Dallas Flight Chaos: Telecom Outage Grounds Travelers
More than 1,800 flights experienced delays, and hundreds were canceled at two Dallas airports due to a telecom outage. The situation led the FAA to issue ground stops, exacerbating existing issues in the aging U.S. air traffic control system, prompting a congressional funding initiative for system overhauls.
A telecom outage resulted in over 1,800 delayed flights and numerous cancellations at Dallas-area airports on Friday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The disruption prompted ground stops, affecting major airlines like American Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
The FAA explained the delays were due to a reported local telephone company equipment issue that did not involve FAA equipment. They suspended departures to Dallas Fort Worth until 11 p.m. ET and to Dallas Love Field until at least 8:45 p.m. The telecom outage heightened existing issues with the U.S. air traffic control system, which Congress is seeking to upgrade with $12.5 billion in funding.
This latest incident follows a series of problems faced by the FAA, including a notable crash in January and persistent tech issues. These challenges highlight the urgent need for improvements in the nation's air traffic control network.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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