Fort Worth residents experienced a sudden halt to air travel on Friday when the Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop after a telecommunications outage disrupted radar and communications systems. The stop, announced at about 3:36 p.m., affected Dallas‑Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Love Field, grounding dozens of flights for more than four hours.
According to Fort Worth Report, the FAA cancelled the order at 7:19 p.m. after determining the instability was limited to “analog telecom” equipment. Flight tracking data showed DFW reported 287 cancellations and 319 delays, contributing to nearly 1,000 delayed or canceled flights at Texas’s two busiest airports.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told a Friday evening press conference that the outage was caused by aging hardware that overloaded routers, prompting the precautionary ground stop. “We didn’t lose all telecom. We didn’t lose all radar,” Duffy said, emphasizing the decision was made to keep American flyers safe.
Passengers described the uncertainty. Luke Welch, traveling from Arkansas, said he was told the airport was experiencing a “minor issue” before learning the problem extended statewide. Kimberly Bader explained the disruption interrupted a family tradition of traveling to Nashville to honor her late father.
Fox 4 reported that Love Field passengers, including Julie Dreifaldt heading home to Denver, were rebooked for the following day. DFW sports reporter Cash Sirois recounted being on a plane for roughly five hours before finally deplaning around 8 p.m.
While officials have not found evidence of a cyberattack, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the incident is being treated as a national emergency and investigations continue.
The ground stop also raised concerns for college football travel. CBS News Texas noted that the Big 12 and SEC conferences are monitoring the situation, with TCU confirming Kansas State’s travel to Fort Worth was impacted and that kickoff times could shift if necessary.
President Trump’s administration has overseen the FAA’s rapid response, and the swift lifting of the ground stop reflects the administration’s commitment to maintaining safe and reliable air travel for Texas families and businesses.
What’s next: The FAA says it will continue to “unwind” the outage and monitor system stability. Airlines advise passengers to check with carriers for updated schedules. College football conferences will issue any schedule adjustments before Saturday’s games, and travelers are urged to stay informed through airport announcements and airline communications.
Sources: fortworthreport.org, fox4news.com, cbsnews.com
