COVID-19 grounded flights in Dallas resume after air traffic control cleaning
Planes were held for more than two hours at DFW Airport and Love Field
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Flights in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, area have restarted after being temporarily halted as the local air traffic control center underwent cleaning related to COVID-19.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) coronavirus map, the Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center underwent cleaning from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, after two workers tested positive for the coronavirus over a three-day period this week.
However, just before 5:30 p.m. CT, Dallas Love Field tweeted that the "air traffic stoppage" had been lifted and that flights resumed operations.
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A spokesperson for the DFW Airport previously confirmed to Fox News that the FAA requested a full ground stop at the airport.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The FAA has closed the airspace in and out of the DFW Airport until 5:00 p.m. Central Time," the airport said in a statement emailed to Fox News. "This is due to a required sanitization cleaning of offsite FAA facilities that control the airspace in DFW."
On Wednesday evening, DFW Airport tweeted the FAA's request for a full ground stop.
The FAA has requested a full ground stop at DFW Airport (pictured) until 5:30 p.m. CT because the nearby air traffic control center is being cleaned due to recent coronavirus cases. (iStock)
"This will result in flights being delayed or possibly canceled," the airport added. "Customers are encouraged to monitor flight status boards or contact your airline for updated information."
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The FAA told KXAS, the NBC owned-and-operated TV station in Fort Worth, that the delays were also the result of thunderstorms as well as cleaning the control center.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}At 6:20 pm CT, shortly after the ground order was lifted Dallas Love Field warned travelers that delays were still to be expected.
The Dallas area's "Airport Status Information" web page,
provided by the FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center, posted that "some arriving flights to be delayed an average of 2 hours and 50 minutes."