A major equipment failure has led to ground stops and delays at over 20 US air traffic control centers, causing travel disturbances for thousands of passengers.

The malfunction has impacted systems like radar, radio, and approach mechanisms, delaying flights in key airspace regions including Los Angeles (ZLA), Chicago (ZAU), Atlanta (ZTL), Houston (ZHU), Jacksonville (ZJX), Fort Worth (ZFW), Denver (ZDV), Miami (ZMA), Kansas City (ZKC), Memphis (ZME), and Indianapolis (ZID).

Additional airports affected include Albuquerque (ZAB), Minneapolis (ZMP), Salt Lake City (ZLC), Washington DC (ZDC), New York (ZNY), Cleveland (ZOB), Oakland (ZOA), Seattle (ZSE), and Boston (ZBW).

Airports under these centers, including Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW), Dallas Love Field (DAL), and Kansas City International (MCI), are operating under restricted ‘one in, one out’ rules, meaning only one plane can take off or land at a time. 

The outage has also affected flights across the country and even international departures from Canadian airports such as Toronto (CYYZ), Montreal (CYUL), and Vancouver (CYVR). 

According to FAA updates, the probability of delays extending remains ‘medium’ as technicians work to restore the affected systems. 

‘The FAA is slowing flights into Dallas Love Field and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport due to a reported equipment issue at Dallas TRACON. The FAA is investigating the cause,’ the agency said in a statement. 

The Terminal Radar Approach Control handles flights arriving or departing both airports. 

Live recordings from the Dallas Love Field tower highlight the confusion on the ground. 

‘I don’t have any idea what kind of time we’re looking at here,’ a controller told pilots, while another added, ‘There are equipment issues at both the center and approach; they lost the ability to hand off between the facilities, and they are working on it.’

Dallas Love Field serves more than 16 million passengers annually, averaging about 44,000 daily, while roughly 189,000 passengers fly out of DFW each day. 

The other affected airports collectively handle over 29,000 daily flights, underscoring the scope of the disruption.

Passengers have already begun sharing their frustrations online. One traveler posted on X: ‘My plane was diverted to Omaha. We had a 1:10 arrival. Still sitting in our seats in Omaha. People can deplane if they choose.’ 

Airlines, including American, Southwest, and Delta, have reported significant disruptions and are working to rebook affected passengers.

‘We’ve lost all radar and phone communications,’ a controller at Dallas Love Field said in audio captured by LiveATC.net. 

‘I’m not departing anybody until we can get a system set up. We have no coms with the approach right now.’ 

Another pilot added, ‘Approach wanted to pass on to you to stop all departures. They can’t get a hold of you. They are having some com issues, I guess.’

To manage traffic safely, the FAA has implemented a delay assignment program across the affected airspace. 

The system controls the flow of all flights entering the impacted regions, preventing unsafe congestion while technicians work to restore radar and radio capabilities.

The outage began Friday afternoon, with ground stops at DFW and DAL effective from 1:58pm to 5:00pm local time. 

FAA alerts indicate that over 8,600 flights at the two airports alone have been delayed, with maximum delays exceeding three hours for some aircraft.

Travelers are strongly advised to check with their airlines before heading to airports and to expect longer-than-usual wait times at check-in and security. 

The outage has highlighted the vulnerability of US air traffic management systems, showing how quickly a failure in key infrastructure can ripple across the country’s skies.

For passengers, the disruption is a stark reminder of how reliant modern travel is on technology and coordination. 

For the FAA and airlines, it is a race against time to restore systems and minimize the impact on thousands of travelers nationwide.