The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop at DFW International Airport and Dallas Love Field Tuesday as stormy weather was expected to roll into North Texas.
A ground stop is a measure in aviation that is used to control airport traffic. Tuesday’s ground stop prevents flights destined for North Texas from taking off until the FAA lifts the advisory.
The ground stop at DFW Airport will continue until at least 4 p.m., according to the latest update on the FAA’s website, which added that departures were delayed an average of 90 minutes and are increasing due to thunderstorms. Love Field’s ground stop is also expected to last until 4 p.m. and departures are delayed an average of 30 minutes and increasing, according to the FAA.
Ground stops are particularly disruptive at DFW Airport, which is the central hub of Fort Worth-based American Airlines. More than 400 flights had been canceled at DFW by 1:30 p.m., according to flight tracking site FlightAware. Despite the ground stop, just 55 cancellations were recorded at Love Field as of 3:30 p.m., according to FlightAware.
Love Field, the home base of Southwest Airlines, which operates 18 of the airport’s 20 gates.
The National Weather Service’s Fort Worth Office warned that D-FW may see severe storm weather on Tuesday. “A line of thunderstorms along a cold front will push from north to south across North and Central Texas through the day Tuesday,” the weather service said in an advisory posted to social media.
“Isolated damaging wind gusts and hail will be the primary hazards.”