Dallas flights stranded as air traffic center with 3 positive Covid tests in one week are disinfected

Two Dallas airports have temporarily halted arrival and departure flights due to a Covid-19 requiring disinfection in an air traffic control tower.

The flights were grounded at the Dallas Love Field and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airports on Wednesday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. A tweet from DFW said the shutdown was due to a “necessary sanitation cleanup of the off-site FAA facilities that control the airspace” around the airport.

“This will cause delays and possible cancellations,” DFW tweeted.

This will cause possible delays and cancellations. Customers are encouraged to monitor flight status tables or contact your airline for up to date information. Thank you for your patience.

– DFW Airport (@DFWAirport) December 30, 2020

The FAA told NBC Dallas the shutdown was a combination of weather issues and issues related to Covid-19.

An online scorecard for FAA facilities showed staff tested positive at the Fort Worth air traffic control center on three occasions in the past week, including a new positive on Wednesday. The dashboard also indicates that the overhead tower required cleaning between 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. local time.

Daniel Pitts told NBC Dallas he was on American Airlines Flight 422 to Fort Lauderdale when a pilot told them the control tower was not functioning due to Covid-19. Passengers were allowed to disembark and return to the terminal.

Stops at DFW and Field of love were lifted at 5:30 p.m. local time, although both airports expect further delays.