Weekend Journey Chaos Erupts as A whole bunch of Flights Cancelled in Dallas

An enormous telecommunications outage brought on chaos at Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Dallas Love Field on Friday, forcing federal officers to halt flights, and leaving 1000’s of vacationers stranded throughout the area.

Newsweek has contacted the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) for remark through e-mail.

Why It Matters

Flight delays on this scale ripple far past Dallas. Thousands of stranded passengers imply missed household occasions, misplaced enterprise alternatives, and cascading disruptions at airports nationwide.

The incident additionally underscores vulnerabilities within the U.S. aviation system—the place a single technical failure can floor flights throughout the nation—elevating contemporary considerations about whether or not America’s growing old air visitors infrastructure can maintain tempo with document journey demand.

What To Know

The FAA mentioned it was pressured to gradual and cease flights after a “local telephone company equipment issue” disrupted air visitors programs, in response to CBS News.

The outage, which the FAA pressured didn’t contain its personal tools, affected DFW and Love Field, two of the nation’s busiest airports.

The FAA halted departures into DFW till 11 p.m. ET and into Love Field till no less than 8:45 p.m. Officials warned delays would ripple by the night. “The FAA is working with the telephone company to determine the cause,” the company mentioned.

DFW Airport advised Newsweek on Saturday: “The FAA lifted the ground stop at DFW last night. Customers should continue to check with their airline for up-to-date flight status.”

By late Friday afternoon, practically 1,800 flights had been delayed and lots of canceled, in response to FlightConscious. At DFW, about 700 flights had been delayed and 200 canceled. Love Field noticed 160 delays and no less than one cancellation.

A spokesperson for Dallas Love Field advised Newsweek that the airport doesn’t know when the outage can be fastened.

“Since Friday, September 19, the FAA has issued ground stops/ground delays throughout DFW due to an equipment outage,” they mentioned in an announcement. “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. At this time, we do not have a definite resolution time.

The spokesperson added: “Passengers ought to verify with their airline for essentially the most up-to-date flight standing or lodging info.”

American Airlines, the largest carrier at DFW, canceled more than 200 flights and delayed over 500, impacting roughly a quarter of its schedule. Southwest Airlines reported more than 1,100 delays, or 27 percent of its flights.

The disruptions left passengers scattered across terminals and stuck on grounded planes for hours.

The outage adds to a series of high-profile technical and staffing issues plaguing the FAA this year. On Thursday, the agency slowed flights into Denver International Airport after automation problems required manual handoffs between air traffic controllers.

Congress recently approved $12.5 billion to modernize the nation’s aging air traffic control network, which FAA leaders admit is suffering “tech points nearly on daily basis.”

The system has also faced mounting public alarm over near-misses, staffing shortages, and a deadly January crash involving an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army helicopter.

What People Are Saying

One traveler from Allen, Texas, hoping to go to her son within the army in Florida, advised CBS News that she would miss the journey fully.

“I haven’t seen him in about 10 months,” she mentioned. “Sadly, all the flights tomorrow are booked also, so I’ll be missing my weekend with him.”

A passenger from Columbus, Ohio, described to CBS News her first solo flight turning right into a seven-hour ordeal after her aircraft was rerouted to Oklahoma.

“It was supposed to be a two-and-a-half-hour flight,” she mentioned. “People were annoyed. Some almost drove home.”

What Happens Next?

Flights have now been resumed, although delays persist, and are prone to proceed.

Update 9/20/25, 9:06 a.m. ET: This article has been up to date with remark from DFW Airport.

Update 9/20/25, 10:06 a.m. ET: This article has been up to date with remark from Dallas Love Field Airport.