Air travel across the United States hit a rough patch this weekend as thousands of passengers found themselves stranded at airports due to a widespread telecommunications outage.
The disruption has caused major headaches for travelers and airlines alike, leaving many scrambling for solutions.
Dallas Airports Face Hundreds of Flight Cancellations and Delays
Dallas Love Field and Dallas Fort Worth International Airports bore the brunt of the outage.
A ground stop issued on Friday led to more than 400 flight cancellations, leaving passengers stuck and frustrated.
Even after the ground stop was lifted just after 9 a.m. ET on Saturday, delays persisted, with over 70 flights running late and 40 still canceled by 10 a.m.
A spokesperson from DFW reassured the public that the airport was “in close coordination” with the FAA and confirmed no ongoing ground stops as of Saturday morning.
Nevertheless, dozens of additional delays were reported from other U.S. airports with flights headed to Texas.
Passengers Vent Frustrations on Social Media
The travel chaos quickly spilled over onto social media. Don and Maria Miller described their ordeal at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, saying they were “not impressed” after spending 18 hours stuck at the terminal.
Another passenger called it a “nightmare to all,” sharing their experience in the early hours on X.
For many, the ordeal meant sleeping on airport floors or enduring seemingly endless waiting periods, highlighting the human toll of these technical failures.
Technical Glitch Traced to Local Telecom Issue
The FAA traced the disruption to a “local telephone company equipment issue,” which initially triggered over 430 cancellations and 580 delays at DFW, with an additional 190 delays at Love Field.
Audio recordings captured by LiveATC.net reveal the chaos: air traffic controllers reported losing all radar and phone communications, with one noting, “I’m not departing anybody until we can get a system setup.
We have no coms with approach right now. I think the entire Metroplex just went down.”
Airlines Respond to the Disruption
American Airlines, which operates its main hub in Dallas, issued a travel alert for all affected passengers.
The airline explained on X that the FAA had “severely limited flights into both DFW Airport and Dallas Love Field,” affecting operations significantly.
Even Texas Senator Ted Cruz took to X to say his office was monitoring the situation closely with the FAA, showing the disruption’s reach beyond just travelers.
Travelers Face Frustrating Delays and Missed Plans
Passengers expressed their frustration to local media. Matt Yonchak told ABC affiliate WFAA he had the “worst travel luck ever” after enduring repeated half-hour delays from Southwest Airlines.
Krysta Wagner described the constant setbacks to CNN, while Marion Anson-Perchal worried she might miss her cruise in Miami due to delays from Wichita Falls.
Travelers across the country, including those in Kansas City, Missouri, were also affected.
Benjamin Blackwell missed a flight to Dallas for a Texas Longhorns game and contemplated driving instead after being rebooked for a Saturday morning flight.
Cyberattack Adds to Global Travel Woes
The chaos wasn’t limited to the U.S. European airports faced their own travel nightmares as a cyberattack disrupted check-in and boarding systems.
Collins Aerospace, a provider of airline services, was targeted, forcing staff to check in passengers manually.
Airports in London, Brussels, and Berlin reported long lines and dozens of flight delays and cancellations, adding a global dimension to travel frustrations.
Widespread Impact on Passengers and Airlines
According to FlightAware, more than 9,000 flights were delayed worldwide overnight on Saturday, with 640 delays in the U.S. alone.
Additionally, 382 cancellations were reported globally, including 181 into or out of the U.S. The combination of a local telecommunications failure and a global cyberattack has left travelers grappling with unprecedented disruptions, highlighting vulnerabilities in the modern travel system.