Ground Stop Lifted at DFW, Love Field After Severe Thunderstorm Delays

After a series of thunderstorms led to a Federal Aviation Administration ground stop, operations at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field were back on track Wednesday afternoon. The disruption lasted over three hours, causing significant delays for travelers throughout Texas, including those heading to Lubbock.

At approximately 7:15 a.m., the FAA implemented the initial ground stop for DFW, which was succeeded by a similar measure at Love Field at 8:30 a.m. This action halted all departures of planes headed for North Texas until additional updates are provided. By mid-morning, travelers at both airports encountered average delays exceeding two hours for their flights.

At 12:30 p.m., Love Field lifted its ground stop. At the same time, DFW transitioned to a ground delay program, a strategy to regulate incoming flights, expected to remain in effect until at least 5:59 p.m., as reported by the FAA.

In a significant disruption, flights arriving at DFW experienced an average delay of 148 minutes. The airport reported a staggering 762 delays and 123 cancellations, as detailed by tracking site FlightAware. At Love Field, there were a total of 153 delays reported. The extent to which weather conditions influenced cancellations remains uncertain.

As DFW, the third-busiest airport globally and a key hub for American Airlines based in Fort Worth, navigates an average of 1,030 arriving flights daily—approximately 43 per hour—this month, disruptions have emerged, as reported by FlightConnections.com. Southwest Airlines, holding authority over 18 of Love Field’s 20 gates, faced significant delays at the airport.

In a recent update, the National Weather Service in Fort Worth has indicated that North and Central Texas should prepare for additional isolated to scattered thunderstorms throughout the afternoon. Residents are cautioned about the potential for strong wind gusts, heavy rainfall, and frequent lightning strikes.

Travelers can go to this website to get the most up-to-date flight information in Lubbock.