A widespread equipment outage has forced ground stops and flight delays across more than 20 US air traffic control centers, leaving thousands of passengers facing travel disruptions.
The outage, affecting radar, radio and approach systems, has slowed the movement of flights across major airspace sectors, including Los Angeles (ZLA), Chicago (ZAU), Atlanta (ZTL), Houston (ZHU), Jacksonville (ZJX), Fort Worth (ZFW), Denver (ZDV), Miami (ZMA), Kansas City (KCI), Memphis (ZME) and Indianapolis (ZID).
Other airports affected include Albuquerque (ZAB), Minneapolis (ZMP), Salt Lake City (ZLC), Washington DC (ZDC), New York (ZNY), Cleveland (ZOB), Oakland (ZOA), Seattle (ZSE) and Boston (ZBW).
Airports under these centers, including Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW), Dallas Love Field (DAL), and Kansas City International (MCI), are operating under restricted ‘one in, one out’ rules, meaning only one plane can take off or land at a time.
Flights into some airports, including KCI, are being diverted to alternate locations.
According to FAA alerts, DFW and DAL alone have reported more than 8,600 delayed flights combined, with maximum delays hitting over three hours for some aircraft.
The FAA has also instituted a delay assignment program (AFP/UDP) across the affected airspace, controlling the flow of all flights entering these regions to prevent unsafe congestion.
The outage began on Friday evening, with ground stops at DFW and DAL effective from 1:58pm to 5:00pm local time, and similar restrictions in place for KCI and other airports.
Dallas has been forced to close both of its airports on Friday until at least 5pm CT due to equipment issues. Pictured are American Airlines passenger jets at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
The probability of the delays extending remains ‘medium,’ according to FAA updates, as technicians work to restore the affected radar and radio systems.
‘The FAA is slowing flights into Dallas Love Field and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport due to a reported equipment issue at Dallas TRACON. The FAA is investigating the cause,’ the agency said in a statement.
The Terminal Radar Approach Control handles flights arriving or departing the two airports.
‘I don’t have any idea what kind of time we’re looking at here,’ ATC Tower to pilots via LiveATC.net, saying ok to shut down their engines.
‘There are equipment issues at both the center and approach; they lost the ability to hand off between the facilities, and they are working on it,’ the pilot added.
DAL serves over 16 million passengers annually, averaging about 44,000 passengers per day, and approximately 189,000 people fly out of DFW each day.
One traveler shared on X: ‘My plane was diverted to Omaha. We had a 1:10 arrival. Still sitting in our seats in Omaha. People can deplane if they choose.’
Passengers are advised to check with their airlines before traveling, as American Airlines, Southwest, and other carriers have already reported significant disruptions.
The outage impacts both domestic and international flights, including Canadian departures into US airspace.
More than 3,000 flights have been delayed, with a maximum delay of 174 minutes and an average of 137 minutes
‘We’ve lost all radar and phone communications,’ the controller in the Dallas Love Field Air Traffic Control tower said in audio recorded by LiveATC.net.
‘I’m not departing anybody until we can get a system set up. We have no coms with the approach right now.’
‘Approach wanted to pass on to you to stop all departures. They can’t get a hold of you. They are having some com issues, I guess,’ a Southwest pilot told the Love Field tower.
‘Yeah, I think the entire Metroplex just went down,’ the controller responded on the radio. ‘We got a hold of somebody.’
For residents in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Kansas City regions, the disruption marks one of the largest single-day delays in recent history, with thousands of passengers expected to experience hours-long waits at terminals and in the air.
