Is Dallas Love Field open? Here's what happened after an FAA alert led to a closure of the airport

The Dallas Love Field has been reopened after a brief closure on Saturday night (November 14), with the airport saying the shutdown was caused by an alert over a security issue involving a commercial aircraft, according to CBS News. Dallas police said on social media that there had been a threat, which was later determined to be unfounded. Police and Dallas Fire-Rescue were carrying out an investigation. No injuries had been reported.

How long did the closure last?

"Dallas Love Field is open, and normal operations have resumed following law enforcement's clearance of the incident," the airport said in a statement, adding: "Passengers should check their airline's app/website for information on upcoming flights."


The closure lasted only a few minutes. According to CBS News, Fire-Rescue said crews were dispatched at 8:27 pm, and the alert was lifted seven minutes later, at 8:34 pm. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had earlier said the airport would remain closed until 6 am on Sunday.

Why was the alert issued?

In a statement given to CBS News Texas, Southwest Airlines said: "There was a brief holding of flights as one flight was subject to a security screening. No threat was found and normal operations have since resumed."

The authorities did not reveal what the nature of the threat was or which flight was subject to screening.

Incident comes after FAA ground stop

The incident came a day after the FAA ordered a rare nationwide ground stop of all flights, which continues to affect airline operations, leading to delays and cancellations at airports including Dallas Love Field.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford on Saturday said he expected flight operations to return to normal by the end of Sunday (Nov. 15). Federal officials said the disruption was caused by aging air traffic control equipment, including switches and routers that became overwhelmed by data.

How many flights were canceled at Love Field?

At Dallas Love Field, 26 departing flights were canceled on Saturday, and an additional 46 flights scheduled to arrive at the airport were also canceled, according to Fox 4 News.

Across the United States, more than 6,500 flights were canceled on Saturday, according to data from the flight tracking website FlightAware.