FAA Halts Operations at DFW Airport Amid Radar Outage

Lead The Federal Aviation Administration stopped departures and arrivals at Dallas/Fort Worth International and Love Field airports Friday afternoon after a radar and communications malfunction at the Dallas TRACON disrupted air traffic control systems.

Nut Graf The outage crippled the Terminal Radar Approach Control facility responsible for guiding flights in and out of both airports, grounding hundreds of flights, triggering major delays, and leaving travelers stranded as technicians raced to restore service.

Operations Grounded

  • At 1 p.m. CT, FAA controllers reported loss of radar and radio links, prompting a full ground stop at DFW and Love Field.
  • Dallas TRACON, which sequences arrivals and departures for both hubs, remains under investigation for the equipment failure.

Widespread Delays

  • By 2 p.m., DFW showed 273 flight delays, while Love Field logged 69 delays.
  • Departures faced an average wait of two hours and 13 minutes, with some extended beyond seven hours.
  • American Airlines-a primary carrier at DFW-and Southwest Airlines at Love Field experienced the bulk of disruptions.

Passenger Impact

  • Stranded travelers queued at gates and customer-service counters, scrambling for rebookings and accommodations.
  • Social media posts described packed terminals, lengthy waits for information, and growing frustration among those on tight schedules.

Response and Recovery

  • FAA spokesperson said technicians were working “around the clock” to diagnose the TRACON equipment fault and restore normal operations.
  • Partial lifts of the ground stop began by mid-afternoon, prioritizing flights for medical transport and critical cargo.

Looking Ahead

  • DFW, the world’s third-busiest airport, and Love Field are key hubs in the national network, making reliability crucial for connecting traffic.
  • The FAA plans a full debrief once systems are fully operational to prevent future outages.

Passengers are urged to check with their carriers directly for the latest flight status and to expect residual delays as air traffic normalizes.