Dallas is about 37 miles south of Melissa. Flight disruptions at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field increased Monday after a technical failure at a Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control facility in Philadelphia. FlightAware counted hundreds of cancellations at DFW, where departing flights were running an average of about 49 minutes late and delays were rising.
The facility directs traffic connected to Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark, spreading the interruptions to Philadelphia, the New York area and airports nationwide. The center was also associated with significant service problems at Newark Liberty International Airport in spring 2025. The FAA said its main data connection failed Monday morning.
A switch to the backup connection revealed that a fiber-optic cable had been cut, which Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed to an Amtrak construction crew.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said a new circuit was being added as crews repaired the backup line, while Verizon technicians worked on restoring service. Bedford estimated the fiber repair could require about 13 hours, although a replacement circuit could bring back the primary connection sooner.
Limited service had resumed at LaGuardia, Kennedy and Philadelphia by early afternoon, but major delays were expected through the rest of the day. Airlines allowed some customers to rebook without charges, and the FAA told travelers to check with their airline before heading to the airport.
