US: Over 1800 flights delayed, several cancelled after telecom outage at Dallas airports

Dallas: More than 1,800 flights were delayed and hundreds were cancelled at several airports in US’ Dallas, after a major telecommunications outage forced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue ground stops.

The disruptions, on Friday (local time), severely impacted operations at both Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field, according to the local media reports.

According to the FAA, the Dallas airport problems stemmed from issues with local telephone company equipment and were not connected to FAA systems. The telecommunications failure led to widespread flight schedule disruptions across both major airports.

“The FAA is working with the telephone company to determine the cause,” the agency said, adding that traffic slowdowns were implemented following the equipment failure.

The FAA suspended departures to Dallas-Fort Worth until 11 p.m. ET and to Dallas Love Field until at least 8:45 p.m.

Data from FlightAware showed that airlines cancelled about 20 per cent of scheduled flights at Dallas airports during the outage. The ground stops brought departures to a standstill while telecommunications systems remained down, crippling normal airport operations, local media reported.

American Airlines bore the brunt of the disruption, cancelling more than 200 flights and delaying over 500, accounting for nearly a quarter of its schedule. Its hub at Dallas-Fort Worth was among the most heavily impacted by the outage.

Southwest Airlines also faced extensive operational challenges, with more than 1,100 flights delayed, representing 27 per cent of its schedule, according to FlightAware.

Its Dallas Love Field hub saw significant disruptions, which rippled through its national network.

The telecommunications breakdown at Dallas airports not only paralysed flight operations locally but also triggered cascading delays and cancellations across both American Airlines and Southwest Airlines nationwide, according to local media reports.

IANS