FAA, as they work to manage the situation and minimize disruptions. These and future notices can be viewed on the FAA’s NASS,” they said, adding that travelers should check with their airline for the most up-to-date flight status or accommodation information.

As of 4:40 p.m., there were 645 total delays Friday at DFW and 82 cancellations, according to the website Flight Aware. Love Field had a total of 155 delays and one cancellation.

Dallas flights are currently delayed by an average of about three hours, according to the latest FAA alert per CNN.

As the third-busiest airport in the world, DFW serves as a major hub for American Airlines. Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines operates out of Love Field, where it maintains its own hub.

Earlier this year, a faulty telecommunications line between Long Island and Philadelphia caused repeated communication failures with flights near Newark Liberty Airport.

On April 28, a major outage silenced radios for 30 seconds and disabled radar for 90 seconds, prompting five FAA employees to take trauma leave and resulting in thousands of delayed flights.

Three more outages followed before a new fiber optic cable was installed.

In response, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is urging Congress to fund a new, multi-billion-dollar air traffic control system.