DALLAS (KXAN/KXAS) — DFW International Airport was shut down temporarily for all incoming and outgoing flights Wednesday, but has since resumed operations.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the ground stop and delay was happening for a number of reasons, which include thunderstorms and the coronavirus, NBC 5 reports. The Regional Air Traffic Control center was being sanitized, which was another reason, an FAA spokesperson said.
“An air traffic control center employs over 400 air traffic controllers, who work on rotating shifts to cover traffic. The controllers at ZFW are standing by for cleaning to complete, and the ground stop will be lifted once it is, which can happen at any time,” an FAA spokesperson said earlier on Wednesday.
“At the request of the FAA, there is currently a ground stop in place. Please be sure to stay in touch with your airline for any updates regarding your flight,” DFW Airport tweeted earlier on Wednesday.
NBC 5 said a viewer on a flight at the airport was heading to Fort Lauderdale when the ground stop was implemented. The pilot said the Control Tower wasn’t operating due to COVID-19. The viewer was told “it could be several hours before flights are allowed to leave,” NBC 5 said.
The plane was able to go back to the gate and allowed passengers to exit back into the terminal.
All incoming and outgoing flights were temporarily stopped at Dallas Love Field Airport as well, but it has reopened too.
