An unexpected ground halt at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field on Friday disrupted travel for hundreds of passengers, causing more than half of scheduled flights to be delayed or canceled.
The Federal Aviation Administration attributed the pause to a local telephone infrastructure failure that began early in the afternoon. The problem disrupted airline operations, leaving passengers detained at terminals and on planes for hours.
Passengers stranded, plans disrupted.
Among those affected was a mother from Allen, Texas, who was on her way to Florida to visit her son in the military.
“I haven’t seen him in about 10 months,” she told me. “Sadly, all the flights tomorrow are booked also, so I’ll be missing my weekend with him.”
Six hours after her flight was canceled, she was still waiting for her checked bags.
Flights diverted; delays last for hours.
The outage not only disrupted departures and arrivals, but also prompted some flights to divert to other airports. One passenger from Columbus, Ohio, reported that her first solo travel became a seven-hour agony after her plane was rerouted to Oklahoma.
“It was supposed to be a two-and-a-half-hour flight,” she told me. “They were annoyed. Some nearly drove home.
Baggage in Charlotte; passengers in limbo.
The inconvenience also impacted international travelers. A aircraft carrying 24 guests to the Caribbean was canceled, and their luggage was delivered ahead to Charlotte, North Carolina. The next available flight to Turks and Caicos from DFW is not until Sunday.
The party is now attempting to travel overnight to Oklahoma City in order to catch an early morning flight, but they require a van or bus because rental cars are unavailable.
