Flight delays at DFW Airport, Dallas Love Field continue after FAA grounding

Flights in and out of Dallas-Fort Worth airports continue to experience delays after a computer outage at the Federal Aviation Administration prompted the groundings of flights nationwide.

Flights departing out of Dallas Love Field are seeing delays of up to 53 minutes, while airborne flights can expect delays of at least 1 hour 32 minutes, according to FlightAware software. Flights out of DFW International Airport are seeing delays of 30 minutes, while airborne flights can expect delays of 1 hour 20 minutes.

DFW airport tweeted Wednesday morning: “If you are scheduled to fly into or out of DFW today, please continue to check with your airline for your flight’s latest status.”

More than 3,700 flights were delayed and more than 640 were canceled early this morning after a computer outage at the Federal Aviation Administration, the Associated Press reported.

The FAA lifted the order just before 9 a.m. EST.

American Airlines, based in Fort Worth, tweeted around 6:30 a.m.: “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is experiencing a nationwide system outage that affects all airlines. We’re closely monitoring the situation and working with the FAA to minimize customer disruptions.”

Southwest Airlines, which operates out of Dallas Love Field, tweeted that passengers should check on their flight status on the airline’s app or website.

The stop order by the FAA impacted almost all flights of shippers and commercial airlines, according to the AP.

More than 21,000 flights were scheduled to take off in the U.S. today, mostly domestic trips, and about 1,840 international flights expected to fly to the U.S., according to aviation data firm Cirium.

Before commencing a flight, pilots are required to consult NOTAMs, or Notices to Air Missions, which list potential adverse impacts on flights, from runway construction to the potential for icing. The system used to be telephone-based, with pilots calling dedicated flight service stations for the information, but has now moved online.

While the White House initially said that there is no evidence of a cyberattack, President Joe Biden said “we don’t know” and told reporters that he’s directed the Department of Transportation to investigate the cause of the disruption.

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment from the AP.

The stop order was lifted just before 9 a.m., but delays and cancellations are expected to snowball. Departure gates at major airports are filled with aircraft that had been ordered grounded for hours.

Nearly 5,000 flights were delayed and almost 900 were canceled by around 10 a.m.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.