Nationwide ground stop affecting passengers at DFW Airport, Love Field

DALLAS - Passengers at DFW Airport and Love Field are currently grounded as the FAA has issued a nationwide ground stop due to a "temporary telecommunications outage."

What we know:

In its latest post to X, the FAA stated there was a "temporary telecommunications outage" and out of an abundance of caution, all flights have been halted. 
 

An earlier advisory posted to the FAA website read: "DCC has implemented extended flight plan drop times to 240 minutes for all enroute centers due to nationwide comms failure." 

An initial advisory posted on Friday stated:

"Due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety. Attention all aircraft operators, by order of the Federal Aviation Command Center all airports are ground stopped. All departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice. Inbound international flights will be managed on a case by case basis." 

Not ‘another 9/11’

What they're saying:

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin assured reporters that the ground stop issuance was not because Americans' safety were at risk.

"We have a ground stoppage, we still got to get the flights out. Right. And so we're going to be dealing with those case by case. I think he said specific. It's a telecommunication outage. I'm not going to get ahead of FAA. That's their lane to talk about. We were wanting to assure all the American people this isn't a safety to the American people or another 9/11 I think that's what a lot of people are trying to make the comparison to, and that's not the case," he said.

Local airport impact

Local perspective:

DFW Airport and Love Field acknowledged the ground stop on social media, advising passengers to check with their airlines for information on delays or cancellations.

At DFW Airport's Terminal C, passengers were seen checking their phones for updates on their flights as they were going through security checkpoints.

Around 5 p.m., gate agents were telling passengers at DFW Airport they were unable to check their bags due to the ground stop.

DFW sports reporter Cash Sirois was boarding a flight on Friday when the ground stop hit. He spoke with FOX 4's Peyton Yager while his plane was heading back to the gate.

"We have been on the flight for an hour 45 minutes, an hour 40 minutes, pushed off from the gate, and they just told us that there was an electrical problem, and then we found out it was national," Sirois said."I don't even think the pilots actually said those words to us, but everybody knows on the flight."

Sirois says five minutes after his plane left the gate, the passengers were informed there was a "telecom issue."

"They said, 'It could be 10 minutes. It could be 30 minutes. We don't know. And I'll let you know as soon as I know.' It's been vague, and then we found the national news out through social media, and it just got around the plane, and people are sharing information, and, you know, it's just kind of, it is pretty chilling."

He says flight attendants have offered food and beverages, and the bathrooms are on the plane as they're waiting to return to a terminal.

Julie Dreifaldt tells FOX 4 she was on her flight to get home to Denver out of Love Field. She's now rebooked a flight for tomorrow morning due to the ground stop.

"I just want to go home!"

Ennis Kirkland was trying to get home to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He said he's waiting out at Love Field for a few more hours before reassessing his options.

"Like everyone else, I can't get home," Kirkland said. "You know, if I can't get there safely, it's not worth saving a couple hours, or even a day.

What we don't know:

There was no timeline given for how long until the issue was resolved. 

This is a developing story. Updates will be added as they become available.

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