More than 1,800 flights disrupted at Dallas airport due to telecoms outage
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FlightAware said airlines have cancelled 20 per cent of their flights at Dallas.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON - More than 1,800 flight were delayed and hundreds were cancelled at the two Dallas-area airports on Sept 19, after a telecoms outage prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue ground stops.
The FAA said it was slowing traffic due to a reported local telephone company equipment issue that does not involve FAA equipment. “The FAA is working with the telephone company to determine the cause,” the agency said.
The FAA said it had halted departures to Dallas Fort Worth until 11pm ET and to Dallas Love Field until at least 8.45pm. FlightAware said airlines have cancelled 20 per cent of their flights at Dallas.
American Airlines cancelled more than 200 flights and delayed more than 500, nearly all tied to the Dallas telecoms outage – impacting a quarter of its schedule. Southwest Airlines had delayed more than 1,100 flights, or 27 per cent of its schedule, according to FlightAware, which tracks flights.
The FAA has faced numerous communications issues in 2025.
On Sept 18, the FAA slowed flights into Denver International Airport because automation issues between an approach control tower and Denver air traffic control were requiring manual handoff procedures for flights, causing delays averaging 30 to 45 minutes.
A series of issues involving the ageing US air traffic control system prompted Congress in July to award an initial US$12.5 billion (S$16 billion) in funding to overhaul the system, which FAA leaders say is having tech issues almost everyday.
The FAA air traffic control network’s woes have been years in the making, but a rush of high-profile mishaps, near-misses, staffing shortages and a catastrophic crash in January between a US Army helicopter and regional American Airlines jet
